Memorials of Ancient Owners. 9 



the boundary-points in whose property are in several cases desig- 

 nated as Anne's-stone, — Anne's-ihoru, — -4««e's-crundel. Further 

 from the mention of the Wansdyke and also of "the stones along 

 the dene," we are able with tolerable certainty to identify many of 

 these points of boundary, and some of them were certainly at no 

 great distance from the hill which is called St. Anne's Hill. Let it be 

 observed however, that the charters give no warrant whatever for 

 the assumption of the canonization of this ancient owner of lands. 

 Nor, it may be added, is there any documentary evidence, as far as 

 we have been able to ascertain, of the church of All Cannings 

 being dedicated to St. Anne, the mother of the Blessed Yirgin. The 

 only indication we have on such a point is that already alluded to 

 as contained in the Wiltshire Institutions, where under the date 

 1492, it is designated as the church of Cannings All Saints (Can- 

 nyngs Omnium Sanctorum). And then further it seems unreason- 

 able to suppose that a dedication feast should be held, not in the 

 village and near the church, but on a bleak eminence some three 

 miles distant, and within the limits of what, though its lords owed 

 feudal allegiance to the chief lord of All Cannings, was neverthe- 

 less itself a distinct manor. 



Our belief is that the name of this ancient owner lingered in the 

 neighbourhood long after even tradition could preserve any me- 

 morials of his race. The hill was still termed Anne's-Hill. The 

 spirit of medifeval times would easily interpret this name as that 

 of the mother of the Blessed Virgin.^ It was not unnatural that 



* We have similar instances of this tendency to see memorials of Saints in 

 local names, in the designations of other parishes in Wilts. Stanton Berners (the 

 neighbouring parish to All Cannings) which like Alton Berners (or Barnes) 

 derives its distinctive name from some members of the Berners family (the lineal 

 descendants of Edward of Salisbury, the Domesday owners of the latter) has 

 been transformed into Stanton St, Bernard; whilst Stratford Tenet/, which is 

 so called from Alice de Toni, Countess of Warwick, in whom the lordship vested 

 in the 13th century, has been gravely intrepreted as Stratford St. Anthony. In 

 like manner Martin, near Bedwyn, which has been supposed to have derived its 

 name from a chapel lately discovered, and presumed to be dedicated to St. 

 Martin, was originally mcBr-tun, that is, boundary village, and formerly spelt 

 Morton, or Merton. In one document indeed it occurs as Mar-^Aorw, as though 

 it were called from some boundary thorn planted there. Anyhow the name 

 has nothing to do with any mediteval Saint. 



