Recent Wiltshire Boohs, Pamphlets, Articles, &c. 327 



the old ones be sold at five shillings and sixpence the ounce." The 

 Sergeants at Mace before 1435 were two in number, but in that year 

 they were increased to three, at which number they have since been 

 maintained. The Mayor's Sergeant at Mace was appointed for life, 

 receiving at first 40s. and afterwards 53s. 4d. a year as salary. From 

 1449 to 1484, William Devenyshe held the office, being succeeded by 

 John Brown. 



The Diamond Jubilee Silver Spoon, measuring 5ft. in length and 

 weighing 93 ozs., was made for the Committee who carried out the roasting 

 of the ox in the Market Square, in connection with the Diamond Jubilee 

 celebrations. 4,000 persons paid for the privilege of using it to baste 

 the ox whilst it was being roasted. After the festivities the spoon was 

 presented to the Corporation. It bears the Eoyal Arms, the City Arms, 

 and this inscription : — " In commemoration of the Diamond Jubilee of 

 Her Majesty Queen Victoria. A. "Whitehead, Mayor." 



These interesting notes end with this paragraph, " The Corporation 

 until recently possessed 24 antique brass candlesticks of the Queen Anne 

 period. Twenty of these were used for the Mayor's banquet in 1896, 

 since when they have been lost sight of." They have, however, been 

 discovered since this was written. 



The Find of Roman Coins in Grovely Wood. 



TheKev. G. H. Engleheart, F.S.A., writing to The Morning Post (copied 

 by the Wiltshire papers), gives the lamentable history of the dispersal 

 of this interesting find, which was described in Wilts dreh. Mag., xxxv., 

 114. 



"Information was at once given and the entire hoard — except one coin 

 which was lost by the labourer — sent to the Treasury by the landowner, the 

 Earl of Pembroke. As is customary, the objects were submitted to the 

 British Museum authorities, who retained the rings and thirty-six of the 

 rarer coins for the National collection. The actual finder was suitably 

 rewarded. 



On Feb. 8 last Lord Pembroke wrote to the Treasury requesting that 

 the remainder of the coins should be returned to him for the collection 

 at Wilton House, or for the Salisbury Museum. On April 5 he was 

 informed that the coins would not be returned, but that he would be 

 " permitted " to purchase them all or in part at a total valuation of £,11. 

 Lord Pembroke took no notice of this remarkable proposal, but to a further 

 communication from the Coin Department of the British Museum he 

 replied by his agent that he declined to buy what ought to be his, and 

 deprecated the action of the Treasury. On July 4 last, by order of the 

 Treasury, all the coins, broken up into small lots, were sold by auction 

 in London. This hoard ... if preserved intact . . . would 

 have had a permanent historical and educational value. It is now 

 irretrievably scattered and destroyed." 



The action of the Treasury in this matter is doubtless " good " law, 

 but it is uncommonly bad archaeology. 



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