The Society 8 MSS.—Note I. 



221 



but for what purpose I could not ascertain. It contained nothing 

 beyond a few lumps of the hard blue Swindon rock found at a lower 

 leyel. The entrance to this chamber was by a round hole like a 

 well, over the west end. 



In January, 1899, a skeleton was discovered near the building- 

 described above. I was present soon after the discovery was made, 

 and found the skeleton lying on its right side in a crouched-up 

 position with the head towards the west. It was surrounded by 

 an oval ring of small stones about the size of cocoa-nuts. These 

 were from the higher beds of the Portland Eock, easily procurable 

 here. Upon these, other stones were carefully built up over the 

 body in a sort of beehive shape until it was entirely covered. 

 Most of the stones appeared to have been rounded, and many of 

 them showed traces of having been burnt. The bones were 

 apparently those of a young female. Nothing whatever was 

 found with the skeleton by which the date of the interment could 

 be fixed. 



Note I. 



The Vilett Family. 



HE marriage in 1578 of Thomas Stephens, of Burderop, with 

 Dorothy Yiolett (p. 135) is particularly interesting, 

 inasmuch as it would seem to have been the occasion of the first 

 introduction of the name of Vilett, well known and well respected 

 for many generations at Swindon, into the county of Wilts. 

 Mrs. Dorothy Stephens, whose maiden name has not yet been 

 ascertained, was the widow of Eichard Vilett, citizen and fish- 

 monger of London. It is known that this Eichard Vilett owned 



