J34 » The Thirtieth General Meeting. 



THE REPORT, 



which that gentlemen did, as follows 



"The Committee of the Wiltshire Archaaological and Natural 

 History Society has once more the satisfaction of recording the 

 general well-being of the Society, and of congratulating its Members 

 on its continued prosperity. The number of names now on the 

 books amount to three hundred and sixty-six, and though this is a 

 very slight decrease since this time last year, in reality the numbers 

 even now stand higher than in all, save four or five, of the years 

 during which the Society has been in existence. We have, how- 

 ever, to lament the loss by death of several old and valued friends, 

 among whom we should especially mention the late Dr. Southby, 

 of Bulford, near Amesbury, and the late Rev. Samuel Littlewood, 

 Vicar of Edington, near Westbury, both of whom were original 

 Members, as also the late Rev. J. Knight, Vicar of Heytesbury, 

 who joined the Society in 1856 ; nor may we pass over the name of 

 the late Mr. J. E. Brine, who, as Mayor of Shaftesbury on the 

 occasion of our former visit to this town, in 1861, gave us every 

 assistance in his power, and contributed in no slight degree to the 

 success of the Meeting. Moreover, he had been a member of our 

 Society ever since, and had attended several of our Annual Meetings. 



"As regards our financial position, there is a balance in favour of 

 the Society in Consols and cash of £237 12*., and though this is a 

 little less than we had last year the deficiency is easily accounted 

 for, as there was no balance passed to the Society's account as usual 

 from the Annual Meeting of last year, which was held at Andover. 1 

 There had also been certain extraordinary expenses in regard to the 

 furniture of the Society's library at Devizes, entailed by the acquisi- 

 tion of books from the Stourhead sale. 



"With regard to the work of the Society, two more Numbers of 

 the Magazine have been issued within the last twelve months, of 

 whose merits it does not become the Editor to speak, though he 

 would heartily thank those gentlemen who have contributed to its 



1 Since the Report was read, a small balance has been passed over to the 

 Treasurer, by the Secretary of the Meeting at Andover. 



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