By the Rev. E. II. Goddard. 



35 



ono granted by James II. in 1685. 1 But the town practically 

 continued to be governed by the charter of 1554. In 1835 the 

 corporation consisted of a bailiff and twelve burgesses, with town 

 clerk and under bailiff, but it now consists of a mayor, four aldermen, 

 and twelve councillors. 



The whole of the plate and insignia are modern. 



The Mace. This measures 2ft. llfin. in length. The head is 

 oval, with the two shields of the borough arms in relief on either 

 side, surmounted by a tasselled cushion on which is a royal crown, 

 the central part of the stem is plain with an acanthus-leaf knop 

 under the head and a spirally twisted grip at the butt. Around 

 the stem, under the head is the borough motto, "UNITY AND 



LOYALTY." Below the knop, "HARRY GOLDNEY, ESQ 8 ., 



mayor, 1844." And above the grip of the handle, "the GIFT 



OF JOSEPH NEELD, ESQ RE ." 



It is of plain and frosted silver bearing the London hall-mark 

 for 1843, with the maker's mark, C. R. G. S. It is of an un- 

 conventional but scarcely satisfactory design. OofcO Vfc$ 



" The donor, Joseph Neeld, Esq., of Grittleton House, was M.P. for the 

 borough from 1826 — 1852, dying in 1856. The following letter from him 

 accompanied the presentation of the mace : — " 11th May, 1844. It was upon 

 a recent occasion that I learnt for the first time that the Corporation of 

 Chippenham did not possess a mace ; an ensign of authority, which from the 

 earliest period of our history has been borne before the magistrates and chief 

 officers of corporations in the discharge of their public duties, in my opinion 

 adding dignity to the office which they have the honour to fill. I have caused 

 to be designed, and made, specially for your corporation a mace which I trust 

 the members of it will allow me to present to them as a token of my attachment 

 and respect for them, and will receive it with the same feelings of kindness 

 and goodwill towards me, as I cherish towards them, &c." 2 



The Mayor's Chain. This is of good simple design and 

 workmanship. It is of gold, but is not hall-marked. The chain 

 consists of twenty-one plain twisted links. The badge has a 

 circular central medallion with the arms of the borough enamelled 



1 Goldney's Records of Chippenham, pp. 261 — 292. 

 2 Ibid, p. 165. 



D 2 



