had the whole of this layer carefully set aside, and washed it in water through a sieve, so as to separate all the clay; and then examined the residue for traces of human workmanship. Besides other flints, one well-worked flint implement rewarded this search. In another shaft also (No. 6), flint flakes were found in the alluvium. These flints I sent to the highest authority upon flint implements, Mr. John Evans, D.C.L., P.S.A., who kindly examined them, and wrote as follows: "The flints from No. 5 shaft are, I think, all artificial. One, which is very well wrought, may be either an unfinished arrow-head as you suggest, or a small knife such as is sometimes found in the interments in barrows. The flakes are probably the waste pieces from chipping out some large tools, though some of them have been used as instruments for cutting and scraping. The evidence you have obtained shows that flint has been in use since Silbury Hill was formed, for cutting instruments, for I think that the knife or arrow-head from shaft 5 must be accepted as probably not later than the Bronze period, to which most of our flint arrow-heads belong; and further, I think that any doubt that may have existed as to the mound being pre-Roman may now be dispelled."

These finds reveal the important fact that, long after Silbury Hill had been erected, the neighbourhood was inhabited or visited by a people who made and used flint weapons. The time was so long after the formation of the mound that not less than 5 feet of alluvium had accumulated in that part of the trench which these flint-workers occupied when they temporarily encamped there, lighted their fires, cooked their food, and formed their flint weapons.

The time of their stay must have been either summer or autumn, for in the spring and winter months the level of their encampment, which is 9 feet under the present surface, would be always under water, because it is much below the level of the adjacent stream which forms the only drainage for this district. In the winter of every year this meadow is now frequently submerged by the overflow of the stream.

Besides their weapons, these flint men left behind some remains of the animals which supplied them with food; and Professor Lloyd Morgan has identified the bones of deer, ox, and pig; also of man's faithful companion, the dog. More remarkable still,

2 Plate XVI

there was found in this black layer, a human bone, broken into two pieces. It is a femur, possessing peculiar characteristics of some interest, from the fact of the linea aspera being developed to a very unusual extent.

I wish to call attention to the lower jaws and to the fragments of bones from this black layer. These fragments are just such small hard pieces as we now see left uneaten by dogs, and these are evidently the dogs' leavings. Sir John Lubbock, in his account of the Danish Kitchen Middens describes a similar fact; and he alludes to the frequent occurrence of the lower jaws of animals which the dogs had left there uneaten.

We may infer that some of the food was cooked by boiling, for the small Sarsen stones found associated with the other remains, have all been burnt, and probably have been used as potboilers.

It does not follow that the builders of Silbury Hill were actually the same race as the flint workers, whose traces were found in the trench. A long interval of time must have necessarily elapsed to account for the deposit of 5 feet of alluvium; so these men may have supplanted some previous race of dwellers, but if so, it simply carries back the date of the erection of Silbury Hill to a still more remote period.

In every shaft but one many bones of animals were found in the alluvium at all depths. Professor Lloyd Morgan has kindly examined these, and finds they belong exclusively to ox and deer. It is remarkable that not any bones of sheep were found in these excavations, although that animal has for many centuries been most abundant in Wiltshire.

In addition to the objects already referred to, a brass coin of Marcus Aurelius was found 6 feet under the surface in shaft No. 2; and in another shaft, an iron arrow point was found; these things however, bear but little on the date of the mound.

As the outcome of these excavations, I have ascertained that Silbury Hill was originally surrounded by a deep trench or moat. Also, that it was erected by a people, probably a rude race of hunters, so little advanced in civilisation that they were using flint implements a long time after the hill was built. This discovery places the date of the erection of Silbury Hill at a very early period, possibly many centuries before the arrival of the Romans in Britain.

Ancient Bristol Documents.

No. II.

A curious Beed belonging to the Parish of St. Mary-le-Port; with Notes.

BY LIEUT. COL. J. R. BRAMBLE, Treasurer.

(Read November 12th, 1885.)

The

THE Parish of St. Mary-le-Port, otherwise St. Mary de Foro, or, St. Mary of the Market, from the Cattle Market having formerly been held in the street, is one of the smallest in Bristol. church consists of nave with north aisle; a chancel in prolongation of the north side of the nave; western tower, and modern vestry of two stories erected in the angle between the chancel and aisle, on the site of the former Rectory house. It is a fair specimen of a small 15th century city church, and has a peculiar quaintness owing to the row of tall 17th century gabled houses which have been erected against, and partly over, the north aisle and porch, filling up the narrow space between the aisle and the street. But perhaps the fine collection of Deeds relating to the parish property, and the books, accounts, and other papers which have been carefully preserved for a very long series of years, form the most interesting study in connection with the church. One of the Deeds is of as early a date as c. 1280, and in many cases the armorial bearings and Merchants' marks on the seals are still very perfect.

The following Deed tells a tale much more sensational than is often found in the musty contents of a church chest, and hardly requires the talent of Mr. Joseph Leech to form the foundation of a local romance of considerable interest.

The names of many of the persons named as being present at the church on the occasion to which the Deed refers are to be

found in Ricart's Calendar, or in The Great Orphan Book, the former of which has been published by the Camden Society, and the latter by the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archæological Society.

The "pewe (pair) of indentures" bond for £20, &c., are still among the Church Records, the seals with the Baynard Arms being very beautiful. The shield is hanging by the sinister chief from the helmet on which is the crest a demi Unicorn proper. The arms are quartered, and in each case the bearing in the first and fourth is a double-headed eagle displayed. Those in the second and third are a fesse between two chevrons. The latter are given by Edmondson, as Baynard of Blagdon, Com. Somerset. In the Deeds the vendor is described as of Lackam, Com. Wilts. I cannot find that the eagle was ever used by any branch of the Baynard family, and no doubt the engraver omitted to transpose the arms on the seal, the bearings thus appearing reversed in the wax. In the margin, in Old English caps, "S. Philip Baynard."

The property enfeoffed is not now to be found amongst the Church lands. It no doubt formed part of

"Certyne lande given for the kepinge of dyvce obitte and the "mayntenance of lampez and lighte in the seid Churche for "ev." (Chantry Certificates, Gloucestershire, Roll 22, B. & G. Arch. Socy's. Proceedings, Vol. VIII. p. 250), and was duly confiscated by that most religious king, Henry VIII; but as to this the local records are silent.

To all true cristen people of whate estate degre or condicion they be to whome this present writing shall come John Edwardes Rauf ap Rys Richard Abyngdon late Shirifs of the Towne of Bristowe John Grene Thomas Barbor Thomas Cachemay Edmund Segeford David Willys John Bale John Peasly Rowland Cowper Clement Haywardyn Griffith Davy and John Seycell Burgeises of the same Towne of Bristowe men of gode evedens and sadnes send gretyng Knowe ye that we the forsaid John Edwardes Richard Abyngdon John Grene Thomas Cachemay and others seriatly abovenamed were psonally psent wn the Pish Church of Seynt Mary Port of Bristowe forsaid the xxiith day of Juyn in the yere of or lord god m c.c.c.c.c.viij wh Richard Boys pson of the same Church and many others where and when John Newman

theldre then of Bristowe forsaid Bochor of his gode mynd which he then heve unto the welth of his Sowle said openly these wordes or nygh like unto the same. Maisters ye knowe right well that I being a pore man toke to wyf Johan Luke nowe my wyf late the wyf of Thomas Luke Bochor which Johan brought to me an hundred pound and more in money and plate. So it is nowe that I and she ben condescended to do for or sowles and for the sowle of the said Thomas Luke w part of the said money Wherfore I wt thassent of the same Johan my Wyf have purchased of Mast Philip Baynard a messuage win the Towne of Bristowe abovesaid sett win the Shamels1 of the same towne to me and myn heirs forevr for which I paid to the same Maist Baynard in hand Twenty Pound of the money which I had of the said Johan my Wyf and Twenty Pound more must be paid to hym at certeyn daies heraft as ben betwene hym and me by a pewe of Indentures agreed And furthermore yowe knowe right well that Maist Edwardes Maist Rauf ap Rys John Grene and Thomas Barbor have recowd the same messuage ageyn me before the Kynges Justice3 of his owen Bench at Westm to theym and their heirs Wherefor I woll nowe that my Recorders enter now the said messuage beforce of the said Recorde And aft that doon I will that they and their heirs stand and be seased of and in the forsaid messuage wt his apptences to thuse of me of the said Johan my

2

"Shamels" or Shambles, otherwise Worshipful Street. The houses known by this name were between the Church-yard of St. Mary-le-Port and the River Avon, occupying the northern portion of the site on which Bridge Street was erected about 1760. It appears from the conveyance that the premises in question abutted on the Churchyard.

A pewe of Indentures." Deeds were of two kinds. A deed poll and an Indenture. The former was polled or cut straight at the upper margin, and was applicable to such deeds as the present--not made between parties, but all being interested in the same manner. Where however there were two parties in different interests-a vendor and a purchaser, the Deed was supposed to be made and executed in duplicate on the same piece of parchment, which was afterwards cut into two parts in an indented line, and each party took one portion-hence the term "a pair of indentures." The distinction is still observed although the reason has long since ceased.

3" Recowd the same messuage ageyn me before the Kynges Justice," &c. This refers to the ancient form of conveyance by "suffering a recovery." It was in effect a mock action brought by the purchaser against the vendor, in which, by consent, judgment was given for the purchaser.

4 John Newman retains the property for himself and wife for their lives. His charity is to take effect when the property can be of no further use to him. Happily we now live in better times, and never hear of such selfish proceedings.