Üratjr Slnnnnl JÖrcttng. 



THE NinthAnnual Meeting of the Society, washeldat 

 Bruton, on Tuesday the 4th August, 1857, under the 

 Presidency of the Right Honourable Lord Talbot de 

 Malahide. 



The noble President in his openiug address observed, 

 that, it was gratifying to know that the County of 

 Somerset was not only well adapted to the pursuit 

 of Archa3ological enquiries, but was, to a great extent, 

 ■virgin soil. The Agriculturist knew well the value of 

 virgin soil, and the Archreologist was equally alive to it. 

 The dialects of Somerset had not hitherto been attended 

 to as they ought ; and even to this day there was unfortu- 

 nately no decent History of the County. From the public 

 spirit displayed by the gentlemen of Somerset on some 

 occasions, he hoped the time was come when we niight 

 look forward to having a decent History of the County ; 

 and if some dozen gentlemen would put their Shoulders to 

 the wheel, each taking perhaps a hundred — and the 

 gentlemen of the County would assist by their contributions 

 — it might be done. Nothing could be more interesting than 

 a work of this description would be, and it was surprising 

 that there was not more anxiety evinced to obtain one. 

 His Lordship alluded to the local customs that were dying 

 out and becoming obsolete, and strongly urged on the 

 Members of the Society, the importance of recording them 

 before they entirely disappeared. His Lordship expressed 

 the deep interest he feit in the Society, and trusted it would 

 receive from the County, the support it required and 

 descrved. 



