440 The Sixtieth General Meeting. 



and Corporation for their very kind welcome, on behalf of both 

 societies, proceeded to deliver his presidential address 1 on " The 

 Eetreat of the Welsh from Wiltshire." Professor Sayce, in pro- 

 posing a vote of thanks to the President, was inclined, he said, to 

 doubt whether the West Saxons were really to any large extent 

 Saxons at all, and whether the struggle was not really between 

 two branches of the Celtic family — one with a considerable strain 

 of Welsh blood, whilst the other was Goidelic, from Ireland. The 

 ethnology of Wilts was still to a large extent the ethnology of 

 the country before the English came into Britain at all. The vote 

 of thanks was seconded by Major Godsal, who, however, was unable 

 to agree with some of the views advanced in the address. Sir 

 Henry Howorth said a few words eulogistic of the work done by 

 Dr. Boyd Dawkins since they were boys together at Rossall, more 

 than fifty years ago. Refreshments were most kindly provided for 

 the large company by the Mayor and Mayoress, to whom a hearty 

 vote of thanks was accorded. 



WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13th. 



Leaving Devizes punctually at 9.30 the motor cars readied 

 KEEVIL at 10.15, where TALBOYS was first visited, by kind 

 permission of Mr. E. C. Lister, and the Eev. A. T. Richardson gave 

 an account of the house, of which little is known, suggesting that 

 the escutcheon of Fitzalan quartering Maltravers on the gallery of 

 the hall, now repainted in oils from the original in distemper, may 

 be those of John, 19th Earl, created K.G. in 1432, who died in 

 ]435. Dr. St. John Hope, however, thought there was nothing 

 earlier than Edw, IV. in the house, which has been so much altered 

 by restoration that there is little left to date, it by. Judging from 

 the character of the work in the garter round them he regarded 

 the arms as of 17th century date. The party then crossed the 

 road to the MANOR HOUSE, where they were received by 

 General Dickson, who in 1911 purchased the property of Major 

 Archibald Hicks Beach, to whom it had descended from William I 



1 The Retreat of the Welsh from Wiltshire." Archceologia Cambrensis,\ 

 6th Series, vol. xiv. (1914), pp. 87—112. 



