354 Recent Wiltshire Book*, Pamphlets, and Articles. \ 



valuable information. The "Notes on Great Somerford " are also con- II 

 tinned at some length, dealing with the history of the Alexander and 

 Smith families in the 17th and 18th centuries. Further instalments of the 

 Kecords available for the History of Bratton — Wiltshire Quaker Marriage I 

 Records — and a Calendar of Feet of Fines for Wiltshire — with a couple 

 of pages of Notes on the Family of Dugdale of Seend — fill up the bulk of 

 a good solid number. The Queries and Replies are of no special interest, 

 except that it seems established on the authority of the Dictionary of \ 

 National Biography that Ludovic Muggleton— the founder of the sect of 

 Muggletonians — was not a native of Chippenham, as has been said, but 

 was born in London. 



Wilts Archaeological Society's Meeting at Amesbury. 



A very full account of the proceedings during the Meeting is given in 

 the Devizes Gazette, July 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th, and August 3rd, together 

 with a good deal of interesting gossip on the History of Amesbury, and I 

 Mr. Talbot's and Mr. Ruddle's papers on the Church, with a report of 

 Mr. Doran Webb's statements in opposition to their contention that ii 

 was the Church of the Abbey (July 13th). 



The next issue (July 20th) deals with the excursion to Lake, Heale, 

 Durnford, Durrington, and Stonehenge, and gives a short abstract of 

 Mr. E. Story Maskelyne's theories as to the latter structure. On July 

 27th Mr. Hawley's paper is printed, with a letter from Mr. Talbot on 

 Amesbury Church, On August 3rd Mr. Brakspear's notes on Bulford, 

 Figheldean, Netheravon, Fittleton, and Enford Churches are printed, 

 with some of Mr. Ruddle's notes on the History of Milston. There is also 

 an extract from MS. notes by the late Mr. Kemm, now in the possession 

 of the Vicar of Amesbury, dated 1870, as to the position of remains of 

 the ancient Abbey buildings formerly existing near the present house. 



The Salisbury Journal of July 8th also contained a short account of 

 the first day's proceedings, with an article making an un-called-for attack 

 on the usefulness of the Society. 



Amesbury Church. The Rev. C. S. Ruddle contributes to the Devizes 

 Gazette, August 24th, 1899, some interesting notes as to the Old Vicarage 

 House which stood to the N.E. of the Church, and of the pre-restoration 

 condition of the interior of the Church itself. 



On the Purpose, the Age, and the Builders of 



Stonehenge, by Edmund S. Maskelyne. Read at the Literary 

 Institution, before the Members of the Bath Antiquarian Field Club, 

 Dec. 8th, 1897. Pamphlet. 8vo. Bath. [1898.] pp. 39, with folding 

 plan. 



The author begins by stating that his theory is an absolutely novel one 

 — that his investigations lead him to conclude that the smaller stones 

 (the " blue stones ") were added about five hundred or six hundred years 

 after the great saiTciis and the earth circle were placed in position. He 

 is also satisfied that all the barrows, the avenue, and the cursus, except 



