118 Congress of British Archceological Association at Devizes. 



Archaeological and Natural History Society^ and read a letter from 

 the President of the Society (Lord Edmond Fitzmaurice), regretting 

 that absence from England as Her Majesty^s Commissioner in 

 Roumelia prevented his attending, as he would otherwise have felt 

 it a duty as well as a pleasure to do. Mr. Smith also gave a rapid 

 sketch of the chief points of interest to be visited during the ex- 

 cursions, and especially enumerated the earth and stone works of the 

 British period, which existed on the Wiltshire Downs in such pro- 

 portions as they could not be seen elsewhere in the kingdom. The 

 Rev. H. A. Oliviee, seconded the words of welcome, on behalf of 

 the county Archseological Society, and called attention to the 

 Museum, and more especially the " Stourhead " collection, as con- 

 taining a variety of early British antiquities, unrivalled in its com- 

 pleteness, and all the produce of Wiltshire barrows. In reply Mr. 

 Thomas Morgan, F.S.A., Treasurer of the British Archseological 

 Association, in the absence of the President, desired to thank the 

 Mayor and Corporation, and the Wiltshire Archseological Society, for 

 the cordiality with which they had welcomed them. It was plain 

 to him that Devizes was a very ancient borough, and that it had 

 been represented by good men and true even before the time of 

 Bishop Roger. Mr. Geoege Wright, F.S.A., Congress Secretary 

 to the Association, seconded the vote of thanks and briefly explained 

 the order of proceedings for the week : and this terminated the 

 morning meeting. 



The " Borough Charters " were exhibited in the Council Chamber, 

 and were inspected with considerable interest. These charters, to 

 the number of eight or ten, for the most part confer privileges on 

 the borough, or confirm previous grants : some of them are grants 

 of fairs and markets, and these curious parchments, besides the text, 

 in some cases, bear either engraved or pen-and-ink portraits of the 

 monarchs whose pleasure it has been to confer these privileges. By 

 the Empress Maud, it seems, a charter of liberties was granted to the 

 inhabitants, which is supposed to be the earliest known record re- 

 lating to the borough This charter was confirmed by Henry II., 

 and there are m«ny other charters and grants or confirmations of 

 privileges by succeeding sovereigns. There is also a charter of 



