The Eighth General Meeting. 



History Society, has again the satisfaction of recording the general 

 prosperity of the Society, the number of names now on the books 

 amounting to about the same as last year, the reduction by death, 

 withdrawal, or removal from the county being somewhat more than 

 counterbalanced by the enrolment of new members. 



" Your Committee cannot pass over in silence the grievous loss 

 sustained by this Society in common with the country generally, 

 and more especially the county of Wilts, by the death of their last 

 President (Lord Herbert). His courtesy and kindness, the grace and 

 elegance which he threw around everything he took in hand, even 

 more perhaps than his high talents and unrivalled taste, will long 

 be cherished amid our fondest recollections. Those who were present 

 at our Annual Meeting in 1854, at Salisbury, whilst they remember 

 the magnificent collection of works of art at Wilton, will as vividly 

 recollect the noble hospitality and the kind attentions of its lamented 

 occupier. 



" Your Committee also desires to pay a passing tribute of respect 

 to another member of the Society, taken from us during the past 

 year, the Hev. J. H, Bradney, of Bradford on Avon. At the 

 General Meeting held there in 1857, lie acted as President, and 

 contributed much to its success, both by the Address he delivered, 

 and the urbanity with which he conducted the proceedings. 



" With regard to Finance, your Committee is enabled to speak 

 encouragingly. Our receipts for the past year have been fully equal 

 to our current expenditure. 



"To pass on to the work done during the last twelve months. 



"With regard to the Magazine the reason why it has been 

 necessary during the present year to postpone the publication for 

 a little while is, that both the press of our printer, and the time 

 and attention of our editor the Rev. Canon Jackson, have been 

 entirely absorbed in preparing another work connected with the 

 county, which the Society has undertaken to publish. Aubrey, 'the 

 Wiltshire Antiquary, made 200 years ago considerable collections 

 for the Topography of Wiltshire, especially the Northern part, of 

 which we have as yet no regular history. The manuscript which 



