Notes on the History of Mere. 225 
of the county of Wilts, bordering on Somerset. and Dorset, 
whence possibly it takes its name—mere signifying a boundary. 
_A stone in the middle of a millpond attached to Bourton Foundry 
_marks the junction of the three counties. 
It is bounded on the west by Penselwood, in: Somerset, and 
Stourton, in Wilts; on the north by Stourton and Kilmington ; 
on the east by Maiden Bradley, Kingston Deverill, West Knoyle, 
East Knoyle, and Sedghill, in Wilts; and on the south bs Mat 
_combe, Gillingham, and Bourton, in Dorset. 
PoPpuLaTION. WT 
The population in 1801 was 2091; in 1811, 2211; in 1821, 
2422; in 1831, 2708; in 1841, 3139; in 1861, 2929; in 1871, 
_8161 ; in 1881, 2930; and in 1891, 2749. 
GEOLOGY. 
The eastern portion of the parish is on the chalk rane 
‘about two thousand acres being down land from 600ft. to '750ft. 
‘above the sea-level. The town, with a considerable quantity of 
land to the east and north, is on the lower or grey chalk. South 
of the town the soil is Kimmeridge clay with occasional veins of 
“white earth.”! The hamlets of Zeals and Wolverton (now part 
of Zeals) are chiefly sand land. The Market Place is 344ft. above 
sea-level. 
Mitts. 
At the foot of the chalk hills are numerous springs, which unite 
near the town and are of sufficient volume to drive a moderate-sized 
mill for grinding corn night and day without intermission; and 
further down the stream are two more mills in the parish, formerly 
used for the same purpose but latterly giving motive power to two 
factories, one for manufacturing flax, the other for spinning silk, 
though both these industries are now dormant. Fifty years ago 
1“ White earth” is a chalky loam with an admixture of flint, apparently 
denuded from the hills at a remote period. It was formerly generally used for 
floors of cottages, etc. ; the Church was floored with it. 
