96 The Fiftieth General Meeting 
costly work which took some five months to complete, carried out 
entirely at the expense of Mr. W. Heward Bell, under the constant 
personal direction of the owner of the ground, Mr. J. Hardy, to 
whom the Society is greatly indebted, and the general supervision 
of Mr. Brakspear and the Rev. E. H. Goddard. The very careful 
plans and drawings of the buildings made by Mr. Brakspear will, 
it is hoped, when published, make this one of the most satisfactory 
Roman excavations hitherto undertaken within the county. 
“7.—THE TROPENELL CARTULARY. The Rev. J. Sylvester 
Davies, who has been working at the transcription and extension 
of the Latin portion of this work ever since the Trowbridge Meeting 
two years ago, reports that out of the 978 pages of which the book 
consists he has now done 802. This part of his very arduous 
labour, for which the Society is deeply indebted to him, is thus 
drawing to a close. 
CHURCH AND CHURCHYARD INSCRIPTIONS. In the copying 
of these Mr. Baker has pursued his laborious task in the south of 
the county steadily during the year, and we are indebted to the 
Rey. G. P. Toppin for work done in transcription. Two Churches 
in the north of the county have been well restored during the past 
year—Brinkworth by Mr. Ponting, Rodbourne by Mr. Brakspear. 
In the former it is satisfactory to note that the gallery has been 
carefully preserved. It is very satisfactory, too, to be able to 
record the care taken of the remarkable sepulchral stones found 
on the site of Trowbridge Castle, through the instrumentality of 
My. Blake. 
“ 8.—The Society was established at a meeting held in the Town 
Hall, Devizes, on the 12th October, 1853, at which the Lord 
Lieutenant of the county, the Marquis of Lansdowne, presided. 
Mr. William Cunnington had organised a Provisional Committee, 
and to him (as is recorded in the first Report) ‘we must all confess — 
ourselves deeply indebted’ for taking the first steps in the formation 
of such a society in this county. Of those present at the meeting 
but few survive. It is a pleasure to think that Mr. Cunnington 
is still of the number, though, owing to his great age, he is unable 
‘to attend this Meeting. The object of the Society was to collect 

