President's Address. 



the officers of the registry at a heavy cost. At a meeting in 1870 

 a suggestion was thrown out by me that the Society should form a 

 collection of portraits of the " worthies of Wiltshire/' by means of 

 photography. I feel certain that this work, if properly carried out, 

 will interest everybody. We cannot afford to have copies of our 

 splendid portraits which exist, but we may have excellent repro- 

 ductions exhibiting a sufficient accuracy of feature and detail both 

 to satisfy the eye and repay the cost of production. I plead that 

 this suggestion may be acted upon hereafter. And now, my friends, 

 I think I may turn to the subject of our present meeting, and see if 

 I can give you a description of the bill of fare which has been 

 provided for you. You will recollect that it was promised that at 

 no distant day we should visit " Trowbridge and its district/'' after I 

 having thoroughly investigated " Wilton and its surroundings " at 

 our last meeting. We are now at Trowbridge, and have received 

 a welcome from the inhabitants and principal personages of the town 

 and neighbourhood, such as is accorded only to those happy archseo- \ 

 logists whom I have before hinted at. Let me pause here to offer 

 them our best thanks for all their generous kindness and hospitality. I 

 It is very much appreciated, and will not be forgotten by any of us. 

 You will hear a paper read to-day on the Chronicles of Trowbridge, 

 from the able pen of the Rev. Prebendary Jones, and have an 

 opportunity of inspecting the town before we meet at our anniversary 

 dinner in the afternoon. Mr. Ravenhill is to give us a paper on Sir 

 Walter Long, and at our Conversazione in the evening we shall hear 

 papers on "the White Horses of Wilts/'- by the Rev. W. C. 

 Plenderleath ; on the " Iron Ore of Westbury/' by Mr. W. Cunning- 

 ton ; and on " Cuttridge and Brook-house/'' by the Rev. E. Peacock. . 

 I must not enlarge upon any of these matters, or I might be accused 

 of poaching upon other persons' manors, and I confess that I am i 

 right glad that the matter is left in abler hands than mine. The 

 derivation of Trowbridge at first sight appears to be from Trolebyrig, 

 or the castle by the Trowle. On the west of the town is a hamlet 

 called Trowle, and the Bridge over the Biss has been designated 

 Trowlebridge,orTrovvbridge,but asStraburg is the name given to Trow 

 bridge in Domesday Book it is more probably derived from " Trole " 



