During the \7th Century. 



Ill 



On the 12th May, 1675, the burial of :— 



" Joan wife of Walter Swan beinge traveling to the Bath dyed at the George." 



The house above referred to as the " Greorge " still stands in St. 

 Margaret's district on the left hand of the road leading from the 

 railway stations to the town. It is now occupied in cottage tene- 

 ments. I have heard it referred to locally as " Cromwell's House/' 

 but do not know upon what evidence it is connected with the 

 Protector. The name still survives in " Greorge Lane," a highway 

 running past one side of the building. The " Greorge " is also 

 referred to in the story of William Houlbrook, the Marlborough 

 blacksmith, in 1659. See Waylen, Hist, of Marlb., p. 282 et seq. 



On the 11th May, 1643, Thomas Coleman and Katherine Pearce 

 are entered as having been married "in domo." 



The register for 1678 contains the following entry : — 



''The Act for buringe in Wollen began August 24th 1678." 



The only record of a burial according to the Act is as follows : — 

 " 1679. Elizabeth the daughter of Robert Messenger & Martha his wife was 

 buried accordinge to the late Act May 12th." 



The first mention of the publication of banns occurs on April 

 19th, 1670. 



" 1690. 2 Soldiers runaway from thair Coullars & was shot to dearth & 

 buried August 13th." 



The above entry gives colour to a legend which used to be 

 related to us when we were children by a little old woman who 

 came to our house from time to time to do sewing. Her story was 

 that it always rained when the grass was mown in a certain water- 

 meadow, called Culver's Mead, in the parish of Preshute, because a 

 deserter was shot there by some soldiers who were endeavouring to 

 re-capture him. And she used to add that the shot took effect just 

 as he was leaping one of the ditches or water-carriers. There is a 

 delightful " non sequitur " in the story, but I give it as she used to 

 relate it. And I may add that we firmly believed in it. 



There is a piece of ground in the parish adjoining the Bath Road 



