II Aubrey, after quoting the inscription, says (Nat. Hist. p. 71): They lye both buried under the great marble-stone in the nave of this church, where is the above said inscription, above which are their pourtraictures in brasse, and an escutcheon now illegible. Beneath this inscription are the small figures of nine young children in brasse. This Mr. Bonham's wife had two children at one birth, the first time; and he being troubled at it travelled, and was absent seven years. After his returne she was delivered of seven children at one birth. In this parish is a confident tradition that these seven children were all baptized at the font in this church, and that they were brought thither in a kind of chardger, which was dedicated to this church, and hung on two nailes, which are to be seen there yet, near the bellfree on the south side. Some old men are yet living that doe remember the chardger. This tradition is entered into the register booke there, from whence I have taken this narrative (1659).' [See the extract from the register, which is signed by “Roger Powell, curate there," in Hoare's Modern Wilts, (Hundred of Branch and Dole) p. 49.—J.B.] III. Note of James Goulden, schoolmaster of Wishford, in 1828 :'Three old persons of the parish of Wishford, viz., Mary Lewis, Giles Munday, and Mary Woodlands, declared to J. Goulden that they had seen the sieve hung up in the church.' There is reason to suppose that the two nails (the last relic of this dedicated sieve,) were removed at the churchwarden's repairs of the church in 1829. EDWARD HILL. May 31st, 1875." General Meeting and Report for 1875. HE General Annual Meeting of the Society, for the purpose of receiving the report, the election of officers, and other necessary business, took place at the Society's Premises, in Devizes, on Thursday, September 30th. The Rev. W. C. PLENDERLEATH occupied the chair, and called on the Rev. A. C. SMITH to read the REPORT FOR 1875. "The Committee of the Wiltshire Archæological and Natural History Society desires to put before the members of the Society very briefly a report of last year's proceedings, and of its present position. "Within the last twelvemonths we have lost three original members of the Society, viz., Mr. Hulbert, of Devizes; the Rev. E, Strickland, of Brixton Deverill; and Mr. Heneage, late member for Devizes. We have to deplore other losses through death, withdrawal, or removal from the county, amongst these was Mr. Long, our very hospitable entertainer in 1872, at Rood Ashton; but the enrolment of fresh names on our books leaves our numbers very nearly the same as last year. Our total now amounts to 340. "In regard to finance, the fitting and furnishing of our new Museum and Library have absorbed not only all the funds contributed for that object, but also all the available capital we had in hand; while our current income remains to cover the regular outlay of the Society. Thus it will be seen that while we are not in debt, we have no balance in hand; and (unless further contributions are sent in) we must confine ourselves for the present within the limits of our ordinary expenditure. "But if we have spent our capital, your Committee submits to you that it has been well spent for the interests of the Society; and that we have now a Museum and Library of no small value; while additions to both the archæological and natural history collections, as well as donations of books, are becoming far more frequent, now that we have secured a permanent place of deposit. "Of the Magazine, two numbers have been already published this year, while a third is in progress, and will be in the hands of members before the expiration of 1875. This will complete the fifteenth volume. "In regard to the General Annual Meeting; it was felt that the Session of the British Association at Bristol, and the popular excursions therefrom both to North and South Wilts (viz., to Bowood and Avebury in the north, and to Salisbury and Stonehenge in the south), would materially diminish our chance of a successful gathering this year, and that it was wise to abandon it. "The Committee desires to conclude the report by again thanking the contributors who have enriched the pages of the Magazine, as well as all who have aided by donations of money or specimens or books to our Museum and Library; and would once more commend its objects to the county at large, trusting more and more to attract the co-operation, the sympathy, and the support of all who desire to elucidate the history, past and present, of Wiltshire." On the motion of T. B. FLOWER, Esq., seconded by Dr. BURMAN, the report was approved and adopted. The present officers of the Society were then re-elected, with the following additions:-to the Vice-Presidents of the Society: Rev. Canon Jackson, F.S.A., Sir John Lubbock, Bart., M.P., Sir John Neeld, Bart., Charles Penruddocke, Esq., W. H. Poynder, Esq. To the General Secretaries: C. H.Talbot, Esq. And to be Honorary Curators of the Museum, Rev. H. A. Olivier, and Henry Cunnington, Esq. The proceedings were entirely of a formal character, and as soon as the business was completed, the meeting was dissolved. Donations to the Museum and Library. The Council have much pleasure in acknowledging, with thanks, the following donations to the Museum and Library :— By Mr. FLOWER, Bath :-Two Copper Coins. By the Rev. E. PEACOCK :-Sixty-one Coins (mostly tokens). By E. C. LOWNDES, Esq.;-Specimens of Wiltshire Fossils. By Mr. W. CUNNINGTON, London :-A Collection of Fossil Mammalian Bones found in Wiltshire, consisting of femur, and other bones, of Elephas primigenius, bones of Bison, Rhinoceros, and Bos primigenius. The following have also been received:-No. 1 Bulletin of the United States Geological and Geographical Survey. Synopsis of the Flora of Colorado. Nos. 21 and 22 Historical and Archæological Society of Ireland. Eighth Annual Report of the Peabody Museum. Guide to Belfast. Proceedings of the Belfast Naturalists' Field Club. Part 4, vol vi., of the Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of London. END OF VOL. XV. II. F. & E. BULL, Printers and Publishers, Saint John Street, Devizes. Museum and Library. The following Subscriptions have been received or promised for the objects named on the cover. Further Contri |