The Tenth General Meeting. 



5 



past ages : and absorbing within its circle, not only as a member, 

 but as a worker, every intelligent inhabitant of the county, every 

 one in short who has any interest in the past and present history 

 of Wiltshire." 



The Report was adopted unanimously, and the officers of the 

 Society re-elected, the Rev. W. H. Jones, Yicar of Bradford-on- 

 Avon, being added to the General Committee. 



Earl Nelson then read a letter from Mr. Moody, Curator of 

 the Museum at Winchester, in which he offered for the acceptance 

 of the Society a copy of his recent work, entitled " Hampshire in 

 1086," being a translation of the portion of Domesday Book rela- 

 ting to Hampshire, accompanied with notes, identifying, as far as 

 possible, the modern parishes or manors corresponding to the various 

 entries. The present was, we need hardly say, received with 

 thanks by the members. 



Earl Nelson then addressed the meeting : — " It is expected, I 

 find," said his Lordship, "that as your President I should make a 

 few preliminary observations to you. In considering on what 

 I points I should especially dwell, it has struck me, that, as this is 

 the Tenth Meeting of the Society, it might be well perhaps to take 

 a short review of the progress of the study of Archseology in this 

 county, and to add a few words on the prospect of its future 

 , developement. As to the study itself we may deem it inexhaustible, 

 or well nigh so, since every elucidation of the history of a county 

 opens fresh subjects for enquiry ; and I hope to be able to shew, 

 that although I, and many perchance around me, cannot pretend 

 to those peculiar attainments which are necessary to produce a good 

 Archseologist, or Natural Historian, yet that we, nevertheless, the 

 ' small fry ' so to speak, may each in our own neighbourhood, like 

 Aubrey of old, do much by preserving the records of the locality 

 in which we live, and so assist the work in which the Society is 

 engaged. 



" On looking back at the history of Archseology in this county, 

 I fix on a publication issued more than 80 years ago, — viz., 

 Wyndham's ' Wiltshire, extracted from Domesday Book,' — as the 

 first real attempt to excite a general interest in the topography of 



