208 



Chippenham. Notes of its History. 



Corporation borrowed Sir Gilbert's drapery, and paid Robert Cowles 

 sixpence for carrying it back again when it was done with, and 

 setting it up in its place again. Before the Justices came, the posts 

 of the wall of the Guildhall were painted with black colour which 

 cost two shillings. But whenever Royalty visited Chippenham, as 

 it sometimes did on its way to " The Bath," it was received in the 

 Old Hall which then underwent a special purification, one item of 

 the expense being as follows : — 



"1624. Henry Berrye, Bay liffe. 



Item : For frankincense, pitch and rosen, to perfume the Ilall at the time of 

 the King's Majesty being there, 4d." 



We must now take our leave of the Old Town Hall ; and per- 

 haps with a little wish, as archaeologists, that it were possible to 

 keep it up in some way for public use. Though there may be now 

 no longer occasion for it, in its original dignified character, still it 

 is very often a convenient thing in a town to have a room to spare. 

 It comes in " handy " [as we say] for many things that you do not 

 always know how to find accommodation for elsewhere. Here is 

 an instance of the kind. 



In the quiet market-town of Spalding in Lincolnshire, there is 

 an old room, which has been occupied since the days of Queen 

 Anne by a club called " The Spalding Gentlemen's Society." It 

 was the first Provincial Club for literary purposes ever formed in 

 England : and there it is still, vigorous in a very green old age. 

 It has its books of record, its " Minute Books," containing memor- 

 anda of doings and proceedings, local notices and changes, all care- 

 fully preserved, during that period of time. It is of humble situation 

 and associations ; being approached by a stair from a butcher's shop ; 

 (an incongruity which is explained by the circumstance that the 

 Room only belonged to the Society, the House in which it is, to 

 some one else.) They keep there all sorts of old articles, old maps, 

 plans and engravings of the Town and neighbourhood, and a small 

 museum of local antiquities found or given from time to time. The 

 members meet together upon certain evenings, either for conver- 

 sazione, or for hearing some paper, or other communication, that 

 any one may be in the humour to make. How far it might be 



