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first, when lie was asked, lie declined, because lie tliouglit lie 
was not able to contribute one mite of interest to a society of 
tbat kind. This was the seventy-sixth meeting of the 
Society, which had been in existence for thirty-eight years. 
He thought he might congratulate the members on their 
success, for although the attendance was not large, still the 
Society maintained its importance, and the papers read had 
never flagged in their interest. The number of members of 
the Society, however, had fallen off, and it had been seen, as 
in other old Societies, when those who had originally inter- 
ested themselves in it had passed away, their places had not 
been .filled up. It was, therefore, important for the friends 
of the Society to exert themselves to increase the number of 
members in the neighbourhood of Doncaster, which at the 
present time was only about half what they were ten years 
ago. At one time the Society excited great interest here, in 
consequence of the active part which Mr. Thorpe took in it. 
In the last number of the Society's journal was an account 
of the interesting papers read at Pontefract. He thought 
that the programme for that day would be found not less 
interesting. With respect to the paper to be read by Mr. 
Sewell, whoever was acquainted with the beautiful scenery in 
the district of Rombold's Moor would feel greatly interested 
in hearing of anything connected with it. The paper to be 
read by Mr. Eowley treated of one of the subjects the 
Society first took in hand. The matter of coal getting was 
of vast importance, and had become of great interest to the 
people in this neighbourhood since coal mines had been 
established in the vicinity. Whoever aided in economising the 
working of coal, and saved the waste that was now going on, 
and made our present supply last longer, would render great 
service to society. Mr. Surtees had already thrown a great 
deal of light on the history of the Saxons in this neighbour- 
hood ; but now he was gomg to treat of a still earlier period, 
