90 



The Fiftieth General Meeting 



costly work which took some five months to complete, carried out 

 entirely at the expense of Mr. W. Heward Bell, under the constant 

 personal direction of the owner of the ground, Mr. J. Hardy, to 

 whom the Society is greatly indebted, and the general supervision 

 of Mr. Brakspear and the Bev. E. H. Goddard. The very careful 

 plans and drawings of the buildings made by Mr. Brakspear will, 

 it is hoped, when published, make this one of the most satisfactory 

 Boman excavations hitherto undertaken within the county. 



" 7. — THE TROPENELL CARTULARY. The Bev. J. Sylvester 

 Davies, who has been working at the transcription and extension 

 of the Latin portion of this work ever since the Trowbridge Meeting 

 two years ago, reports that out of the 978 pages of which the book 

 consists he has now done 802. This part of his very arduous 

 labour, for which the Society is deeply indebted to him, is thus 

 drawing to a close. 



CHURCH AND CHURCHYARD INSCRIPTIONS. In the copying 

 of these Mr. Baker has pursued his laborious task in the south of 

 the county steadily during the year, and we are indebted to the 

 Bev. G. B. Toppin for work done in transcription. Two Churches 

 in the north of the county have been well restored during the past 

 year — Brinkworth by Mr. Bonting, Boclbourne by Mr. Brakspear. 

 In the former it is satisfactory to note that the gallery has been 

 carefully preserved. It is very satisfactory, too, to be able to 

 record the care taken of the remarkable sepulchral stones found 

 on the site of Trowbridge Castle, through the instrumentality of 

 Mr. Blake. 



" 8. — The Society was established at a meeting held in the Town 

 Hall, Devizes, on the 12th October, 1853, at which the Lord 

 Lieutenant of the county, the Marquis of Lansdowne, presided. 

 Mr. William Cunnington had organised a Brovisional Committee, 

 and to him (as is recorded in the first Beport) ' we must all confess 

 ourselves deeply indebted' for taking the first steps in the formation 

 of such a society in this county. Of those present at the meeting 

 but few survive. It is a pleasure to think that Mr. Cunnington 

 is still of the number, though, owing to his great age, he is unable 

 to attend this Meeting. The object of the Society was to collect 



