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Stanton Drew. By J. ALLON TUCKER. 
(Read March 12th, 1884). 
My object in bringing before the notice of the Bath Field Club 
the groups of stones at Stanton Drew—concerning which those 
well skilled in antiquarian lore have written much without 
coming to any satisfactory conclusion as to the mystery which still 
hangs round them, and will till the end of time—is to present in 
as intelligible a form as possible some account of these remains, 
situated as they are within the County of Somerset, and within 
easy reach of Bath ; and as the Club visited Stanton Drew last 
year, doubtless members, more competent than I am, will 
assist in bringing us to the most reasonable conclusion respecting 
them. So much has been written on this subject, and the 
accounts vary so, that almost every hypothesis has been fully 
discussed, and little room remains for originality. 
_ There are various parishes in England called Stanton. In the 
‘County of Somerset alone, we have the names of Stanton Drew, 
Stanton Prior, Stantonbury hill, Stanton Wick, all close together 
and in the great manor of Keynsham, and one simply Stanton in 
Dunster. 
These are doubtless from the same derivation, viz., A.S., 
“stan,” astone; and “tun,” a town; and the word added to it, in 
good many cases, served the purpose of distinguishing one place 
from another, and was generally taken from names of the ancient 
lords of the place—e.g., Stanton Prior used to belong to the Priors 
of Bath; and Stanton Drew, to the Drew, or Drogo, who came 
from Dreux in Normandy, and concerning whom there is amongst 
the documents of the Dean and Chapter of Exeter one (evidently 
of the 12th century), by which one Drogo, or Drew, acknowledges 
his tenure under a tenant in chief, named Dennis. The Stantons 
appear to have taken their names from this parish, and 
_ possessed the land from about the date of the Norman Conquest ; 
and i in Domesday, and in other books, they are variously called 
)Vou. V., No. 4. 
