President's Address. 



293 



— of which I confess I don't know the meaning — and " burg/' which 

 signifies a hill. Trowbridge in the days of the Normans had its 

 Castle, which stood on an eminence now known by the name of 

 Court Hall, and at present covered with factories. Around the 

 Castle, the town grouped itself. In the 4th year of the reign of 

 King Stephen, Humphry de Bohun, a great noble, held the Castle 

 for Maud — daughter of Henry 1st, in such sort, says Dugdale, that 

 it was impregnable, and withstood the attacks of the King. In the 

 reign of Edward III., the Castle was held by John of Gaunt. Leland, 

 in his Itinerary, speaking of the Castle in Henry VIII/s time says it 

 stood on the south side of the town, but is now " clene down." 

 There was in it "a. 7 very great toures, whereof peaces of 2 yet 

 stand/'' Some part of the towers, remained as late as the year 1670. 

 There is an engraving of the Castle, which answers to Leland' s 

 description in a book called " The Church Restored," by the Rev. 

 J. H. Hastings, late Rector of Trowbridge. It is taken from an old 

 painting found some years ago within the wall in the house of the 

 late Mr. Samuel Salter, and now in the possession of W. Stancomb, 

 Esq., the lord of the manor of Trowbridge. After his little notice 

 of the Castle, Leland says, (< the river runneth hard by the Castle." 

 I am sure that it did not run blue in his time, as it does now, and I 

 trust that it will eventually be made to resume its natural colour, 

 and become a source of pleasure to the angler. (Hear, hear.) Well 

 worthy of inspection is the fine parish church of this town, built 

 about the year 1475. In the Register chest is still to be found a 

 document containing the names of the contributors to the good 

 work. Close to the church used to stand an almshouse built by 

 James Terumber, " a very rich clothier," as Leland calls him who, 

 in addition to its endowment, founded a chantry, and bestowed 

 certain lands, which would in the present value of money be about 

 £300 a year, for its maintenance. It is possible that at the dissolution 

 of the chantry, the payments for the alms folk was neglected, as 

 provision for the chantry and almshouse was made in the same deed. 

 I am not aware whether any portion of the old building of Terumber's 

 exists, but I am pleased to add that through the liberalit y of other 

 rich clothiers, anew almshouse was built, and worthily endowed ; and 



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