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President's Address. 



I fear I have not space for more than a slight sketch. The original 

 name of the manor was simply Ashton, and was left by King Alfred \ 

 to his youngest daughter by will for her maintenance. King Edgar, 

 in the year A.D. 694, gave it to the nunnery of St. Mary, at 

 Romsey, in Hampshire, to whom it belonged for 571 years. The 

 general lordship of the whole manor at the dissolution was granted 1 

 to Sir Thomas Seymour, Lord Sudely. In 1610, it formed part of 

 the maintenance of Prince Henry, son of James the First. At the 

 present time the estate for the most part has become the property 

 of Mr. Long, of Rood Ash ton. The Church, dedicated to S. Mary, 

 was finished about 1500. The north aisle was built at the expense 

 of Robert Long and Edith his wife — the south at the expense of Walter 

 Lucas and his wife Maud. In the church are monuments to the j 

 Long family, and to Beach and Bennett, of this parish. George 

 Webb, who was Vicar here, became afterwards Bishop of Limerick 

 in 1634, and died in Limerick Castle, where he was confined by the 

 rebels. He was an author, and his portrait exists in one of his 

 publications called the " Practice of Quietness/'' He was first 

 rector of Sutton Mandeville, then of St. Martin Vin-the- Fields, 

 London, and was ejected from Steeple Ash ton by the Act of Uni- 

 formity. * * * I think that after you have examined the places 

 of which I have now given you a slight outline, you will not un- 

 naturally be glad to turn in at the lodge of my hospitable brother- j 

 in-law, Mr. Long, and enjoy the delicious shade of the noble trees 

 in driving through his park. At his residence we are sure to be 

 sumptuously entertained — (applause) — and I feel very little doubt 

 but that the ancient dust which we have been swallowing will be 

 none the worse for being washed down by modern champagne. 

 (Applause.) An interesting paper on Rood Ashton, and the ancient 

 family of the Longs, will be read to you by my friend Canon Jackson. \ 

 On the third day we propose to visit the romantic town of Bradford- 

 on-Avon. A very curious old town is this, and of excessive interest, j 

 as well to the geologist as to the antiquarian. It would be beyond 

 my province to speak at length of this quaint old place, for everything 

 that can be said, has been well said by the worthy vicar of Bradford 

 in his contributions to our Magazine, but I may perhaps be allowed 



