100 



The Fiftieth General Meeting. 



Society in dealing with the parish deeds preserved at St. Mary's 

 Church. It was then agreed to send a telegram of greeting to 

 Mr. William Cunnington, F.G.S., as the sole survivor of the founders 

 of the Society : — 



" We heartily congratulate you upon goodhealth, much regret your absence, 

 most successful Meeting." 



To this a reply was received as follows, later on in the day : — 



" Sincere thanks for kind telegram, and heartiest congratulations on the 

 success of the jubilee, and on the honourable position obtained by the Society. 

 I am very sorry to be absent." 



The business having been concluded with the election of four 

 new Members, the Meeting separated, and the remaining programme 

 of the afternoon was carried out. 



THE CASTLE GEOUNDS, by the kindness of Sir Charles Eich, 



were first visited, and here Mr. Kite, whose store of knowledge on 



all matters connected with the history of Devizes is unequalled, 



spoke on the history and site of the building, and the sole remnants 



of the ancient walls were pointed out. On account of the fact 



that the earthworks are now so heavily timbered, it is difficult to 



make out their ancient form, but the height of the mound and the 



depth of the encompassing ditch testify to their former strength. 



As to the building itself Mr. Kite said : — 



"The only description of the building which has reached us is from the 

 pen of the antiquary Leland, who came here in 1540, when it had been dis- 

 mantled and was falling rapidly to decay. ' The keep or dungeon of it, set 

 upon a hill, is a piece of work of incredible cost.' In the gate were six or 

 seven places for portcullisses, and there remained yet divers goodly towers in 

 the outer wall, but all going to ruin. The principal gate leading to the town 

 was yet of great strength, and had places for seven or eight portcullisses. In 

 the view given by Stukeley, dated 1723, two windmills occupy the site of the 

 Norman keep. In another rough sketch of about the same date, among the 

 Additional MSS. in the British Museum, these are described as a recent 

 project for grinding rape seed. The mound was then converted into an 

 orchard." 



As to the existing remains, now densely covered up by ivy, and 



quite invisible, Mr. Kite said : — 



" In one corner, probably on the site of one of the angle turrets, is a deep 

 pit, 8ft. X 6ft., strongly walled and commonly known as ' The Dungeon. 



