THE 



WILTSHIRE MAGAZINE. 



"MUlTOEUir MANIBTTS GEANDE LEVATUE ONUS." — Ovid. 



THE SEVENTH GENERAL MEETING 



OF THE 



i Wilts])ixt ^rcljaeolosical anti Natural ^istox^ Socictg, 



k HELD AT SWINDON, 



fc; Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 16th, IQth, and 17th August, 

 » 1860. 



PBESIDENT OE THE MEETING, 



The Rt. Hon. T. H. S. Sotheron Estcourt, M.P., D.C.L. 



j^IB^N Wednesday 15tli August, the Society assembled for its 

 |Jji|^ Seventh General Meeting at the Town-Hall, Swindon. 

 The chair was taken by the Rt. Hon. T. H. S. Sotheron Estcourt, 

 M.P. at half past one o'clock. 



Mr. ESTCOURT, after reviewing the operations of the Society 

 from the time of its formation, proceeded to observe that the prin- 

 cipal reason for selecting Swindon as the place of meeting for the 

 present year was> that it was a part of the county with which, as 

 yet, the Society had had no contact. Situated, as it was, at the 

 north-eastern part of the county — at a distance from those remark- 

 able objects of antiquarian lore with which the name of Wiltshire was 

 associated in all parts of the world — the mysterious monuments at 

 • Avebury and Stonehenge — he was rejoiced that for once they were 

 certain to escape from theories, and to fix their minds upon a nation 

 and upon records of history of a later date, with which he confessed 

 he felt a stronger sympathy than he did with the ancient Britons. 

 On passing that morning through the wonderful circles at Avebury 

 — on looking at those wonderful stones, at that wonderful mound 



VOL. vir. — NO. XX, I 



