The Sixteenth General Meeting. 



151 



a hungry race, and exploring expeditions tend to increase the 

 appetite ; so that it was with no unwilling hearts they assembled 

 in the spacious marquee beneath which Mr. Goldney had hospitably 

 provided a sumptuous entertainment. Here for a long time the 

 clatter of knives and forks reigned supreme, and then Mr. Goldney 

 rose and heartily welcoming the Archaeological Society to Braden- 

 stoke, proposed the health of its president (Sir John Awdry), 

 whose able conduct in the chair had so much conduced to the 

 success of the meeting, while it was with regret that they learnt 

 that the period of his presidentship had expired, and he was on 

 the point of retiring from the chair he had so well filled. 



The Rev. A. C. Smith begged leave, on the part of the Archaeo- 

 logical Society, to second the vote of thanks moved by Mr. Goldney, 

 because excellent as had been our former Presidents, none had 

 shown greater interest in the objects of the Society, certainly none 

 had brought greater antiquarian and architectural knowledge to 

 bear upon their meetings than Sir John Awdry. It was with very 

 great regret that they parted from him as their President, and 

 they very cordially thanked him for allowing them to prolong his 

 term of office beyond the usual time in order to include the 

 Chippenham meeting. 



Sir John Awdry, in returning thanks, expressed the sense he 

 felt of the personal kindness which had been evinced towards him, 

 assuring the Society of his entire and cordial sympathy in their 

 objects, and then, in the name of all who were present, offered 

 their hearty thanks to Mr. Goldney for the liberality with which 

 he had entertained them. 



And now a further examination of the Abbey ensued, including 

 the barn with its huge timbers, the cellars, the roofs, and the gardens ; 

 and then all assembled again in the tent, to listen to an interesting 

 story of the old Abbey, which Canon Jackson, in his happiest vein, 

 related. This terminated the visit to Bradenstoke; and now, under 

 the pilotage of Mr. Freegard, but we are bound to add down the 

 steepest, the stoniest, and the worst of waggon tracks, the whole 

 cavalcade scrambled, and how the heavier carriages and four-horse 

 breaks managed to descend in safety was not the least marvellous 



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