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The Nineteenth General Meeting. 



olden time; parts of which are believed to date from the 14th century, 

 and its more modern portions to have been erected some 300 years 

 ago. Assembled in the so-called drawing-room, Canon Jackson 

 gave many interesting particulars and pointed out all the principal 

 objects of notice ; and then the President made his farewell address 

 to the Society, and congratulated the members on the very successsful 

 meeting they were concluding ; thanking Mr. Long for his kind 

 permission to visit that noble old house ; mentioning with honour 

 the name of Mr. Mackniel, whose exertions had resulted in the ex- 

 cellent museum at Trowbridge; repeating the grateful thanks of 

 the Society to Rev. Prebendary Jones, Mr. Saunders, and all who 

 had assisted them in that day's excursion ; and then recalling the 

 fact that he had occupied the President's chair for the three years of 

 his office, announcing his retirement in favour of his successor, but 

 promising his best support to the Society to the very utmost of his 

 power. 



The Rev. A. 0. Smith said that he could not permit Mr. 

 Penruddocke to retire from the Presidency just yet : he was elected 

 in the spring of 1870, and therefore his term of office had not yet 

 expired; neither did the Society mean to lose him as its chief officer 

 one single minute earlier than necessary. As this, however was the 

 last time when the Society would be assembled this year, he begged 

 leave to tender to Mr. Penruddocke, in the name of the Society, its 

 most cordial thanks for the manner in which he had presided over it, 

 the genial and kind and courteous rule he had exercised ; and not 

 only so, for his presidency was characterized -not only by urbanity 

 but by efficiency. The Society had been most fortunate in its 

 presidents : it had been presided over by Mr. Poulett Scrope, Lord 

 Herbert, Mr. Sotheron Estcourt, Lord Nelson, and Sir John Awdry, 

 but by none had it been more diligently cared for than by Mr. 

 Penruddocke. He had entered with all his heart into their pro- 

 ceedings, and he (their Secretary) asked the company assembled to 

 accord him their most cordial thanks. This, it is needless to say, 

 was done with the greatest heartiness ; when Mr. Penruddocke 

 thanked Mr. Smith and the Society generally, and said that assembled 

 as they were in the old hall at Wraxall, they must drink the health 



