Ss 
President's Address. 299 
to draw your attention to the leading objects of interest, and 
especially as I see some new members present to whom such lore 
may be acceptable. Bradford takes its name from the broad ford 
over the Avon below the bridge, and which was in use even up to 
quite a late date. There is some proof that the Romans were in 
_this locality about the year A.D. 62, and in the upper part of the 
town. The popular name of the “bed and bolster,” given to their 
earth works, in allusion to their shape, is not a very bad recognition 
of a portion of their encampment. Bradford was the occasional 
- residence of our Saxon kings, and by one of them, Cenwealh, who 
was King of Wessex, 652, Christianity was introduced into this 
town. That accomplished Bishop Aldhelm, founded a monastery 
here, and dedicated it to St. Laurence. It is just possible that a small 
portion of this building may be incorporated with the edifice now 
known as the Free School. The building itself was of the most 
interesting character. The great council of the nation was held here, 
and Bishops elected to vacant sees. Amongst others, Dunstan, 
- Abbot of Glastonbury, was appointed Bishop of Worcester. Tradition 
speaks of a mint having been established at Bradford, but I find no 
corroboration of this. King Ethelred, in the year 1001, bestowed 
the manor of Bradford upon the Abbess of Shaftesbury, and by this 
very materially increased her revenue. The troublous reign of 
Ethelred proved disastrous to the monastery of St. Laurence, for 
the turbulent Danes, disgusted by the treachery of the King towards 
them, levelled it to the ground. Bradford under the Norman Con- 
quest appears to have retained its Anglo-Saxon population. The 
Abbess of Shaftesbury still had the manor, and the land was in 
many cases held by military tenure under the King. It is curious 
to note here that honey was made an article of payment, and that 
vines were cultivated in vineyards. From the chronicle of William 
of Malmesbury, we learn that King Stephen besieged the Castle of 
Trowbridge, and it is probable that Bradford did not escape being 
involved in the conflicts which were perpetually occurring in its 
neighbourhood. In the year 1295 Bradford sent two members to 
be Parliament on the occasion of a proposed invasion of England by 
the King of France. At the dissolution of the monasteries the lay 
