pete nee ae a th _ a Ee . s a ' ' m * - c - . - i. b ~ P : « fn reg ve 5 ay te * 7 - ~ “an = oe . - . es ~ . ee) “ . ; THE WILTSHIRE Archeological on Botweal Wistury MAGAZINE, Publishes unver the Birection of the Society FORMED IN THAT COUNTY A.D. 1853. VOL. VII. DEVIZES: Henry Burt, Sarnt Jonn STREET. LONDON : Bett & Datpy, 186, Freer Srrezr; J. R. Surrn, 36, Sono SquaRe. 1862. i ~— ~~ ’ te att a.) & we Fs Lh Sag + = J oi r ‘ ‘ a - DEVIZES: PRINTED BY HENRY BULL, ST, JOHN STREET, | CONTENTS OF VOL. VIL. No. XIX. PAGE Marlborough: Facts and Observations as to its Ancient State: By the late HF’, A, CARRINGTON, -HSqQs.././). 02 00- ods den! sn a's oblele Wb tle's 1- 44 Poll Tax, 1. Churches, 2. St. Peter’s,4. St. Mary’s,5. St. Martin’s 6. Hermit- age, 6. Military Musters, 8. Civil Wars,11. Fires, 12. Postal Arrangements, 13. Corn Trade, 13. Inns, 14. Stage Coaches, 14. Hanging, 16. Pillory,19. Whip- ping of Rogues, 22. Cucking Stool, 25. Brank, or Scold’s Bridle, 29. The Littlecote Legend: Remarks on Mr. Long’s Papers, By “A ERD ULOUS ARCH AMOLOGISTs 22 20245 -(oidielsielegsis cv.ts 4p ss/ fee ic aise ayes 25 JOHNVULHELOW GTS. evs cintelare’s MMi sieps sf actes 25 Thomas Goddard ‘i250 Pes is 25 Thomas Hulbert 2.0.2.0. aesecees 25 iWalliamy Read 7 4 , -. as RO OLIN NRE BI 12S Plate I. Plate II. Hees POS 75 REFERENCES TO THE PLATES. General Plan of the Roman Villa at North Wraxhall shewing the well, cemetery, villa, and out buildings, as excavated 1859. Detailed plan of the principal building. and B. Sudatories. Roman with the ‘‘ Loutron,” or Stone-bath at the end. Tepidarium (?) Fornax, or Furnace-room. Depot of Charcoal. Another furnace sunk below the floor of Frigidarium ? opening into Exedra or Corridor, leading to the Baths. Bird’s eye view of the Therme or Baths. Various objects found in excavating the Roman Villa at North Wraxhall. Flue-pipe. Glass funnel. Form of three pipkins of black ware found entire, each with its cover, upon the flues in D, 9 inches in height. and 5. Capitals and bases of stone columns. Eaves-crest. and 8. Gable ornaments carved in stone. Stone Sarcophagus and cover, 8 feet by 3. Stone with sunk cavity for Cinerary Urn. Crescent breast ornament, formed of two boars’ tusks with bronze mounting having figures of a boar and dogs upon it. Similar crescent worn by an Arab Chief on the breast of his horse, Led horse of the Emperor Trajan bearing a similar ornament, from the ‘‘ Colonna Trajana.” Form of hexagonal building tiles, Rude bas-relief found 1825 in Castle Combe parish, near the Wraxhall Villa, 76 Host Golume of Aubrep’s ASS. ‘‘ HYPoMNEMATA ANTIQUARIA B: or, An Essay towards the Description oF WiLtsHirRE. By Joun Avusrey of Easton Piers. Volume II.” ONDER this title, John Aubrey the Wiltshire antiquary, who « ‘ died at Oxford in June 1697, made topographical collections = a History of North Wilts.! In collecting materials, he was assisted by his brother, William Aubrey, and after the antiquary’s death, the manuscript was deposited in the Ashmolean Museum. In his correspondence Aubrey speaks of it as his “ Description of Wiltshire,” or “‘ Antiquities of Wiltshire,” in ¢#o volumes. Thus :— “ Anno 1671, having sold all, and disappointed of moneys, I had so strong an impulse to finish the Description of Wiltshire in 2 volumes in fol., that I could not be quiett till I had donne it.” In the Ashmolean Library? is still preserved one folio Volume of this work, marked in his own writing on the out-side, ‘ Hypo- mnemata Antiquaria A.” It consists of two Parts bound together in now discoloured vellum. The way in which the contents are arranged is this :—At the head of each page is the name of some parish, and under it are entered such memoranda (“‘ hypomnemata’’) relating to that parish as fell in his way from time to time. On the margin, or elsewhere about the page, are coloured shields of arms, occasionally mixed with rude sketches of monuments, old houses, &c. Of this Volume both parts were printed some years ago under the direction of Sir Thomas Phillipps, Bart., in small 4to.: the first in 1821, under the name of “ Aubrey’s Collections 1 His Natural History of Wilts was quite a separate work, and is not the one now enquired for. 2Since this Paper was written, the Manuscripts of the Ashmolean Library have been transferred to the Bodleian. By the Rev. J. E. Jackson. 77 for Wilts ;’ the second in 1838, with the title of “ An Essay towards the Description, &c.” (as above). On the Title page of the Vol. A, Aubrey has written, “ Let these two volumes of Antiquities of Wilts be Dedicated to my singular good Lord the Rt. Honble. James Earle of Abingdon.” The first page of the Work is headed “ Vol. A. Part I.” Half-way through the Vol. begins “ Part IT.” It has always been supposed in our time, both at the Ashmolean Library, and by every one else, myself included, that these two Parts were in fact the two Volumes spoken of by Aubrey ; only that they happened to have been bound up together. The late Mr. John Britton, who wrote a full and particular Memoir of Aubrey and his works (published in 4to. by the Wilts Topogra- phical Society, 1845), describing the manuscript in the Ashmolean Library, says (p. 85): “It consists of two Volumes folio, bound in vellum.” Having in the mean time made a discovery upon this subject, I one day asked Mr. Britton why he said they were two Volumes, when there was only one in the library at Oxford? His answer was: “They are both in one.” I then stated to him my reasons for believing that we were all under a mistake, that besides the one (in two Parts) now in the Library, and marked A., Aubrey had most undoubtedly compiled another entire and distinct Volume marked B., which is lost. This I now prove by producing, Ist, from Aubrey’s own letters _ preserved in the same library ; 2ndly, from marginal notes in the , - Second Part of Vol. A. ; and then, from some other sources, several _ references to another Volume marked B. jl. From his own letters: § “I hope my Brother hath sent you my Book B.” (To A. Wood, Sep. 2 1671). q ‘¥Ferriby’s Pastorals, which I have to insert in Liber B.” (Ditto 1671). q ‘“Ramsbury isin Liber. B.” (To Anthony Wood, 17 November, 1670). q “Bradenstoke. Vide Lid. B. 51.” (Todo. Sept. 2, 1671). 78 Lost Volume of Aubrey’s MSS. q In a few lines to his brother (no date): ‘“‘ Bro. William, Insert in Liber B. the probability of the Lytes of Easton Piers being descended from those of Lyte’s Cary.” { Inareply to John, Brother William reports “having got the shields of Arms at Pinhill House” (near Calne) “ Fonthill House and Church, Mr. Boden- ham’s at Hilldrop” (near Ramsbury), ‘‘ Rockburne, Heytesbury Church, Compton Chamberlayne House, and Burgate House, which is now down, or near it.” (Wm. Aubrey, it is true, does not here name Liber B. but not one of these places is mentioned in Liber A). 2. The following references are on the margin of vol. A, Part2:— 3. 4. q In the page (original MS.) headed “ Broadstock cum Clack,” is, “‘ Vide Zid. B., 51.” q Under “ Down Ampney”’; “ Vide Pedigree of Danvers Book B.” q At the end of ‘“‘Tysbury”; “V. Dunhead in Lid. B.,” and again “ V. esa Bi” q At the end of ‘Castle Combe,” “ Vid. Lib. B. p- 318.” 4 Under “ Rowd”; “Insert this in Liber B: and bring that hither.” q Under “ Marshfield;” “V. Lib. B. p. 318.” In other loose scraps of Aubrey’s writing also in the library, I found, q “Knahill” (Knoyle], “ Zcb. B.” q “Dr. Muffett, a famous physician lived and dyed at Wilton at Bulbridge House, which transfer to Lid. B.” q ‘ Wythoksmede, V. de hoc proprio nomine in Lid. B.” q “Bromham. In Lid. B. the Arms of Galfridus de Eyr de Bromeham, 15 Edw. II., A chevron Sable between 3 buglehorns.—J. A.” In “ Letters from the Bodleian,” Vol. 11, p. 602 (note), is the following :— q ‘Mem. In my Lid. B. I have sett down an exact de- scription of this delicious parke, &c.”’ e By the Rev. J. E. Jackson. 79 4] Anthony Wood, writing to Aubrey, Nov. 10. 1671 :— “T have received your Liber. B., and have almost done him. If you have any more that follows I would gladly see them. I read these collections with great delight, and have excerpted some things thence for my purpose.” 4 In one of Wood’s MSS. at Oxford is another reference. Speaking of Cirencester, Wood says; “ Mr. Thomas Gore of Alderton in Wilts hath taken with his pen all the coates in the house, at the West end of the church, knowne now (1678) by the name of the Swan. See Jo. Aubrey’s Book B. p. 309.” ie It only remains to be said, that not one shield of arms or scrap of history relating to any of the places above referred to as in “ Liber _ B.,” is to be found in any of Aubrey’s manuscripts now forthcoming ; 4 and it is therefore clear that ‘ B.,’’ which did contain them, and which consisted (as one of the references proves) of not less than _ 818 pages, was another and a separate volume, now missing. Some years ago I was examining Aubrey’s manuscripts in the Ashmolean Library, and in so doing was struck by the marginal and other allusions to “Liber B.” The Librarian “had never heard of, nor even suspected it. No such manuscript was in the library ; nor did the oldest of their present catalogues mention it. _ Many years ago everything was in confusion. What might have been there before, he could not say.” At last, however, in search- _ing through Aubrey’s collections I found out how and when it had disappeared. At the back of page Z in the Index to volume A, in ‘ the handwriting of William Aubrey, six years after the antiquary’s “death, is this memorandum :— _ August 14,1703. Borrowed then of Mr. Edw. Lhwyd, the Keeper of the Ashmolean Library, the Second Volume of my brother’s ‘ Hypomnemata Antiquaria,’ which I shall restore upon demand. WM. AUBREY.” As it was to be restored ‘‘ wpon demand,” and as there is no me- " of its return, it was probably either forgotten by the Librarian, or when demanded could not be found. William Aubrey, 80 Lost Volume of Aubrey’s MSS. the last of his own family, and without children, died four years afterwards in 1707, and was buried on 29th October, at Kington St. Michael, Wilts. Mr. Lluyd, the Librarian, died in 1709. William Aubrey died intestate. His circumstances appear to have been straitened, for his “‘ principal creditor, Thomas Stokes,” took out Administration of his goods and chattels on the 24th of November following his death. Mr. Stokes was at that time a landowner at Kington St. Michael: and as all books and papers of William Aubrey’s would necessarily fall into his hands, the first step was to trace the family of Mr. Stokes and make enquiry of them. This has been done; the descendants of Mr. Stokes of Kington St. Michael have since resided at Stanshawe’s Court, near Yate. Co. Glouc: but the present representative, after making every reference in his power is unable to find any thing to shew that the MS. was ever in the possession of his ancestors. After so long an interval as 150 years inquiry may be thought hopeless. That it is in any of our Public Libraries is hardly to be supposed, manuscripts of this character in those repositories being generally well known. But it is not impossible, perhaps not im- probable, that it may be still in existence somewhere, and most likely in the county of Wilts. If on a shelf, and labelled “ Hy- pomnemata Antiquaria,” it may have been passed over many times without the slightest conception that it contained a History of Wiltshire. At all events, merely asa literary fact, it should be known that such an additional volume of Aubrey’s work did once exist. LercH-DELAMERE RECTORY, J. E. JACKSON. CHIPPENHAM, January Ist, 1860. P.S. Since the above was in type, my attention has been called to an im- portant Note in Rev. Thos. Warton’s History of Kiddington 4to. 1783, p. 44; in which Mr. Warton is speaking of Alderton House in Wilts, then the seat of George Montagu, Esq. ; but formerly belonging to Thos. Gore, Esq., a friend of Aubrey’s. He says, ‘‘In Aubrey’s time many old escocheons of painted glass were remaining in the great Hall of the Manor House, which he (Aubrey) has drawn in his Manuscript History of Wiltshire, now (i.e. 1783) partly pre- served in the Library there (i.e. at Alderton), and partly in the Ashmolean Museum.” From this it would appear that Mr. Warton had personally con- sulted in the Library at Alderton, in the year 1783, a Volume of Aubrey’s MSS: which’ must surely have been the Volume now enquired for. The Alderton Library was dispersed by Sale about the year 1815. ee eee eee ee ee ee ath ni ie AS + 81 On the Ornithology of Cilts, No. 10.—INSESSORES (Perchers). Continued from vi. 182. Conirostres (cone billed). E come now to the second great division of the Perching birds, and having examined all those whose soft notched bill proclaims the insect nature of their food, we have arrived at _ those exhibiting a harder and more conical shaped beak, bespeaking at once that grain forms the principal part of their diet. As we _ proceed with the families of this tribe, we shall see this typical _ characteristic develop itself more and more, till we come to some species armed with such strong sharp-pointed beaks, as to be enabled to break the very stoutest seeds and even the stones of many fruits, as well as to pierce the hard ground, in search of _ food: but (as I before pointed out) nature makes no rapid strides _ from one distinct kind to another, but only gradually and step by step leads us on: thus, insensibly as it were, and through many connecting links joining together genera and species, the most _ opposite to one another in appearance and habits. ALAUDIDZ (The Larks) . _ We cannot have a better proof of what I have just said, than in the family we now proceed to consider, standing at the head of the -Conirostral tribe, and bearing so great an affinity in many respects to the last family of the Dentirostres, viz: the Pipits; for the arks, though to a certain extent grain consumers, yet feed on insects as well; and though they have a short strong bill, yet it is yled by Selby and Yarrell Subconic, rather than conical, proving the exact position they hold. “Sky lark” (Alauda arvensis). Intimately associated in the 82 On the Ornithology of Wilts | Emberizide]. betoken such excessive happiness in unconstrained liberty, such in- tense appreciation of freedom, as it mounts upwards higher and higher, and soaring into the clouds, pours forth such strains as rayish mortals below, that it is positively painful to see it incarcer- ated in a cage, and to reflect how its heart must throb, and how intensely it must pine to burst its prison bars, and soar away out of sight of its persecutors, singing a hymn of gladness and grati- tude at its escape: it remains with us the whole year, and is essen- tially one of our down birds, preferring open arable lands to more enclosed districts: towards autumn it associates in flocks and frequents stubble and turnip fields: it never perches on trees, but walks or runs on the ground very swiftly, which it is enabled to do by means of the very long straight hind claw, which gives it a firm footing on the ground. It sings in descending, as well as in ascending, and while hovering in the air; and anon as some fright or sudden impulse seizes it, down it will come like a stone to the earth, and away amongst the corn to its nest; but only to soar upwards again presently, singing more merrily than before ; and we may hear it carolling away long after we have lost sight of the rapidly diminishing speck retreating into the clouds, for “ Excel- sior’’ is ever the motto of this aspiring bird. “Wood lark” (Alauda arborea). Very like its congener, but considerably smaller, with a shorter tail, and a white line over the eye and round the back of the head, this species is sparingly scattered through the County, frequenting woods, as its name implies, and singing sweetly while perched on some tree, as well as while sailing about on the wing: indeed it has generally the reputation of excelling the Skylark in song, though I am scarcely willing to allow this: it isa permanent resident with us, and in food and nesting closely resembles the preceding. I have before me many notes of its occurrence from various localities both in North and South Wilts, proving that it is generally distributed throughout the County. EMBERIZIDA. (The Buntings). Members of this family may at once be distinguished from all others by a hard bony oblong knob in the upper mandible, which a nae ee By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 83 is narrow and smaller than the lower one: they are somewhat clumsy in form, with large heads and short necks, and heavy in _ flight; they eat grain and seeds in the winter, but in the summer insects and their larve form no small portion of their food. | “Snow Bunting.” (Plectrophanes nivalis). This native of northern regions seldom comes so far South as Wiltshire, though it appears pretty regularly every winter on our Eastern and North- ern coasts, and I have met with it in considerable numbers on the shores of the “ Wash” in Norfolk: at that season, however, its plumage is reddish brown above and dull white beneath, and so 4 much do individuals vary from one another in hue as well as in _ the distribution of their colours, that they have often been erro- _ neously divided into several species, receiving the sobriquet of “Tawny” and “ Mountain” Bunting, according to their sex and _ age and garb: but it is in summer plumage and in the extreme North that this bird is to be seen in perfection, arrayed in its attractive dress of deep black and pure white, and haunting the highest and most desolate fjelds of Scandinavia: and there I have been _ so fortunate as to meet with it on several occasions, now flitting from a onelichen covered rock toanother, now running quickly over the snow, _ seeming to delight in those wild inhospitable regions, so conge- nial to its habits, but so little to the taste of most members of the ; animal kingdom. I have never seen it in this County, but I learn _ from Mr. Withers that it has been occasionally killed in various localities, and brought to him for preservation; and Mr. Elgar _ Sloper of Devizes informs me that he has seen several which had ° is en. Killed on Salisbury Plain : I should therefore suppose it to be me eans a regular winter visitant here. “Common Bunting.” (Emberiza miliaria.) Though perme common, especially in the vast tracks of arable land on our downs, ‘this bird from its great similarity of plumage to the Skylark is eldom recognized by ordinary observers: and yet its more bulky shape and heavier gait and more awkward flight should at once distinguish it from its more sprightly companion: it has little or O song, but may be seen perched on the topmost spray of some G 2 84 On the Ornithology of Wilts [Emberizide]. low hedge, uttering its somewhat harsh screaming note. It is the largest of the family, and remains with us throughout the year: it is known also as the “Corn Bunting” and the “ Bunting lark.” * Blackheaded Bunting” (Hmberiza scheniclus) called also the Reed Bunting from the localities it frequents, and the Reed Spar- row from its general resemblance to our common House Sparrow. This bright handsome bird may be met with sparingly wherever there is water: indeed I have often seen it frequenting a dry ditch, and have found its nest at some distance from the nearest stream : it delights however in moist wet places, abounding in sedge and reeds and coarse grass, and here you may generally see its black head standing out in contrast with its white collar. “Yellow Bunting” (Hmberiza citrinella) well known to every body as the Yellow Hammer, though here we have an instance of a general error so universally propagated that any effort to correct it would seem almost hopeless: yet in truth Yellow Ammer is the correct word, ammer being the German term for Bunting, which is undoubtedly meant by the generic name we ordinarily employ, prefixing an unnecessary and meaningless H after the manner of cer- tain of our provincial countrymen. The Yellow Bunting may be met with in every hedge and wood during the summer, and in winter it may be seen in flocks on the bushes and in the open fields, occasionally resorting to the stack yard in severe weather; and a very beautiful bird it is with golden yellow head and chesnut and yellow plumage, and highly would it be prized was it not so com- mon: but alas! with birds as with human beings, we are apt to overlook the brightest and best, if they are ever before our eyes, whereas we highly prize and bestow abundant attention on the inferior and less deserving, if only occasionally seen by us. “Cirl Bunting” (Hmberisza cirlus). Montagu first discovered this bird as British, and Yarrell says that it is “ generally found on the coast, and does not often appear to go far in-land;” but here for once our grand master in Ornithology is at fault, and indeed “ quandoque bonus dormitat Homerus ;”’ for in addition to many notices of its occurrence in all parts of the County, North and South, from various observers on whose accuracy I can rely, I By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 85 have repeatedly watched it in several localities which it regularly haunts, and have not only killed it, but have found its nest in the _ neighbourhood of Devizes. In habits it closely follows the Yellow Bunting, which it also greatly resembles in general appearance ; differing however sufficiently to be at once distinguished from the commoner species, by the dark green top of the head and throat, ] olive-green breast, and other marks. FRINGILLIDA: (The Finches.) By some authors these are styled Passerine birds or Sparrows: _ with the exception of the bill (which is broad and concave, instead _ of being narrow and furnished with a prominent knob) they closely _ resemble the Buntings last described: the members of this family are all of small size, and their characteristics are large head, short _ neck, and compact body : they are an active lively race, gregarious _ in winter, for the most part granivorous; and very abundant _ numerically as well as specifically: we have no less than eleven distinct species in this County, either as residents or occasional _ visitants. _ €Chaffinch” (Fringilla celebs). As common as the Sparrow, and as well known to every body is this active handsome bird, flocking to our yards in winter, and frequenting our meadows and woods in summer : but not so generally known perhaps is the cause of its specific name celebs “the Bachelor:” it arises from the separation of the sexes into distinct flocks in the winter in Northern — Oountries, the females migrating Southward by themselves, and leaving the males to club together, as bachelors best may, or to follow after their truant wives at their leisure: on this account L eens named them olebes, and the name is not undeserved even F Ibert White of Selborne long since pointed out, and as we may erify for ourselves any winter. The Chaffinch is often called call-note. _ “Mountain Finch ” (Fringilla montifringilla). This pretty bird, called also the “ Brambling,” though not a regular winter visitant, ve. 86 On the Ornithology. of Wilts | Fringillide}. occurs so frequently, as to be by no means uncommon: I have notices of it from several parts of Salisbury Plain, and Mr. B. Hayward tells me it occurs on the Lavington downs occasionally in some numbers: Mr. Withers says it has often been killed near Devizes, and many of them have passed through his hands: and during 1858 I received a fine specimen in the flesh from the Rey. F. Goddard, which was killed March 10th at Sopworth, Malmes- bury, and is now in my collection; and was very kindly offered another by the Rev. H. Hare, which was killed at Bradford. The Mountain Finch when it appears here, is always found associating with the Chaffinches, which it much resembles in habits, but is conspicuous amongst them by its exceedingly handsome plumage of black, white, and fawn colour so mingled as to form a pleasing contrast: its true habitat is in the vast pine forests of Northern Europe, where it breeds. “ House Sparrow”’ (Passer domesticus). So well known to every body, that I need not say a word about it, beyond calling attention to the extremely handsome plumage of the cock bird, which is often overlooked; the colours black, grey, chestnut, and brown, blend with peculiar harmony : I mean of course in our country specimen, for in favour of town sparrows I have nothing to say, pert, illcon- ditioned, dirty, and grimed with soot as they are. Here, however I would call attention to the Sparrow club, or the Sparrow fund which exists in so many of our agricultural Parishes in this County : and in many of the Churchwardens account books may be seen, as a considerable item of the Church Rate annually and for very many years past, so many dozen Sparrows destroyed at so much per dozen, the price varying according to the maturity or immaturity of the victims: Thus in an old Churchwarden’s book, belonging to this small parish, dating from above 100 years ago, I see the items every year of from 20 to 90 dozen old Sparrows at 4 pence the dozen, and from 10 to 70 dozen young birds at 2 pence the dozen ; and these with an occasional shilling for the capture of a fox, a groat for a polecat and an occasional sixpence given to a sailor, seem to have formed the principal part of the Church expenses of the — good Parish of Yatesbury for above 100 years: so lightly did the By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 87 Church Rate sit upon our forefathers; and this continued to within fifteen years ago, when my predecessor considered Sparrow killing scarcely a legitimate Church expense. Now I am not about to deny that Sparrows are mischievous, or to inveigh against their destruction, which I suppose to a certain extent is rendered neces- sary: but I would observe that the cause of their immoderate abundance is the indiscriminate extermination of all our birds of prey, useful and mischievous alike, at the hands of the gamekeepers and others ; for I contend that, was nature allowed to preserve her : own balance, we should not witness the extinction of one species and the enormous increase of another, to the manifest injury of our Fauna: and with reference to the foregoing remarks, before taking leave of the above named Churchwardens’ accounts, I would make two observations which strike me in perusing its pages, viz; the great abundance of foxes, polecats and such like vermin and the paucity of Sparrows 100 years ago, as compared with later entries : for whereas in the middle of the last century 4 foxes, 6 polecats, and 30 dozen sparrows seem to have been the annual tale of the slain ; at the beginning of the present century 2 foxes, 1 polecat, and 60 _ dozen sparrows form the average sum total ; whereas the last entry _ recording such items, viz. A.D. 1840 shows that, whereas foxes and _ polecats are exterminated from the Parish, as far as their persecution by Church Rate is concerned, no less than 178 dozen Sparrows met with an untimely end in that year: proving that notwithstanding _ the persecution raised against them, sparrows still increase upon us, and have enormously increased since the universal destruction g of so many of our birds of prey, for whose behoof they seem in _ great part to have been provided. _ “Greenfinch” (Coccothraustes chloris) also extremely common . throughout the County, and residing with us the whole year, and “easily distinguished from all others by its olive green dress tinged _ with yellow and grey. It is a very pretty bird, and is sometimes styled the “Green Grosbeak” from the large thick form of its bill: this gives it rather.a clumsy appearance, and indeed in shape it is somewhat heavy and compact, and has none of the elegance eh. ety which distinguishes other members of its family : it can boast of 88 On the Ornithology of Wilts | Fringillide}. no song, and associates in winter with Chaffinches and Yellow Buntings which congregate at that season in the stubble field and rick-yard. “ Hawfinch” (Coccothraustes vulgaris). When once seen will not be confounded with any other species, its large horny beak giving it a remarkable appearance: and this thickness of bill renders necessary a large size of head, and a stout neck, which give the bird a top-heavy clumsy look, making the body and limbs seem disproportionately small. It occasionally visits us in the winter, when it may be seen consuming greedily the berries of the white- thorn ; the stones of which it breaks with apparent ease by means of its strong and massive bill, hence its scientific name, Cocco- thraustes “berry breaker.” It has also of late been discovered to remain and breed here in several localities, among which favoured spots we have been enabled through the diligence of a member of Marlborough College to include this County ;! for Mr. Reginald Bosworth Smith informs us that “it frequents Savernake Forest, and nearly every spring three or four or even five nests are met with: they select the thickest hawthorn bushes, and build their nests close to the top, where they are quite concealed.” In addition to this statement of its permanent residence here, I have notices of its occurrence in 1845 near Devizes from Mr. Elgar Sloper ; of its being frequently killed in North Wilts, and brought to Mr. Withers for preservation; of its appearance near Salisbury in 1832 from Mr. Marsh: and I have myself shot it at Old Park on the topmost spray of a copper beech in the garden (as I before mentioned in this Magazine Vol. ii. 171). Its general colour is reddish brown, with black throat, and black and white wings and tail; the larger wing feathers have a peculiar formation, and pre- sent the appearance of having been clipped square at the ends with a pair of scissors: they are glossy black, with a white oblong spot on the inner webs, singularly truncated at their points; or (as Yarrell, says) “ formed like an antique battle or bill-hook.” The beak in the living bird is of a delicate rose tint, which however quickly fades after death to a dull yellow. ‘See Zoologist for 1857, page 5681. By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 89 “Goldfinch” (Carduelis elegans). This is one of the few birds which every body knows, and every body appreciates: its bright gay plumage of brilliant colours, its sprightly form, active habits and sweetness of song rendering it a great favorite: it is common too throughout the County, though not so abundant as to beget too great familiarity, which we have seen with other species is too apt to breed contempt. Towards winter it may be seen in flocks ; and commons which abound in thistles or fields where those weeds ripen their seed, are the haunts which it loves to frequent, and _ where it makes its choicest banquet. I conclude my account of the Goldfinch with the following observation from the pen of the . Rey. G. Marsh, and which I believe is perfectly new to Ornitholo- _ gists, no hint of any such variety as is therein described having before met my eyes in any book on birds, while the names of Mr. Marsh and Mr. Dyson are sufficient proofs that their observation is accurate and not the result of any hastily formed opinion or - conjecture. Mr. Marsh writes thus:—‘In the spring of 1851 _ Rev. F. Dyson first told me that there was a bird which bird- eatchers call the “ Chevil’? Goldfinch, quite different from the q common Goldfinch, and the only bird that will breed with the q common Canary: on the first of June I went with him to see one _ of these birds paired with a canary ; it was certainly different from the common bird; the red feathers not continuing under the chin; it was a very fine bird, and the birdcatcher, (one Fisher of Crick- - lade) told me they were always the leading birds of the flock.”’ Siskin” (Carduelis spinus). Better known in this country as a eage bird, mated with the Canary, than in its wild state: it is however by no means a rare, or scarcely an occasional visitant, _ some appearing amongst us almost every year, and sometimes in ‘Mr. Withers of Devizes can testify: it is a native of northern latitudes, and only visits usin the winter, when it may be seen linging to the alder trees, the seeds of which it especially loves: though somewhat short and thick, it is by no means a clumsy bird : ‘on the contrary it is exceedingly graceful, and most restless, re- sembling the Titmice in its almost incessant motions, and the 90 On the Ornithology of Wilts [ Fringillide]. variety of its attitudes. Its plumage is a mixture of green and yellow, the former predominating: it is also known as the “ Aberdavine.” “Common Linnet” (Linota cannabina). Extremely numerous throughout this county, more particularly on our downs, where they congregate in autumn in large flocks. In summer the old birds assume a red breast and red forehead, but this is only a nuptial plumage, which they lose when the breeding season is over, exchanging it for the more sober brown, in which they are commonly arrayed: this change of dress caused much confusion among our earlier Ornithologists, who mistook the bird in summer and winter plumage for two distinct species, and they named the former the Redpole, the latter the Grey Linnet; and this was another error which our countryman Montagu was the first to discover and rectify: it is a joyous gentle bird, quite harmless, and a sweet songster; and (Yarrell informs us) derives its name Linota, “1a Linotte,” ‘‘ Linnet,” from its partiality to the seeds of the various species of flax (/inum). * Lesser Redpole” (Linota tinaria.) This is not a common bird in our Southern county, though abundant farther North: it in- habits the pine forests of Scandinavia, and seldom is seen here but in winter. Mr. Withers however informs me that he occasionally receives one to preserve ; and Mr. Elgar Sloper has a female in his collection that was killed at Rowde on its nestin May 1850. It is a very small bird with bright plumage, and closely resembles the Siskin in all its habits and motions; hanging with its back down- wards at the extremity of the smaller branches of the birch and alder; and assuming a variety of constrained attitudes, in its earnest endeavours to reach its favorite seeds; in all which it also reminds us of the family of Titmice. “Bullfinch” (Pyrrhula vulgaris). Handsome as this bird is, and sweet as is its song, I fear we must confess it to be one of the most mischievous of the feathered race, for the buds of fruit trees are unhappily its favorite food, and so well can it ply its strong parrot-shaped beak, that in an incredibly short time, it will strip a tree of all its fruit-bearing buds, and therefore of all prospect of By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 91 fruit. It is on this account most hateful to gardeners in early spring, at which season alone it has the courage to come so near human habitations, for it is essentially a shy timid retiring bird, and loves the depths of dark woods, and the thickest of hedges for its retreat. It is sparingly distributed throughout the County, and its plumage is too well known to require comment. “Qommon Crossbill” (Lovia curvirostra). Very eccentric in the periods of its visits here, no less than in the formation of its beak, is this truly singular bird. It is a denizen of northern latitudes, and though an interval of many years frequently elapses between its visits, it will occasionally arrive here in considerable numbers, when it frequents larch and fir plantations: and it is in extracting the seeds from the fir cones that its remarkable beak, _ (which at first sight appears a deformity) is so useful; this is of great strength, as are also the muscles of the head and neck, enabling it to work the mandibles laterally with extraordinary power, (this being the only British bird which exhibits any lateral motion of the mandibles :) these are both curved, and at the points overlap one another considerably : and when the bird holds a fir cone in its foot, after the manner of the parrots, and “ opening its! bill so far as to bring the points together, slips it in this position under the hard scales of the cone, the crossing points force out the scale, and the seed which lies below it is easily secured.” An old _ writer of Queen Ekzabeth’s time quoted by Yarrell says of it, ; “it came about harvest, a little bigger than a sparrow, which had F bils thwarted crosswise at the end, and with these it would cut an _ apple in two at one snap, eating onely the kernel ; and they made Pa great spoil among the apples.” I have many notices of its ~ occurrence in almost all parts of the County ; suffice it to say that _ some years since they frequented the larch plantations at Old Park in considerable numbers: Mr. Marsh saw some trees in his garden at Sutton Benger covered with them in 1838, and relates that the _ keeper at Brinkworth killed fifteen at a shot. In plumage scarcely _ two specimens in a large flock are alike, so variously are its colours distributed, for while someold malesare nearly crimsonallover, others — << -..- -_—_—- 1 Monthly Packet, ‘‘Our feathered neighbours,” Vol. xi, page 274. 92 On the Ornithology of Wilts [Sturnide.] are of a lighter shade of red, and others again in a mottled garb of green, red, orange, and brown: its legs though short are very strong, and it will climb and swing from branch to branch, taking firm hold with its long hooked claws: it is very active too, and lively in its manners, and remarkably fearless and confiding. STURNIDA. (The Starlings). This is an interesting family, the members of it so pert and lively, and with so many amusing habits: they are very sociable and usually move in large flocks: omnivorous, for nothing seems to come amiss to their appetite; and perfectly harmless, so much so as to have excited but little enmity and little persecution from man. “Common Starling.” (Sturnus vulgaris.) This is one of our most constant companions, frequenting the roofs of our houses for nesting purposes, marching about our lawns and gardens all day in search of worms, wheeling about on rapid wing in small com- panies around us, and otherwise demeaning itself as an innocent harmless bird should do, its mens conscia recti giving it confidence, and demanding its protection or at least comparative freedom from molestation at the hands of man: moreover it lends its gratuitous services to the shepherd, and may often be seen perched on the sheeps back, giving its friendly aid to rid them of their trouble- some parasites. Though at a little distance of dull sombre dress, it will on examination be found to possess a remarkably bright burnished plumage, composed of long narrow silky black feathers, shining with metallic tints of green blue and purple, and each garnished with a triangular white spot at the tip. As autumn approaches, these birds congregate in vast multitudes in certain favoured spots towards evening, arriving in flights of forty or fifty, till many thousands and even millions are collected, and forming quite a cloud they whirl through the air as if guided by one impulse ; now ascending high, then wheeling round, descending with a roar of rushing wings, till they almost brush the earth in their rapid course ; and finally down they glide into the plantations or reed- bed which they have selected for their roosting place: and then “=> By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 93 such a hubbub of voices ensues, such chattering and such scolding, each apparently anxious to secure the best berth for the night: but if a gun should chance to be fired, or any thing else occcur to startle them, away goes the whole flock in a dense cloud, with a roar which would astonish those who have not seen and heard them. Such a roosting-place exists on the Lavington downs at New Copse, and here I am informed by Mr. Stratton of Gore Cross, that these birds flock in thousands and tens of thousands, and he adds _ that it is curious to observe their tactics when a hawk appears ; _ for as the hawk prepares for the fatal pounce, they collect into balls or compact flocks, and so baffle their enemy, which imme- diately ascends higher for another swoop: meanwhile the Starlings hurry along towards some place of shelter, but ball again, as the hawk prepares to make a second dash. Another favoured haunt of the Starlings is a wood in the parish of Nettleton near Chippen- ham, where I am informed “one thousand were killed a few years since by thirty discharges from a single barrelled gun at one time,” _ a piece of wanton cruelty only outdone by the massacre which Col. _ Hawker records; how he slew some thousands of Starlings at a : single shot from his long gun, in the reeds near Lymington in : Hampshire. In the fens of Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire this habit of roosting in masses is productive of considerable mischief , to the reed beds which are of great value, the vast numbers settling on the same reed bearing it down and breaking it with the un- wonted weight : and even plantations and copses sometimes suffer a certain amount of damage from a similar destruction of the leading branches of the young trees.! _ 10ne of these enormous colonies of starlings had been for many years allowed without disturbance to roost nightly in one of the late Mr. Neeld’s plantations alongside the public way (the Foss road) at Dunley near ‘‘ The Elm and Ash,” about two miles from Grittleton. In April, 1850, the Keeper whose cottage __ was only a few yards off, having had occasion one night to take a few of the birds prisoners for some shooting practise the next day, the whole colony resented the breach of hospitality, and suddenly left the place altogether. It was then found that they had entirely spoiled the young trees and laurel shrubs _ on about one acre of the plantation; but that to make up for the damage, had bequeathed a valuable deposit of guano, of which no less than 60 loads were hauled away. (J. E. J.) 94 On the Ornithology of Wilts [ Corvide]. “Rose coloured Pastor.” (Pastor roseus). This very beautiful bird is extremely rare in England, a few stragglers only having occasionally appeared : it is a native of the hottest parts of Asia and Africa, but migrates northward in summer, and is sparingly scattered throughout the southern countries of Europe every year, the outskirts of the army sometimes penetrating so far north as Britain. One and one only instance I can adduce of its undoubted occurrence in Wiltshire, and that was in 1853, when a specimen was killed by a shepherd on Salisbury Plain near Wilton, and is now in the possession of the Rey. G. Powell, of Sutton Veny. It is usually seen associating with the Starlings, to which family indeed it belongs, and which it much resembles in general habits, mode of feeding, &c. Its plumage is exceedingly beautiful in the living bird, but the delicate rose tint, whence it derives its specific name, loses much of its freshness after death, and in course of years fades to a dingy pink. The head wings and tail are of a glossy velvet black, with violet reflections ; the whole of the under parts and back of a deep rose red: the head is likewise adorned with a long pendent crest of loose silky feathers of a glossy black. The legs are very strong, and with the upper mandible of the bill reddish orange. It is called “‘ Pastor” the shepherd or herdsman, from its habit, (which it shares with the common Starling,) of attending flocks. CORVIDA. (The Crows). This is a very large and important family, very numerous too and widely distributed, and most of its members being of consider- able size attract more general attention than the preceding smaller and more retiring birds, and are therefore familiar to the least observant: their general characteristics are stout compact body, large head, thick short neck, beak large straight and pointed, legs strong and well adapted for walking with ease as well as for perch- ing: their flight too is strong and even, and as regards their appe- tite, they seem to devour every thing they meet with, being truly omnivorous, and refusing nothing eatable which comes in their way. From these several properties the Crows have been Ry the Rev. A. C. Smith. 95 styled the most perfect of the winged creation, and it has been remarked that they seem to have received some peculiar property from each order of birds, by which they stand in the centre of the feathered kingdom, reflecting the characteristics of the whole, being so well fitted for walking, equally powerful on the wing, in- habitants of all climates, and capable of subsisting on all kinds of food. Notwithstanding their frequent association with man they are a vigilant cautious race, ever on the watch for an enemy, and _ scenting danger from afar. “Chough” (Fregilus graculus.) This is scarcely a true Crow, jf but rather a link between the Starlings and Crows, partaking most _ however, of the habits and appearance of the latter: It is a very i graceful elegant bird, and slender in form: its plumage of a glossy _ bluish black, strongly contrasted with which are the beak, legs, and feet, which are of a bright vermillion red or deep orange colour: the beak is very long, slender, and considerably curved. It is said never to perch on trees, but always on rocks, and Mon- tagu, (who gives a full account of one of these birds which had been _ tamed) says its inquisitive habits are equal to those of any Crow: _ its food principally consists of insects, for reaching which in the erevices of rocks its long sharp pointed slender bill is admirably adapted. Its true habitat is among the lofty precipices on the sea coast, or amid the rocks of inland countries, abounding in the Swiss Alps, and in the Tyrol ,where it frequents the loftier regions far up among the glaciers: in England it is sparingly found on ; _ some of our more rocky coasts, and is often styled the Cornish Chough, from an erroneous impression that it was peculiar to that County, though Shakspeare, with his usual wonderful knowledge : of nature, shows that he did not share in that mistake, for in de- _ scribing the height of the cliff at Dover he says a ‘« The Crows and Choughs that wing the midway air bom Show scarce as gross as beetles.” _ Wiltshire too is one of the few inland counties which has had its _ stragglers of this species: Yarrell quoting from the Field Natur- alist Magazine for August 1882, recounts how a Red-legged Crow was killed on the Wiltshire downs, near the Bath Road between 96 On the Ornithology of Wilts [ Corvide]. Marlborough and Calne, by a man employed in keeping birds from corn: this must have been very near, if not in my own Parish of Yatesbury. In addition to this, Blyth the editor of White’s Sel- borne, records the capture of another of this species on Salisbury Plain; and I have one more instance of its occurrence in the County hitherto unpublished, for the Rev. F. Dyson killed one many years since on the downs at Tidworth, where two had been seen hovering about for many days previous. This I fear is likely to be the last specimen of this truly graceful bird, wandering to our County, for it is now become very rare even in those localities on the sea coast where it was once most numerous, and will pro- bably soon be classed in that sad catalogue of species, which once abundant are now exterminated by the ruthless rage for slaughter so prevalent with all classes, in which the noble Bustard already figures, and will soon be joined by the Kite and the Bittern, and many another interesting bird with which the last generation was familiar. “Raven” (Corvus corax). If the Crows exhibit more intelli- gence than all other families as is often asserted, here we have the most sagacious of the Crows: unlike many of its congeners, the Raven lives for the most part a solitary life, at least in this Country for I have seen some numbers of them together in Norway. It is by far the largest of all the pie tribe in Europe, of strong robust shape, of grave and dignified bearing ; its plumage of the deepest and glossiest black, with purple blue and green reflections. The term Raven is derived from an old word signifying to tear away, or snatch and devour, alluding to its voracious plundering habits, for it not only feeds on carrion, but attacks weak and sickly ani- mals and birds. It is supposed to live toa very great age, but this does not seem to have ever been satisfactorily proved : it pairs for life, and breeds very early in the year, returning, if undisturbed annually to the same spot for the purpose; but it always drives away the young birds when they are fully fledged and able to provide for themselves. Extremely wary and impatient of molesta- tion, it has been expelled from many of its old accustomed breeding places by the persecution of gamekeepers and others ; not many : . | By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 97 years since it used to build annually at Erlestoke and Roundway Parks, indeed a pair very lately returned to their old haunt at the latter place, but were scared away: Mr. B. Hayward tells me that for twenty years they built in a clump on the hill above Lavington; but are never seen there now: we may still however meet with them on the downs, where they love to pass the day in solitary grandeur, far removed from the interference of man; and there are some favoured breeding places yet in the County, to which they still annually return, and where they rear their young in safety, as in an elm at Draycot Park, in a Scotch fir at Spye Park, anda few other chosen spots where they are guarded from molestation : and indeed a Raven tree is no mean ornament to a park, and speaks of a wide domain and large timber, and an ancient family, for the Raven is an aristocratic bird, and cannot brook a confined property { or trees of young growth: would that its predilections were more _ humoured and a secure retreat allowed it by the larger proprietors ~ in our County. The time has I trust gone by in England when _ the poor Raven was regarded as a bird of ill omen, and its croak _ dreaded as a sure sign portending some coming evil, and yet not long ago, such was the absurd superstition regarding this much maligned species, as we may see from various passages of Shakspeare as well as other authors of that and even a later date: in old time and in heathen countries we all know how anxiously its every note _ was listened to and its every action studied by the soothsayer ; for as py ieeil sang, ‘¢ Seepe sinistra cava preedixit ab ilice cornix.’ bisa it was consecrated to Apollo as a foreteller of things to come; bu ut it may not be so generally known that at this day not only do . the North American Indians honour it as seereh ys and invest it ‘it is supposed to be. I forbear to touch on the Raven in con- OL. VII.—NO. XIX. H 98 On the Ornithology of Wilts [Corvide]. finement, and its powers of imitating the human voice, and many interesting proofs of its wonderful sagacity and quaint manners, though I could fill a page or two with such anecdotes, trusting that the Rev. G. Marsh will some day write in this Magazine a monograph on this bird, with a full account of the notorious Raven, which is now domiciled at Sutton Benger, and of its predecessors which that gentleman has kept for many years, and with whose habits and manners of life he is so thoroughly acquainted. “Carrion Crow” (Corvus corone). So much resembling the last described in form and manners, but of smaller size, that it may well be termed “the Miniature Raven.” This species is likewise seldom seen in flocks, pairs for life, and may be found in wooded districts throughout the County, in colour it is jet black, without the metallic lustre so conspicuous in the plumage of the Raven : it is very bold and a great enemy to young game and eggs as well as to the poultry yard: its ordinary food, for lack of carrion which it rarely finds here, is any animal matter it can pick up, and failing this, it contents itself with grain and vegetable diet. Though shy and with reason suspicious of too great familiarity with man, it is one of the most pugnacious of birds and will attack and drive away all intruders from its nest; Mr. Waterton, who has protected it and studied its habits closely at Walton Hall, says, “It is a very early riser, and long before the rook is on the wing, you hear this bird announcing the approach of morn with his loud hollow croak- ing from the oak to which he had resorted the night before: he retires to rest later than the rook, indeed as far as I have been able to observe his motions, I consider him the first bird on wing in the morning, and the last at night, of all our non-migrating diurnal British Birds.” ** Hooded Crow” (Corvus cornix). With all the bad and none of the good qualities of the preceding, this Crow is no favorite in those parts of England where it abounds: it isa determined de- stroyer of the eggs and young of game birds, more especially of the genus Grous, and is cowardly as well as cruel in the execution of its victims. Mr. St. John in his “ Field notes and Tour in Suther- land” speaks of it in no measured terms, and declares it is the “‘ only By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 99 bird against which he urges constant and unpitying warfare” and he excuses himself for so doing on the plea that he has so often detected it destroying his most favorite birds and eggs that he has no pity on it: and Mr. Knox, the intelligent author of “ Game birds and Wild Fowl” has not a word to say in its favour; not even Mr. Waterton, the general champion of the oppressed, has a good word for the Hooded Crow; so that we may congratulate ourselves that it only appears in Wiltshire occasionally : its visits however are frequent enough to render it familiar to most people : _ Lhave myself often seen it on the Marlborough downs, and I have : many notices of it from various parts of the County, more especially : in the neighbourhood of Salisbury, where it frequents the water _ meadows in the winter months, at which season only it migrates % so far south: its true habitat is northern Europe, where I have _ seen it in great abundance, for it is the representative of the Cor- _ vide there, and very tame and familiar it seemed, searching the newly mown meadows for worms and slugs, and marching on the _ roads in front of our horses, just as its congener the rook does here. On the eastern coast of England I have found it in some numbers, as it resorts to the sea-shore for the never failing supply of food which it finds in the shell-fish and other marine productions thrown up by the tides: and Bishop Stanley says it may frequently be seen after vain attempts to break through the hard shell of a cockle or muscle, to seize it in its bill, mount with it to a great _ height, and then let it fall on a hard rock, by which it is broken, and the bird has nothing more to do than to reap the fruit of its bf ethought. In colour the head, throat, wings, and tail, are black, e rest of the plumage smoke grey. It is called the Hooded Crow from its black head, and the Royston Crow, as it was supposed to q be peculiar to that district, where in truth I have seen it in con- derable numbers: it is also provincially named the Girey-backed ad the Scau/ Crow. “Rook” (Corvus frugilegus). Having devoted a whole paper to this most familiar bird, and endeavoured to prove its value in estroying grubs, so far exceeding any injury it may commit in sionally consuming corn, I need add but little more about it : H 2 100 On the Ornithology of Wilts | Corvide]. it is somewhat larger than the Carrion Crow, and may easily be distinguished from that bird by the bare space of rough white skin surrounding the base of the beak and on the fore part of the head: as in the young birds these parts are covered with bristly feathers, it has been by some supposed that the constant plunging of the bill into the ground in search of worms and grubs causes the abrasion of these feathers, while others affirm it to be an original peculiarity : and the question is hardly yet satisfactorily settled ; “‘adhue sub judice lis est,” though I am inclined to the latter opinion : the fact however of the existence of the rough skin which serves to distinguish it from its more sable congener, the Carrion Crow, is undoubted: this skin is also very elastic and pliable, and in the spring the Rook may be seen flying home to its nest, with its throat distended with a supply of food for its young, as if ina pouch below the chin, though none such exists. “Jackdaw” (Corvus monedula). This lively bird is as well known as the preceding, with which it lives in the closest alliance, and its active bustling movements, cunning saucy look, and sharp short voice make it a general favorite: wherever the rooks are feeding, there you may invariably see the Jackdaw strutting about with careless jaunty air, and hear its merry saucy chatter: it will also perch, like the starling, on the sheeps back, and for the same friendly laudable purpose. Towers, cliffs, and hollow trees are its general dwelling places, but its favourite haunts seem to be our grandest Cathedrals and largest Colleges, amid the towers and pinnacles of which it loves to nest. Its plumage is greyish black, glossed with blue, green, and purple, with the exception of the hind part of the neck which is light grey. “Magpie” (Pica caudata). Exceedingly handsome with bright burnished plumage, and of very graceful form, the Magpie must claim our admiration, however we may find fault with its mischie- vous cunning greedy character. To see it flit from tree to tree at a distance, (and it is too shy to suffer a near approach) one might imagine its colours to be simply black and white, and even then we must admire its elegant figure: but to come upon it suddenly, and have a clear view of it in the golden sunshine, one can but By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 101 marvel at the reflections of green and purple and blue which shine with metallic brilliancy on its dark plumage, wondrously contrasted with the purest white: its long graduating tail too, which it will sometimes spread like a fan, at other times move up and down, is _another ornament, and adds much to its gracefulness. It seems always on the alert for an enemy, and by its loud continuous _ chattering, gives general warning when danger is near. Though _ so frequent in all wooded districts, it is rarely to be met with on our downs, and its poaching egg stealing propensities make it no _ favorite with the gamekeeper: but in Norway it is safe from per- 4 secution, being regarded with the utmost superstitious fear rather ; than reverence, and so itis the very tamest and commonest of _ birds, scarcely moving out of our way as we passed by, and build- _ ing its nest in some bush or tree close to a cottage door. Some- ‘ thing of the same superstitious feeling appears to have been _ generally entertained for the Magpie in this country, the remains _ of which still linger in the following well known lines, signifying _ the good or ill luck foretold by the number of these birds seen ‘ together. ‘One for sorrow, two for mirth, Three for a wedding, four for a birth.” “Jay” Garrulus (glandarius). This is another. shy retiring bird, restless and noisy, of exceeding handsome plumage, and much _ persecuted by gamekeepers for its mischievous propensities, though _ gardeners have a better right to complain of its evil deeds, for _ fruit, rather than young birds and eggs, forms its favorite food : it _ is however by no means particular whether it satisfies the cravings _ of appetite with animal or vegetable diet: for its scientific name ~glandarius is not distinctive, as all its congeners and several other _ genera partake of the acorn with equal avidity with the Jay. It is even a more confirmed chatterer than the Magpie, whence “Beientific name garrulus, and its note is harsh and grating: general colour is pale chocolate; but the black and white ee which it can elevate and depress at pleasure; the bright blue, barred with black and white, of its wing coverts ; and the contrast of the white patch over the black tail, are its most striking points. It 102 On the Ornithology of Wilts [Corvide]. may be found in almost all woods and plantations throughout the County. Here we may take leave of the Conirostral Tribe, and we may remark in conclusion how gradually we have been conducted through the Larks and Buntings up to the Finches, some of which display such exceeding power of beak, and live wholly on grain ; and so on through the Starlings and Crows down to the Jay, om-_ nivorous feeders as these last are, so that the transition to the next tribe, distinct though it is, will not be so rapid, and we can pass on without much hiatus and almost imperceptibly to the family standing first of the climbers, viz: the Woodpeckers, which we shall find in many points have affinities with those last described. ALFRED CHARLES SMITH. Yatesbury Rectory, Caine, March 8th, 1860. : bn \! s rs o “ Pe 3 : | Bee: x Tepe . ae ’ t ; a i Pan: Great BeDwyn CHURCH, FROM THE-SOUTH EAST. Sh RES ee « 103 Great BHedwpw. TILE PAVEMENT IN THE CHURCH. SXQAIE now present to our readers an engraving of the Church ))) of St. Mary at Great Bedwyn, a description of which ap- peared in our last number. The author, having omitted in the body of his work, to mention the remains of a tile pavement, which once adorned this ancient Church, desires to say a very few words on the subject. There were extant in 1845, about forty patterns of tiles, scattered about the floors of the Church and Chancel, without any order or arrangement, except in this one instance :— Repeated many times round the Chancel as border tiles set against the wall, were two long tiles, 9 inches by 63, representing on each an equestrian figure in armour, meeting at full speed in deadly strife. On one tile, was a Knight bearing on his shield the well known templar’s cross, and wielding in his right hand an upraised sword, which would not have disgraced a Longespee ; on the other, a Saracen holding with one hand a curved shield fitting close to the chest, and in the other a long lance poised for action in a horizontal position. This pair of tiles is engraved in the Gentle- man’s Magazine for July 1845: and by the kindness of Mr. J. G. Nichols is now presented before our readers. 4 yy < v BIEN : There were several separated tiles, inserted in different parts of the Chancel floor, which when brought together and placed in 104 Great Bedwyn. order, formed a large design of sixteen tiles, 22 inches square, re- presenting within an ornamented circle a quatrefoil with cusps branched out into flowers and leaves, filling up the centre. This pattern, which as far as has been discovered, is unique, is, with several others from Bedwyn, represented in Shaw’s very beautiful “Specimens of Tile Pavements.” About twelve other specimens found at Great Bedwyn and generally in the west of England, were figured by the Rev. The Lord Alwyne Compton, Rector of Castle Ashby, and printed by him on loose sheets of paper com- prising many patterns and some borders, for the purpose of assisting Keclesiologists in arranging designs for pavements, and of shewing at once their effect. Of the remaining tiles at Bedwyn which have not been engraved, there were several bearing the royal insignia of lions and fleurs de lis variously combined, and, in one instance, were two lioncels rampant indorsed, with a sceptre terminated with a fleur de lis, running up between them. There were also many copies of a tile representing a castle, which may have been intended for the Arms, either of Eleanor of Castile, or of the Borough of Great Bedwyn. The fret of Hugh de Audley was often repeated, but the De Clare coat, so commonly found in large Churches with which that power- ful family had any connection, did not occur here: Gilbert de Clare however, the last male of the family, died in 1313, that is, not long after the rebuilding of the whole portion of the Church, east of the nave. VivenVii» 5, Se . > eee ® Ao ~ “ ; = . * - « ms THE bg . WILTSHIRE Le MAGAZINE . : F No. XX. DECEMBER, 1861. Vor Vl. Contents. * PAGE _ Account of the Seventh General Meeting, at Swindon, 15th, 16th, oa UE CU ATIAR ATOM. Wow asis 5s Tutte One cas Ae sates ee 105-118 Articles exhibited at the Temporary Museum ..........0..0.-e0es 119 Swinpon AnD ITs NereHsourHooD: By the Rev. J. E. Jackson, PAS CB IIA cp REE Os Teie cso R ny enti’ = a Be «We tle oh a te 123-144 Swindon 123. Chiseldon, Burderop 130. Badbury, Wanborough 131. Hannington - 185. Cricklade 136. Braden 138. Purton 139. Lydiard Tregoz 141. mamuey : Byithe Rey. Ac C: Smith, MA... 2. cee cece ae ene 145-191 Frora or Wittsuree. (No. 6): By T. B. Flower, Esq., M.R.C.S... 192-211 Tue Lirrrecote Lecrenp. (No. 4): By the late C. E. Long, Esq..... 212-220 “Memorr oF CHARLES Epwarp Lone, Esq....... - Wie ayacsr scans} Saba 221-224 Fac-similes of John Aubrey’s Plans of Abury. .... ......-2.0- sees 224 eeeenieenda to Mr. William Long’s paper on Abury, vol iv........... 227 ILLUSTRATIONS. Silbury, Pl. I. View of the hill from the West. .... 145° a », II. Ground Plan of the hill........ 2 sia 146 x ae he Ditto of Excavations in 1848 » 9) LV. Course of the Roman Road.......... = ns , Y. Section showing Geological formation.. 183 Abury. F ac-simile of John Anbae s Pl. I. the ‘‘Survey GLAM ANCE eerie cs 5 fs wc niche Gee cic >. owes ce 5 226 Ditto of his Pl. Il. ‘‘The whole view with Cine yRA 2 Mics ie e'ernc & aeatope ee ore st 5 oi Bp 227 DEVIZES: Henry Burt, Saint Joan STREET. LONDON: Bett & Davy, 186, "Yount Srreet; J. R, Suiru, 26, Sono Square. lle THE WILTSHIRE MAGAZINE, ‘‘MULTORUM MANIBUS GRANDE LEVATUR ONUS.”— Ovid. THE SEVENTH GENERAL MEETING OF THE — Miltshive Archeological and Natural History Society, HELD AT SWINDON, _ Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 15th, 16th, and 17th August, > 1860. PRESIDENT OF THE MEETING, Tuer Rr. Hon. T. H. 8. Sornzron Estcourt, M.P., D.C.L. a" Wednesday 15th August, the Society assembled for its qj Seventh General cae at the Town-Hall, Swindon. . ESTCOURT, after year the operations of the Society _ from the time of its formation, proceeded to observe that the prin- cipal reason for selecting Swindon as the place of meeting for the a the Society had had no contact. Situated, as it was, at the north-eastern part of the county—at a distance from those remark- able objects of antiquarian lore with which thename of Wiltshire was epeitad in all parts of the world—the mysterious monuments at 7OL. VII.—NO. XX. I ; * 106 The Seventh General Meeting. standing near—he said to himself, “‘ My old friends, you have been known many a year, and therefore your day must be put off: we are going to look after the Saxons. You are erected by a people we know not who, for a purpose we know not what, and at a period we know not when—you have been the peg upon which all kinds of disquisition, and every description of speculation have been hung ;—this very year there has appeared in one of our most known periodicals a paper giving you a Buddhist origin, and I dare say next year somebody else may find out some other source of your wonders. Therefore you must permit us on this occasion to meet at Swindon and talk about the Saxons.” Here, then, they were assembled on the very borders of Alfred’s kingdom—the borders of Wessex—as near, at all events, as it was once safe to live, because the line of demarcation, along which the great fights took place, was not more than ten miles to the north of the town. Passing from Bath, it ran a little along the Cotswolds, it circled through Berkshire, and this spot being high and elevated in those days, it was probably well fortified. If therefore they cast their eyes northward, eastward, or westward, they would have the satisfaction of fixing their eyes upon a people with whom we must have a deep sympathy, from whom we had derived many of our institutions, and whose records we should do well to search, because they were trustworthy and not merely of a theoretical description. With regard to the Society, he said, speaking for himself, he was sure it had far exceeded in its results anything which he expected would have been the case when a meeting for its formation was held at Devizes seven yearsago. The great work of the Society had been its Magazine, and he ventured to defy all the counties in England to produce a work of a similar character, containing so much that was interesting and trustworthy. Besides the Secretaries and the Committee, the Society was under great obligations to the Clergy throughcut the county. The Bishop of Salisbury had, from the first, shown a very strong desire to further that particular study which it was the business of the Society to foster. It was a most fortunate thing that, at a period he knew not when, our land was divided into parishes; and it was also a The Seventh General Meeting. 107 fortunate thing, in his opinion, that the records of those parishes had been so well preserved for at least the last three centuries ; and if we went further, we should find in the public records col- lected in London and elsewhere a great deal to throw light upon what had happened in our different parishes. Some years ago, he had occasion to pay a visit at the Rolls Chapel to Sir Francis Palgrave—a name which could never be mentioned at a meeting of this description without honor—and Sir Francis on that occasion said to him, I will undertake to give you something of a contem- poraneous record with regard to every event in English History worth caring about since the Conquest. He (Mr. Estcourt) asked him a question as to something which happened in the time of _ Henry the Highth. But his reply was, I know nothing of English history later than the accession of Henry the Seventh, which showed how much his whole attention had been directed to ancient history. The reason why we in England possessed such a magni- ficent and unbroken collection of old records was that no enemy had ever come to spoil us. Whatever there was worth putting by in succeeding generations we had got, and no man had ever laid a _ revolutionary hand upon it. It was more than could be said of # any other capital or nation in the world. Every little addition y that could be made to information of this kind, it seemed to him was worthy of the notice of a thinking people.—He believed it was Dr. Johnson who said, in Rasselas, “‘ whatever makes the past _ or the future predominant in the mind of man over the present, elevates him as a thinking being.” No doubt what might be found _ recorded in an old parochial history might have been considered at _ the moment of no more value than the incidents of parochial history _ atthe present moment. It was their antiquity which gave them _ their value. They might have appeared trifling at the moment, __ but if they enabled us to decipher matter of real moment and real importance they could not but acquire a value in the eyes of _ thinking persons, of a different description to that which they originally bore. But he claimed for this Society something more. He claimed for it, that it was not merely a theoretical, speculative, or even an intellectual body, but he claimed for its proceedings : 12 108 The Seventh General Meeting. something of a moral and a patriotic character. When we were called upon as we were at the present moment occasionally to make sacrifices for the sake of our country, for the sake of our homes and of our parishes, surely it was something to know that similar sacrifices had been required of those who had gone before—that similar stirring scenes had taken place—that there had been similar apprehensions of an invasion—and similar gatherings together of the people to defend their hearths and their homes. No man could walk over the plains of Marathon and Thermopyle—no man could tread the plains of Morgarten or Sempach, among the Swiss valleys —no man could cross the fields of Cressy and Poictiers, without having his soul stirred up to do and endure far more than he had previously been inclined to do. His blood boiled as much as if he had taken part in the strifes of those days. And so it was now. He contended that the Society was contributing a great deal towards keeping alive that which would be to ourselves and to those who came after, not only a record of the past, but an encouragement to do and act a part worthy of the name we bore. In this grand Volunteer movement which was now going on, there was an emulation. No doubt love of country was the principle which was at the bottom; but that which stirred us up and encouraged us to do our best was emulation between man and man. But there was also an emulation between generation and generation, and that was the business which had called them together on this occasion. They wanted to fill their minds with a knowledge, not merely of the general outline, but of the details of the suffering and work which took place in this country years and years ago, and haying done so, he was sure that there was no man who would not be rather encouraged to do anything which might be required of him for the sake of his country. The traces of the Normans, the Saxons, and others long gone by, shewed us that our ancestors had to encounter foes, to endure numerous privations, and to make sacrifices for that one cause—the love of country; and therefore he did claim for the Society that besides its being in the highest degree a society of men desirous of cultivating a superior order of intellectual research, their work was not altogether thrown away a cl The Report. 109 as moral beings, as Englishmen, and as Christians, and that it often afforded encouragement to us to proceed in the course which our duty pointed out as belonging to us. The right hon. gentleman then called upon the Rev. A. C. Surru (one of the Secretaries) to read the report. REPORT ror 1860. “The Committee of the Wiltshire Archeological and Natural History Society has again the satisfaction of congratulating its members on the continued prosperity of the Society, the number of names now on its books, amounting to 391, being a slight increase since last year, and that notwithstanding our loss by death, with- drawal, or removal from the county of no less than 15 of our former members. “ Among these, the recent death of one of the most active of our body seems to call forth special regret on the part of the Society ; indeed it would be impossible to pass over in silence the grievous loss we have sustained in Mr. Carrington: he was from the first a _ sincere and steady friend to the Society ; he thoroughly enjoyed _ the pursuits and the researches connected with Wiltshire history, was _ very diligent in instituting them, and as invariably to be depended _ on, as ready even at personal inconvenience and sacrifice of time F and trouble, to assist others. Those who were present at the _ Marlborough meeting last year, will not soon forget how greatly _ it was indebted to him for the lively and good-humoured spirit that _ prevailed throughout ; and the readers of the Wiltshire Magazine _ will regret the discontinuance of the lighter and amusing articles by which he so often assisted the public in the digestion of its - more solid contents. “With regard to the financial position of the Society, your Committee must again, though with great reluctance, call your attention to the amount of subscriptions in arrear and unpaid, the former amounting to £85, the latter to £95; in all £180. It will ‘injury of the Society, as well as to the embarrassment of your Committee, and they appeal earnestly to those now in arrear not to ¢ 110 The Seventh General Meeting. injure the Society by their negligence. This is the more to be deplored, for if the Society were not hampered by these arrears, its receipts would be fully equal to its expenditure. “We pass on now to the Wiltshire Magazine, of which the sixth volume is just completed, and which, we submit, contains articles on the topography, past and natural history of the county, which will bear comparison with similar publications of kindred County Societies; but whatever degree of merit it may have, is without doubt in great measure due to the able superintendence and unre- mitting exertions of the Rev. Canon Jackson, to whom the Society is most deeply indebted, for this the principal part of its labours. “Another very important and indeed primary object of the Society has occupied a great deal of the attention of your Committee since last year, viz.: the erection of a Museum and Library suited to the requirements and worthy of so important a Society. Hitherto our Archeological and Natural History Collections have been deposited in a room temporarily hired for the purpose at Devizes, where they have been open to the daily inspection of members: but it will be in your recollection that one of the principal objects which the Society had in view from the first, was (by Rule I.) ‘ to preserve by the formation of a Library and Museum, illustrations of the history of the county, viz., published works, MSS., drawings, models and specimens,” and (by Rule VI.) it was resolved that such col- lections “‘ be deposited at Devizes,” as the most central town in the county. The importance of carrying out that object was early impressed upon us by one who has from the first, most kindly and perseveringly encouraged us and guided our career, and whose advice we of this Society especially value, our excellent first Presi- dent (Mr. P. Scrope), in his Inaugural Address: and from that time to this, the permanent establishment of a central county Library and Museum of Antiquities and Specimens of Natural History has been continually under the consideration of your Committee, as may be seen by the Annual Reports of past years. Those who take the trouble to examine those Reports will have seen how steadily the Society has advanced year by year from its formation, continuing to attract within its ranks the more intelligent gentlemen of the — | The Report. 111 county, as it presented itself more prominently to the notice of those residing near any of the localities it has hitherto visited in its Annual Congress: they will also see on what grounds your Com- mittee promulgate their opinion, that the Society having proved itself to be no ephemeral development of a passing fancy, but to be _ firmly rooted in the county, the time has now arrived when efforts may be made for securing its permanence, strengthening its powers, and accomplishing one of its principal intentions, by building such a Museum and Library as shall be adequate for the Collections already rapidly accumulating, and which your Committee have confident expectations will be considerably enriched, when a more permanent as well as more suitable place of deposit is provided. Fully impressed with this conviction your Committee has been engaged in considering the best means of accomplishing their object, and though they are not prepared at the present moment to lay any distinct proposal before you, yet they are happy to state that the scheme which has been suggested to some of the more influential gentlemen of the county has met with the warmest encouragement, and with offers of very liberal donations towards its completion, which your Committee trust will be met with like _ liberality on the part of members generally, and for which they _ would beseech your co-operation and support when the time comes. _ It remains only to thank those who have during the past year _ contributed to our collections; among whom we would especially _ mention Mr. Blackwell and Captain Gladstone, each of whom has _ presented above seventy bird skins to the Museum: the Bishop of Brisbane, who has largely added to our Geological collections: and ‘ Mr. Darby Griffith, who has added sundry volumes to the Library : besides others who in a smaller way have enriched our Museum _ with many valuable additions. And here again we may congratulate ourselves that the intention _ of the Society seems now to be thoroughly understood; and as its - object is now known to be solely the collection of TS re- lating to the Archeology and Natural History of Wiltshire, with a view to the completion of a history of the County, it has met with universal support, sympathy and good will on all sides, pro- a x WN , 112 The Seventh General Meeting. voking neither jealousy on the one hand, nor apathy on the other, (the day for ridicule of such pursuits as it has in view being hap- pily gone by) ; and the Committee desires here once for all to express its hearty thanks for the cordial co-operation and the ready atten- tion and liberality it has so universally met with, not only from those already enrolled among its adherents, but also from others of all ranks and classes hitherto unconnected with the Society.” The Rey. Canon Jackson, at the invitation of the Right Hon. Chairman, then proceeded to read a paper on the History of Swindon and its neighbourhood. At the close of the paper, there being still some little time to spare before the hour appointed for the dinner, the company sepa- rated into two parties; one, under the direction of Mr. Moore F.G.S. and Mr. W. Cunnington, proceeded to explore the Swindon quarries, and the other to inspect the various articles of interest composing the temporary Museum, formed in the room in which the meeting had been held. THE DINNER. The Society’s Dinner took place at the Goddard Arms Hotel. Two haunches of venison were presented by the Marquis of Ailes- bury, and Mr. Westmacott seemed to have spared neither trouble nor expense to provide for his guests. Seventy-five ladies and gentlemen sat down, including the majority of those who attended the general meeting. The chair was occupied by the Right Hon. T. H. 8. Estcourt. After the usual loyal toasts; in the course of a reply to that of the Bishops and Clergy, the Rev. Prebendary Fane said that he happened to be the Treasurer of the Diocesan Church Building Society, and he would make bold to say that the interests of the Church and the interests of this Archeological Society were abso- lutely synonymous terms, the great field of inquiry and research for archeologists being, in reality, among our churches. There were, at this moment, in the Diocese of Salisbury, as many as 40 churches either under restoration or requiring immediate attention ; and when he mentioned that many others might be added to the At Swindon. 113 list—when he spoke of archzologists who felt a pride in noble capital and lofty roof, and the remains of antiquity which existed in our churches though in a crumbling state, he was sure they would sympathise with him, as the Treasurer of that Society, when he said he hailed with pleasure the formation of an Archeological Society as an instrument for stirring up zeal, and bringing the eye _ of science and of intellect to search into those noble fabrics which stood forth as the proudest monuments of our land. He begged, therefore, to express his heartfelt acknowledgments to this Society _ for the incalculable good which it had already effected. He would say that for the good the Society had done in drawing the attention of all parties, perfectly irrespective of the religious principle, to the subject of church architecture they, as ministers of the church, owed i¢ infinite obligations. As was once pleasantly remarked of John Lilburne—when he could quarrel with nobody else, John would quarrel with Lilburne, and Lilburne with John; so he, as an archeologist and a minister thanked himself as an archeologist for the good he had done as a minister, and as a minister for the good he had done as an archeologist. He trusted that ministers of the church and archeologists would continue to work together, _and that through this Society calling the attention of those who _ ought to take a warm interest in the subject, to the work of decay _ which had been going on for centuries past, the zeal and energy of the present day would lead to many other, churches being restored _ to their proper order and splendour. _ The compary then acknowledged with much satisfaction the names of the Marquis of Lansdowne the Patron of the Society, _ Horatio Nelson Goddard Esq. the High Sheriff of the County, and _ Ambrose Lethbridge Goddard Esq. M.P. _ The Cuarrman then gave the health of Mr. Poulett Scrope, who _ for three years discharged the duties of President. The toast was most cordially received. Mr. Pouterr Scrors, having been connected with the foundation o! the Society, was naturally much gratified at witnessing the successful results of its operations. Its objects were most interesting and instructive, but they had just been reminded by the speech of VoL. VII.—NO. XX. K 114 The Seventh General Meeting Mr. Fane that one of the principal of them was limited in point of duration, for if the progress of church-building and church-restora- tion continued to be so rapid as it had lately been, there would soon be no old churches for them to examine. He proposed the health of the Rev. Canon Jackson, one of their Secretaries, and the Editor of the Society’s Magazine. The Rev. Canon Jackson said his brother Secretaries had taken a share in the management of the Magazine, and he should be sorry to deprive them of a share of the praise. Notwithstanding seven years’ work in endeavouring to discover the past history of the county, much still remained to be investigated, and he feared that the history of some places was past investigation, That, however, was not their fault; it was the fault of those who had gone before. The CuarrMaAn was sure they were not so destitute of gratitude as to think of passing over the colleagues of Mr. Jackson, although he had been singled out for particular notice. He begged, therefore, at once to propose the health of Mr. Lukis and Mr. Smith, and he would also couple with that toast the health of the Local Secretaries and the Local Committee, whose arrangements had been of the most satisfactory character. The Rev. W. C. Luxis having returned thanks on behalf of all the gentlemen referred to, would say one word with reference to the Society. He really believed that it had already done a very good work in this coynty. Even if nothing more had been done than the publication of the articles which had appeared in the Magazine, he thought they would have reason to feel well satisfied. But besides the instructions conveyed by those articles on many points of local history, the annual gatherings of the Society had tended to excite in the inhabitants of the neighbourhoods in which they were held, a more than temporary interest in the works of nature and art, in the remains of antiquity, and in the biographies of remarkable men. Such, in fact, was the object set before them when the Society was first established. The then President, Mr. Poulett Scrope, in his opening address in 1853, said that “ archeo- logy, the pursuit of which we are uniting to promote, is the study of antiquities not for the mere gratification of an unreasoning At Swindon. 115 curiosity, but with the view of bringing it to bear upon and illus- trate history, and more especially local history or topography.” Now he ventured to say that this object had been kept in view ever since, in proof of which he had only to point to the parochial histories of Chippenham, Kington St. Michael, Bradford-on-Avon, Broughton Gifford, Bishop’s Cannings, and he might now add; Swindon. He hoped they would be animated and encouraged in the production of similar histories throughout the county, for if they kept this object steadily in view the Society would advance in years without losing anything of its original vitality and vigour. : “The Magistrates of the County” was the next toast, with ] —. which was coupled the name of Mr. Matcham, who, the Chairman said, knew more of the archeology of the county than most of those present. : Mr. Marcuam, after expressing his regret that Sir John Awdry had not been called on to respond, proceeded jocularly to remark _ that if he was an antiquarian at all it was principally on account of his age. Still he might say that he had a great love for archzo- logical pursuits, and should continue to have to the end of the _ chapter. He was sorry that he had not been able to contribute to _ the pages of the Magazine, but the fact was he had shot his bolt in his own immediate neighbourhood before this Society was formed. q Mr. Estcourt then gave the health of the ladies, with thanks to 3 them for their attendance, and called upon the Rev. W. H. Jones to respond. _ The Rey. W. H. Jones humourously acknowledged the compli- ment, and the company separated to prepare for the CONVERSAZIONE. The company shortly afterwards re-assembled at the Town-Hall, ¥ where the Rev. W. C. Luxts read a Paper, prepared by Professor _ Donaldson, on “ Wayland Smith’s Cromlech.” The Rey. W. H. Jonzs, Vicar of Bradford-on-Avon, then read a _ Paper on “Lord Clarendon and his Trowbridge Ancestry.” Proressor Buckman had been announced to present some inter- esting features in the geology of Swindon, but in his unavoidable . K 2 s 116 The Seventh General Meeting absence Mr. Cunnington briefly described the peculiarities of the district; and Mr. Moore gave an account of the most remarkable fossils which had been found there, as well as as a description of some singular discoveries which he had lately made upon the borders of Wiltshire, near Frome; and which have recently been brought before the meeting of the British Association at Oxford. It appears that Mr. Moore found in a small cleft in the mountain limestone a deposit of sand belonging to the triass—a series of formations hitherto almost unknown in this country. The extent of the deposit was only about three cubic yards, and the whole of this Mr. Moore had removed to his residence at Bath, that he might give it a deliberate examination. The result was, that he discovered the remains of three species of mammalia, hitherto quite unknown, and including a species of Microlestes, a marsupial animal allied to those now found living in Australia; and a vast quantity of the teeth of many extinct species of fish and animals of the lizard tribe. SECOND DAY. THURSDAY, Aveusr 16ru. An excursion was made to Liddington Castle, visiting Liddington Church, Wanborough Church, and Liddington Manor House. Thence to Wayland’s Smith Cave, where a discussion took place as to the origin of this remarkable antiquity. Thence to White Horse Hill and Uffington Castle; the Blowing Stone at Kingston Lisle, and the beautiful Church at Uffington. The return home being late, it was nearly nine o’clock before Mr. Poulett Scrope commenced his account of ‘‘The Discovery of Roman Remains at North Wraxhall.” For many years past a field at that place had been known as “‘ The Coffin Field,” from the fact of a Roman stone coffin having been turned up in the course of the tillage of the land; and last year Mr. Scrope obtained per- mission from the proprietor (Lord Methuen) to examine the ground more fully. The result had been the discovery of the remains of a very complete Roman Villa, with its outbuildings, boundary walls and cemetery, entire. The hypocaust, or apparatus for hot bathing, is probably the most complete that has been discovered in this country, and exhibits a good example of what the hot baths of the At Swindon. 117 Romans, as described by Tacitus, were. The floors of these rooms were supported on stout pillars formed of square tiles, beneath which flues for conveying the hot air passed. The rooms were so constructed that persons might go from those of a low temperature to those which were much hotter, and subsequently retire through rooms gradually reduced to the ordinary heat. No chimneys were discovered, and it is probable that much of the smoke from the flues escaped into the roomsabove. The most interesting discovery in this Villa, however, was an ornament, consisting of two large boar’s tusks, fastened together in a crescent form by means of a sculptured bronze setting. The purpose for which this ornament had been used was for some time unknown, until Mr. J. Y. Aker- man (of the Antiquarian Society) produced an ornament of precisely similar character, which is to the present day worn upon the breasts of the horses of the Arab Chiefs—its purpose serving, as they sup- pose, to avert the evil eye. Mr. Scrope adduced quotations from Silius Italicus and another classic author in which this kind of ornament is alluded to—in the one instance, as suspended from the neck of a favorite deer; in the other, as hung round the neck of a horse; and a remarkable confirmation of its use occurs in a sculp- ture on Trajan’s Column at Rome, where the charger of the _ Emperor is represented with this crescent-shaped ornament sus- _ pended upon its chest. Another very interesting discovery was _ also made in the cemetery attached to this Villa. Three separate 7 modes of burial were observed :—In one, the body was buried entire 3 in a stone coffin; in another, it was buried in the ground without 3 a coffin; and in the third, it had been burnt, and the ashes deposited ina hollow cavity carved in a large block of stone. The lecture throughout excited much interest. Owing to the lateness of the hour, Mr. Cunnincron’s Paper on _ the “Mineral Springs of Wiltshire ” was obliged to be deferred. : K : j 4 . THIRD DAY. FRIDAY, Aveusr 177x. _ This morning there was another excursion: the first point of attraction being Highworth Church, a curious old barn, and other _ objects of interest in that locality. Thence to Hannington Hall 118 The Seventh General Meeting where refreshments had been provided by Captain Willes Johnson, who courteously threw open the house and received the party in the most hospitable manner. From Hannington the excursionists proceeded to Kempsford and Castle Eaton, and thence to Cricklade, where the Church of St. Sampson was inspected. Time would not allow of a visit to the Church of St. Mary; and the party passed on to Purton, where a substantial lunch awaited them in the Pavilion on the cricket ground, and to which as many as sixty sat down, under the presi- dency of Major Prower. The examination of the interesting Church at Lydiard closed the excursion, and with it one of the most suc- cessful meetings which the Society has held. By the courteous permission of W. F. Gooch, Esq., the works connected with the locomotive department at New Swindon were open to the inspection of members of the Society during the meeting: and the Committee of the Swindon Literary Institute were also so obliging as to place their rooms at its service. For kindly charging themselves with the trouble that always devolves on those who undertake the local arrangements of the General Meetings, the Society desires to express its thanks to the Rev. H. G. Baily, Vicar of Swindon; J. C. Townsend, Esq., George Alexander, Esq. of Westrop House, and the Rev. E. Meyrick of Chisledon. 119 A Hist of Articles Exhibited IN THE TEMPORARY MUSEUM AT THE TOWN-HALL, SWINDON, August 15th, 16th, and 17th, 1860. Those marked with an Asterisk have been presented to the Society. By A. L. Gopparp, Ese., Swindon :— A bronze figure in relief of the Trusty Servant from the kitchen in Winchester College. A miniature on copper with arms of Goddard. A brass circular seal bearing ‘‘ on a bend three cups” and the legend ‘‘S. Henrice Goddard ” found in Sandhill Park, near Taunton. An ancient carving in cedar. An antique wine glass, mounted in gold. A collection of English and Continental coins and medals. A guinea of William III., found on one of the arches of Swindon Old Church when pulled down. Pair of Indian pistols ; German steel cross-bow, &c. A card about six inches long by four inches deep engraved by Gutterlane, and having a border of twelve shields, bearing the arms of various branches of the Goddard family in Wiltshire, Leicestershire, Cheshire, Lincolnshire, Kent, and other counties; and in the centre the following inscription :— ‘There is a friendly Meeting of those whose Sr Names be GODDARD. Sr your Company is loueingly desyered only for Societie and Acquaintance. The times of Meeting are the 5th day of every month in ye yeare, except tt be Sunday, then on ye day following, from Ladeyday to Michaelmas at 6, Jrom Michaelmas to Ladeyday at 4 o'clock in the afternoone At the Red- bull behind St. Nicholas Shambles called Mount Goddard Streete. _ By James Braprorp, Esa. :— _ An ancient Deed—License from Edward III. to the Abbey of St. Karilephs? ___ to transfer the Manor of Covenham to the Abbey of Kirkstede, Co. Lincoln. _ The Great Seal appended to this Deed was in a rare state of preservation. __ Bishop Godwin’s Catalogue of the Bishops of England, 1615. By Masor Prower, Purton :— t Piece of the Waistcoat (satin richly embroidered) worn by Charles I. when he was beheaded, An heir-loom in the Elton-family. A Silver Snuff-box, _ with Bust of Queen Anne.! 7 ry, i 2 Subsequently to the Battle of Blenheim a deputation of Noblemen from the West of England ‘attended at Court to congratulate Queen Anne on the victory which had been achieved by the _ British Army.” Each Nobleman took with him three of his principal tenants, to each of whom a silver _ snuff box similar to the one here exhibited, was presented by the Queen. 120 The Museum. By Rev. H. Lieut, Wroughton :— . An Illuminated German MS., perfect, and in an excellent state of preservation. ‘‘ Light of Britain,” by Henry Lyte, of Lytes-Cary, 1588, and “‘ Lyte’s Herbal,” folio 1578 ; two works by an ancestor of Mr. Light. By Rey. E, Mryricx, Chisledon :— Specimens of bearded and broad arrow, Glaive and Iron Spear-head from Hillwood, Aldbourne Chase. Portion of horse-shoe and iron knife, found at Badbury Castle. Five medals struck in honour of the capture of Porto Bello by Admiral Vernon, found at Chiseldon. [When the buildings knownasthe © Old Work-honse,” at Swindon, were pulled down a short time since, a medal struck in honour of Admiral Vernon, and condemnatory of the policy of Sir Robert Walpole was found. It differs somewhat from those exhibited by Mr. Meyrick]. A coloured sketch of a remarkable Parhelion, seen at Chiseldon on Monday, June 25th, 1860, at 5.30 p.m. By Mr. Moors, F.R.G.S., Bath :— | A case of organic remains, consisting of 45,000 teeth of Acrodus, Scales of Lepidotus, Gyrolepis, &e. Fish and reptilian vertebree. Teeth of Saurichthys Placodus, Lepidotus, Hybodus, and other fishes and reptiles, extracted from three square yards of Triassic earth. By Mr. W. F. Prarr, Wootton Basset ;— Original Charter of Charles II. to the Borough of Wootton Basset bearing date 2nd December, 1679. This document which is in excellent preservation had by some accident migrated into North Wales, where it was found about two years since amongst other old papers, and presented to the Corporation of Wootton Basset by Meiler Owen, Esq., of Goppa, Co. Denbigh. Besides confirming to the Borough all its former privileges it conferred many additional ones, some of which have fallen into disuse. A more ancient Charter (according to a Petition presented to the House of Commons, during the Commonwealth) was in existence, under which the inhabitants had the privilege of turning cattle in Fasterne Great Park, containing 2000 acres, ‘‘ without stint, be they never somany.” This Charter, it seems, was kept from the town by Sir Francis Englefield, Knight, who had a grant of the Manor temp. Philip and Mary, and enclosed nearly the whole of the park; and subsequently the remaining portion (about 100 acres) was also enclosed. The present Charter was obtained through the influence of Lawrence Hyde, Earl of Rochester, a reward as it is said, for the loyalty of the town during the Civil War. By Mz. W. F. Parsons, Wootton Basset :— * Deed relating to Lands, &c., at Wootten Basset temp. Queen Elizabeth. Also some interesting papers relative to the formation of a Volunteer Corps in Wootton Basset in 1803, including the speech of the Mayor on the occasion. By T. Bruers FiroweEr, Esa., Bath :— Coloured drawing by Miss Hay, of a specimen of Tulipa sylvestris (wild Tulip) found at Wootton Rivers by William Bartlett, Esq. By Mr. Horsett, Wootton Basset :— Three iron spurs and gun lock, found at Winterbourne Basset. By Mr. W. Vauewan EpwarDds, Swindon :— Antique drinking Goblet, supposed of Indian workmanship, of Rhinoceros horn, with silver foot. Embroidered bed furniture on home-spun linen. ~The Museum. 121 By Mrs. Tarrant, Swindon :— Part of Fossil Tree, 15 feet in length, from Swindon quarry. Two speci- mens of Ammonites Giganteus. By Mr. Townsenp, Swindon :— Collection of Fossils from the Portland stone, Oxford clay and chalk. Antler of red deer from Braden Forest; and a silver drinking cup (16th century.) By Mr. W. Matuews :— Two specimens of the hobby hawk (falco subbuteo). By Rey. G. A. Gopparp, Cliffe Pypard :— Two bellarmines, or long-beards, from under Cliffe Vicarage House. Nine Ancient British gold coins. Bronze celts, keys, rings, watch, and an apostle spoon inscribed ‘‘ W. S. nat: fuit 26 die May 1636.” By Rev. S. Erry, Wanborough :— * Rubbings from brasses at Wanborough and Chiseldon : also from a curious inscription to Anne Smyth (1719) at Little Hinton. By Mr. W. Morets, Swindon :— : A collection of Wiltshire mosses (40 specimens). Case containing 600 ___—‘Bpecimens of Fossils illustrating the geology of Swindon and the district. A collection of 3000 specimens of Fossils from the various strata in Europe. A spear head (iron) 15 inches in length, from a barrow near Wootton Basset. A quantity of Roman pottery. Roman coins and ornaments and Wiltshire tokens. By G. Povurert Scropz, Esq., M.P., Castle Combe ;— or A case containing pottery, pase, stucco, coins, and various Roman remains, S- discovered in a villa at North Wraxhall, Wilts. [See p. 59, of the present volume]. _ By Rev. C. Soamzs, Mildenhall :— Bronze Musical instrument, and a large collection of Roman Pottery, inclu- _ ding mortaria and other vessels of grey, yellow, and Samian ware, some _ richly embossed, and bearing the names of Bonoxvs, TiTTIvs, and other _ potters found in the lists given by Birch in his ‘‘ History of Ancicnt Pottery.’’ _ One of the vessels, a ciborium, of Samian ware, appears to have been rivetted with lead as described by Birch. These articles were discovered in what appears to have been a well, situated in Black Field, at Mildenhall, near Marlborough. _ The well has been opened to the depth of 25 feet, but the borer indicates that _ the bottom has not been reached by at least several feet. It is not faced with _ any material, but has been dug through the chalky sub-soil; and filled up _ with fragments of pottery, bricks, tiles, clinkers, charcoal, bones ofall sorts of domestic animals, and of birds, with shells of the oyster and muscle. The _ fragments of pottery comprise portions of more than 50 different vessels of the _ red or Samian ware, together with numberless others of the commoner sort. — _ The field in which the well is situated is near the supposed site of the ancient _ Roman station of Lower Cunetio, aud is noted for the quantity of Roman coins which have been found in it, besides bricks, tiles, and stones evidently used for building. Another cavity in the ground, apparently the upper part of another well, faced with large stones, has been discovered about forty yards from the former one, which it is also proposed to open for the purpose inyestigating its contents. OL. VII.—NO. XxX. L 122 The Museum. By Rev. T. CornwrHwaitE, Walthamstow :— Impression of ring taken from the finger of Martin Luther at his death. Celtic sling stones. Portions of chain armour, from a railway cutting near Canterbury. Russian Triptych, Reliquary, and artificial Ege, with painting of St.*Nicholas, usually presented to friends at Easter, Mummy lizard, Greek arrow heads, &e. By Rey. G. May, Liddington :— A number of coins and Roman remains, found at Wanborough and Lid- dington. By G. ALEXANDER, Ese., Highworth :— A collection of Nubian shields, dresses, purse, charms, spear heads, knives, &e. By Mr. Cunnineton, Devizes :— Fossil fish from the Purbeck beds, including Lepidotus minor, Microdon tadiatus, and Lepidotus major. Ammonites giganteus, Ammonites biplex, Trigonia gibbosa, Cardium dissimile, Isastrea oblonga, from Portland Stone, Tisbury; also a case of other fossils from the Portland and Purbeck beds of Wiltshire. Hawkins’s Diagram of ‘‘ Struggles for life among British animals in Antediluvian times” with notes referring to Wiltshire species. In addition to the articles above enumerated there was a valuable collec- tion of coins, Roman remains, &c., from the Society’s Museum at Devizes; and also a collection of Fossils from the Oxford clay formation, contributed by Mr. W. Cunnington, of Devizes. The walls were also hung with a number of drawings, by G. Poulett Scrope, of various tumuli, of the excavations at North Wraxhall, and rubbings of brasses, &e., &e. 123 - Sioindon and its Meighbourboor. By the Rey. J. E. Jackson, M.A., F.S.A. =ZHE Town of Old Swindon stands upon a hill a little in advance of the northern escarpment of the Wiltshire chalk downs. The hill consists of three or four strata, one of them yielding the whitish building and paving stone known in Geology as the Portland rock; so called because the quarries where that _ stone is best known are in the Isle of Portland. Swindon is one _ of the very few places in North Wilts where it is visible, but it _ probably lies near the surface not far off. It seems to have been _ known in early times, for a few months ago an ancient vault was laid open in the town, bearing strong marks of Saxon architecture : _ and the roof of that vault was of Swindon stone. Upon the plains _ near Swindon are found, of various sizes, many of the grey grit stones known by the name of Greywethers. Generally, these are . found lying on the surface of the chalk, their original position : but here they have somehow found their way down to the oolitic plains in advance of the chalk hills. It was from stones of this | kind that the greater part of our famous Antiquities at Abury and _ Stonehenge were constructed. Dr. Maton says that a large block e of Greywether, 12 feet by 8 feet, is in Burderop Wood, and that _ with the Greywethers sometimes are intermingled blocks of siliceous conglomerate, called Hertfordshire pudding-stone. About 200 years ago, as we know from an eye-witness, John y Aubrey, there was one of these large stones standing up in monu- _ mental position in a field on Broome Farm, just behind the town ; _ and in another enclosure near it there was a row of smaller stones. & Every one of these has disappeared, but their site was probably on ‘that part of Broome Farm which is, or lately was, called the Long- ‘stone Fields. Broomo Farm itself was anciently the property of the Alien Priory of Martigny in the upper valley of the Rhone. L2 124 Swindon and its Neighbourhood. At the Reformation it was granted to Edward Seymour, the Pro- tector; Duke of Somerset. From his descendants it passed, by the marriage of one of the ladies, to the Wyndhams, Earls of Egremont, from whose family it was purchased by the father of its present owner, Mr. Goddard. Tue Camps. Of these there are four at no great distance, and they stand nearly at four points of a square; Swindon lying centrally among them: two on the south, Badbury, adias Liddington Castle, and Barbury: two on the north, Blunsdon, and Ringsbury, near Purton. Of their history, when and by whom, made, attacked or defended, nothing is known. Some Antiquaries, like Dr. Stukeley, have amused themselves and misled us, by giving names to Wiltshire camps, calling this “ Vespasian’s” and that “Chlorus’s.” There is no real evidence for such nomenclature; and without a great deal of speculation, perhaps no one particular event can be identified with any one of them. So far as an Antiquary could describe them, they have been described in the great work on ‘‘ Ancient Wiltshire” by Sir R. C. Hoare; but the idea sometimes occurs to one that full justice will not be done to these intrenchments until they have been surveyed by an eye that has been trained to the subject of military fortifica- tion, They may have been constructed in times inferior in many ways to our own; but a good deal more of professional skill than we are apt to give those times credit for must have been required, to chovuse throughout this whole country proper points for defence, and then to defend each point properly. Roaps. There are some very ancient roads in the neighbourhood, but as none of them seem to have passed directly through Swindon, it is probable that the town has come into existence since they were formed. A Roman road or street runs nearly quite straight for many miles, from Cirencester by Stratton (which takes its name, By the Rev. J. E. Jackson. 125 Street-town, from that circumstance) to a place called Nythe Bridge, somewhere near the line of the railway, and then onwards past Wanborough to the Ogbournes and Newbury. At Nythe Bridge, a second Roman road forked off towards Marlborough. The name of Nythe is the present form of the Latin word Nidum, and Sir R. C. Hoare considers that there was a station there, at what is now called Covenham Farm. Of “Nidum” Sir R. C. Hoare says: “Mr. Carpenter, an intel- ligent old farmer, fifty years at Covenham, eighty-five years of age, had found every mark of Roman residence, in coins, figured bricks, tiles, &c., but unfortunately had not preserved them. Every heap of earth, every new-made ditch, and every adjoining road, teemed with Roman pottery of various descriptions, from the fine red glazed Samian and thin black, to that of a coarser manu- facture. “There are no regularly raised earthen-works or enclosed camp to be seen here, but in several of the fields there are great irregu- larities of ground and excavations which indicate the site of ancient buildings, and which, if properly examined, would doubtless produce much novelty and information. In a meadow on the eastern side of this farm there was formerly a deep cavity, which is now filled up. The farmer informed me that he had traced a road, paved with large flat stones, leading directly from the Roman road up to it, but not extending beyond it. This was probably the site of a temple. On the western side of the old Causeway, and in a field _ belonging to Mr. Goddard, of Swindon, there are some great irregularities in its surface, from which many large stones have been extracted, and which evidently denoted the substructure of _ ancient buildings. In the modern road which intersects the station | (of Nidum), I noticed half a quern; and in a heap of dirt, I picked _ up apiece of coral or (Samian) pottery, elegantly ornamented with vine leaves, and in no one Roman Station have I ever found so many fine specimens of Roman pottery, without the assistance of the spade, as at this place.” 126 Swindon and its Neighbourhood. Barbury Castle, then across the valley, and so by Liddington Castle into Berkshire. It is said that this is-part of a road which has been for ages, and is to this day, used for driving cattle all the way from Anglesey into Kent: and yet that there is no turnpike gate to pay, nor bridge to cross, for several hundred miles. The Welsh cattle-drivers along that ancient ridgeway probably know very little about the matter; but if they do happen to be familiar with the traditions of their race, it must be with some suppressed regrets that they look down from those heights upon the plains of Wilts. Those plains, and Swindon itself under some other name, once belonged to the older people whom we now call Welsh ; and long did they fight to save their lands from the grasp of us the invading Saxons. One very celebrated battle took place, according to some opinions, very near the town. The Saxon kingdom of Wessex, of which Wiltshire was a prin- cipal part, was formed by the two kings, Cenric and Cerdic; but the old Britons still held their own to the north of it, and their "principal line of defence lay between Gloucester, Cirencester, and Bath. It remained for the third and next king of Wessex, Ceawlin, to expel them beyond those places, still farther forwards towards Wales. He succeeded in doing so, and all seemed to be going on well for him, when, says the historian William of Malmesbury, “about that time, A.D. 592, an unlucky throw of the dice on the tables of human life” turned those tables against King Ceawlin. He had so mismanaged matters as to make himself an object of detestation to both parties, not only the Britons, but his own people the Saxons. They accordingly combined, and in that year destroyed his forces in a great battle, in which he lost his kingdom, went into exile and died. William of Malmesbury, taking his account, as he says, from older writers, places that battle at Wodensdike. One copy of the Anglo Saxon Chronicle calls the place Woodsbergh, and another copy of the same Chronicle calls it Wodensbergh. Supposing the battle to have taken place in Wiltshire, then if it was at Wodens- dike it would be at what we now call Wansdyke. If it was at Woodsbergh, it may have been at Woodborough, which is very By the Rev. J. E. Jackson. 127 near the Wansdyke. If it was at Wodensbergh, that is not im- probably Wanborough. Dr. Guest, who is endeavouring very elaborately to throw some light upon the events of this obscure period, says that beyond all question Wanborough was the place ; and certainly the convenience of its position, with respect to the old roads, seems to favour his opinion very much. SWINDON. In Camden’s account of Wiltshire, Swindon is not even men- tioned. In another old work, ‘“ Cox’s Magna Britannia,” it is mentioned, but only thus: “Swindon is so inconsiderable a place that our histories take no notice of it.” Many years before the Conquest the land belonged to the Saxon Crown of Wessex, and had been, by charter, granted to a Saxon Thane or Nobleman, and so became what was called Thane-land, free from certain burdens. About the time of Edward the Confessor, A.D. 1050, that Saxon nobleman, whose name was the Earl William, had given it back to the Crown in exchange for some other lands in the Isle of Wight. Consequently, at the Conquest it was again in the hands of the Crown. At the time of the great survey called Domesday Book about A.D. 1084, the lands called Swindon had been divided among five proprietors, two larger and three smaller ones. The largest was a person of whom nothing more appears than that his name was Odin, and that he had filled the office of Chamberlain to William. The next largest landlord was the Bishop of Bayeux, a foreign prelate. Of the smaller proprietors, one was Alured of Marlborough, a small owner here, but of comfortable dimensions | elsewhere. The two remaining ones were Uluric, and Ulward, who, as he is called the ‘“‘ King’s Prebendary,” was probably not badly off in the world. All these five estates are registered in the Great Survey under one and the same name of Swindon. Besides these is Wicklescote, now called Weslecot. At Wicklescote, in after times, we find successively the names of _ these owners—Bluet, Bohun (holding what he held there under | the Manor of Wootton Basset), Everard, the Darells of Littlecote, e and the Lords Lovell, who had a vast property in this neighbour- 128 Swindon, and its Neighbourhood. hood. By a Katharine Lovell, certain lands at Wicklescote were given to the Nuns of Lacock Abbey, and at the Dissolution of Monasteries those particular lands were bought by Mr. Goddard, then of Upham. The five properties, all called Swindon in Domesday, are after- wards variously called Haute, High, or Over-Swindon, Nether- ‘Swindon, Even-Swindon, and West Swindon. They passed into different hands; and among other owners were, in Edward 1., Philip Avenel holding under the Abbess of Wilton, Robert de Pontl’arge, holding under the Crown, the Bassets, the Despensers, the Abbey of Malmesbury, the Monastery of Ivychurch, near Sarum; and at a later period, the families of Everard, Alworth, and Vilett, the last-named being now represented by Mrs. Rolles- ton. Some of the lands that belonged to Monasteries were pur- chased in 1541 by Sir Thomas Bridges, ancestor of the Dukes of Chandos, and some at Even-Swindon by the Wenman family. With more access to documents, and an acquaintance with localities, a thing essential to accuracy in these matters, all this might be developed ; but for the present we can only dwell upon the descent of the principal manor and lordship of Swindon. The Bishop of Bayeux, already mentioned as holding, by the gift of the Conqueror, one of the larger estates, was Odo, half- brother to King William: created Earl of Kent. The best de- scription of him, is from his own seal, an extremely rare and very curious one. On one side he appears as an Earl mounted on his war-horse, at full speed, clad in armour, and holding a sword in his right hand. This is one moiety of him. On the reverse is the other: a Bishop, in full pontificalibus, bestowing the benediction. He was one of the prime instigators to the invasion, and performed the part of a military chaplain: celebrated mass before the whole army the night before the battle of Hastings, and sang their re- quiems after it. Historians speak of him as a cruel, luxurious, overbearing man: and as the principal agent employed by William in dividing the prey—the lands of the defeated English. In this department he washed them all so clean, that he obtained the name of “The Conqueror’s Sponge.” This Earl Bishop did not forget By the Rev. J. E. Jackson. 129 himself. His possessions were immense elsewhere: in Wiltshire he had only the small matter of the Manors of Swindon, Tidworth, Ditchampton, and Wadhill. The Conqueror had an odd habit of throwing away his sponges when they had served their purpose long enough: and so on a suitable pretext, he threw Bishop Odo, not exactly away, but into prison, and deprived him of all his estates. The next time that the lordship is mentioned is not until the reign of Henry III., when, among others, it was again bestowed by the Crown upon a French nobleman, who also again happened _ to be the King’s half-brother, William de Valence, created in _ England Earl of Pembroke, of Goderich Castle. He was one of _ the foreign leeches who sucked the blood of this country, and whose continued importation roused to resistance the native Barons of that reign. He had a son, Aylmer de Valence, who succeeded him, and died in 1323. Upon his death, without children, it was held by his widow, Mary; Countess of Pembroke, foundress of a College at _ Cambridge, at first called the College of Mary de Valence, but now : Pembroke Hall. At her death, Swindon passed to her late _ husband’s niece, Elizabeth Comyn, who brought it in marriage to _ Richard, second Baron Talbot, of Goderich Castle; and in 1473 it _ belonged to his descendant, John, Earl of Shrewsbury. About, I believe, the year 1560, it was purchased by Thomas Goddard, Esq., _of Upham, ancestor of the present owner. This was-just 300 years % ago; but there is a family deed which mentions Goddard of High _ Swindon in 1404. _ The Rectory and Advowson belonged at a remote period to the g Augustine Priory of Saint Mary, of Southwick, near Winchester. _ In the year 1323 that Priory obtained licence to impropriate it ; _ie., to apply the great tithes to their own use, converting the | resident officiating Minister into a Vicar; but the endowment does - not seem to have been settled (unless there is some error in the _ dates) until 1359. At the Dissolution of Southwick Priory, the i Rectory and certain woods “Super Rectoriam,” were purchased by _ Mr. Stephens, then of Burderop, whose family, in 1602, sold it, and the Advowson, to Nicholas Vilett and his heirs, now represented | VoL, VII.—NO. Xx. M 130 Swindon and its Neighbourhood. by Mrs. Rolleston; but the nomination to this Vicarage in some way passed to the Crown. The Monks of Wallingford used to have a small pension from the tithes. In the list of Vicars, are three peculiar names: Milo King, Aristotle Webbe, and Narcissus Marsh. Swindon was the birth-place of Mr. Robert Sadler, who died in 1839, a person of whom the late Mr. Britton has preserved some particulars in his Autobiography. CHISELDON. An Anglo-Saxon document mentions the boundaries of the parish of Chiseldon ; and among the marks by which they are described are a stone kist or grave at Holcomb, and Blackman’s barrow. Two things are to obseryed from this:—Ist; That the village must be a very ancient one when its boundaries in Anglo-Saxon days are defined by the burial-places of an older people; and next, that such older people did very often bury their dead upon the borders of their several districts, of which there are many instances. The Manor of Chiseldon was for a very long time the property of the Abbey of Hyde, near Winchester. Sir Thomas Bridges, of Keynsham, ancestor of the Chandos family, then purchased it. About 1600 it was bought by the Stephens family, of Burderop, and the lordship now belongs, I believe, to their successors in that place. In the church there is a brass effigy to one Francis Rutland, who married into the family of Stephens and who died whilst he was attending Queen Elizabeth on one of her Progresses. BuRDEROP. The proper name is Bury-thorp. Thorp is one of the commonest Danish words for village, and is still one of the most frequent terminations of village names in those parts of England where the © Danes chiefly established themselves. In Denmark to this day, Mr. Worsaae tells us in his book, they clip its name just in the same manner. North-thorp they call Norrop, Mill-thorp is Mill- drop. Stain-(i.e. Stone)thorp becomes Staindrop, which, by the By the Rev. J. E. Jackson. 131 way, is the actual name of a parish in the county of Durham: and so forth. In Wiltshire we have other instances: Hilldrop near Ramsbury ought to be Hill-thorp; Eastrop and Westrop, near Highworth, are merely corruptions of East and West-thorp. Burderop also, like Chiseldon belonged to Hyde Abbey ; and in the chartulary of that Monastery, in the British Museum, there is a great number of ancient documents relating to Chiseldon and its hamlets. ee Bapsury. The adjoining Manor of Badbury was an estate that belonged to Glastonbury Abbey. The boundaries here also are described in a Saxon Charter, and one of the marks is called ‘The Ten Stones.” W ANBOROUGH. It was mentioned before that from the place called Nythe Bridge two Roman roads branched off, one to Newbury, the other to Marl- borough. Within the fork so made stands Wanborough. A portion of the parish belonged, at the Norman Survey, to the Bishop of Winchester, not for himself, but for the maintenance of a _ Monastery there; and that is all that Domesday Book says about _ Wem-bergh, for so it spells the name. But from other sources it is _ quite certain that a very little after that period the principal lord- _ ship was the estate of the great House of Longespée, Earls of Sarum." _ By three successive heiresses it passed—Ist to the Barons Zouche ; then to the old Barons Holand; and from them to the Barons ~ Lovell, of Titchmarsh, in Northamptonshire. During the latter period it came into the hands of Francis Viscount Lovell, the ; celebrated favourite of Richard III. Wanborough afterwards - belonged to the Darells of Littlecote. Are In the reign of William Rufus and in the year 1091, long before Pee ee " ‘1 During the present visit of the Society to Wanborough it was ascertained that the two broken effigies now in the porch of the Church, which had hitherto ‘been supposed to belong to the Longespée family and are so described in the Journal of the ‘“ Archeological Institute,” April 1851, really belonged to the family of Fitz William, a family living there about 1540—78. The letters « Fitz william (et) sa femme” are still legible. M 2 132 Swindon and its Neighbourhood. the present Cathedral of Salisbury was built, Old Sarum was the chief city, and within that large circular mound, large for a mound but small enough for a chief city, they were building a new Cathedral. Several Rectories were given towards its endow- ment, and among the rest the Rectory of Wanborough ; and besides the Rectory a hide and a half of land in the parish. I find by another ancient record in what is called the Red Book in Salisbury Registry, that in the year 1150 the then Bishop of Old Sarum granted some of his lands at Wanborough to one of his dependents of the name of Segur, on the curious but somewhat easy condition of providing wine for the Holy Sacrament in Old Sarum Cathedral at Easter. By what means the See of Old Sarum came to lose the Rectory of Wanborough does not appear. But it was given to the Prior and Brethren of Nugent-le-Rotroi, in France, from whom, about the year 1191 it was transferred to the Monastery of Ambres- bury. The Rectory of Wanborough continued to belong to. Ambresbury Monastery till the Dissolution, when it was granted to the Dean and Chapter of Winchester, who are now patrons of the Vicarage. Wanborough Church is peculiarly built, having two steeples ; one a spire at the East end of the nave, the other square at the West end. Wherever there is peculiarity there is always a popular tradition ready to explain it, and the popular explanation in the present case is as follows: That there were once upon a time, two ladies, sisters, who were piously minded to build one steeple; but as sisters, in all places, and at all times, are not like those happy geminz of whom Ovid so pleasantly tells, that they had only one eye in common, so it happened here. Nothing in the world would be more likely to contribute to perfect coincidence of domestic opinions than that members of one family should take Ovid’s hint, and endeavour to see all things through one and the same medium. But these two ancient sisters of Wanborough persisted in looking through a very contradictory medium, and the end of it was that as they could not agree whether the one steeple should be pointed or square, Wanborough Church came in for both. That is the By the Rev. J. E. Jackson. 133 common story, but the fact is, that the square tower was added to the Church by an Archdeacon Polton, of a family in the parish, as an inscription testifies. There is a prevailing notion at Wanborough that once upon a time there were a great many churches in it. Some of the more ambitious of the village patriarchs will insist that they once had thirty-two! and as the number, like Falstaff’s men in buckram, continues to grow larger and larger, it may be time to enquire upon __ what this tradition is founded. The number of endowed churches _ _ that have been in any parish in this county, during the last 600 years or so, is easily ascertained by simply referring to the records of the diocese. Now these, within that period, only show Presen- tations, either to the parish Church, or toa Chapel of St. Katharine. The former is still there, but the latter has been lost sight of for nearly 400 years, and there is much doubt as to where it stood. It is commonly supposed to have been the small projection on the North side of Wanborough Church. But there are reasons for thinking that it must have been a separate Church altogether. St. Katharine’s Chapel was a foundation of the Longespée family, to whom the manor belonged. It was augmented with a second endowment by one John de Wambergh, canon of Wells, and the _ two endowments together were very nearly equal to that of the Vicarage of Wanborough in those days. There were three Priests belonging to it; viz. the chief, called Custos, and two chaplains. There was more than one altar, and it had a choir. All this seems to imply a building of more importance than the very small ap- _ pendage to the church. | St. Katharine’s descended with the Longespée property to the Lords Lovell, and in 1483, Francis Lord Lovell, already alluded to, sold it to Bishop Waynflete, who gave it to Magdalen College, _ Oxon. That College has now a considerable estate in Wanborough. It was evidently a chapel for the use of the Lords of the Manor __ when residing at Wanborough. Of course, the College not wanting _ it for such purpose, it went to decay. It probably stood where the house of the Lovells was, at a spot called Court Close. There was also in Wanborough another Mansion-house, called 4 134 Swindon and its Neighbourhood. Hall-place, where dwelt the family of Archdeacon Polton, who built the church tower. Aubrey was informed that, annexed also to that house had been a Chapel, dedicated to St. Ambrose. I have never met with any other reference to this. But as the site of Hall-place is in a field still called Ambrose field, it is possible that the tradition may have been true. If so, here would be another clergyman. This, with the three at St. Katharine’s and the Vicar of the parish, would make five endowed clergymen in Wanborough in former times. These particulars may, perhaps, help to clear up the tradition about so many Churches. Near Nythe, or as it used to be called, the Nighs, have been at times discovered a great many marks of Roman occupation. These have been already alluded to. In the year 1689, some men making a ditch on a common near Wanborough, found an earthen vessel, containing nearly 2000 Roman coins, none of them later than Commodus, A.D. 192. A little to the East of Nythe Bridge is a place called Lot Mead. This is a name for a field, that often occurs in Wiltshire parishes ; but at Wanborough, about 200 years ago, it meant something more than a field. There used to be kept on the ground, about mowing time, some kind of village festival, called the Lot Mead, conducted with much ceremony. Aubrey says that “ the proprietor appeared in a garland of flowers, and the mowers were entertained with a pound of beef and a head of garlic a-piece (O dura messorum ilia!) and many old customs at the same time kept up. The spot afterwards became famous for revelling and horse-racing.” The books that describe our old national ceremonies, do not seem to mention a Lot Mead; and we can only conjecture that it was some ancient parish feast of great antiquity. Land certainly used to be divided by lot, in various proportions, among Saxon settlers. The Chronicle of Simeon of Durham, for instance, particularly mentions that when St. Cuthbert’s bones were removed to Durham, which at that time was only a wood, “ eradicata itaque silva, et unicuique sorte distributa;” i.e., the first care was to eradicate the forest that covered the land: the next to distribute the clearings by Jot. ” » By the Rev. J. E. Jackson. 135 It is not certain that this was the origin of Wiltshire Lot Meads : but as there is this instance of a village festival connected with them, perbaps it may have been an annual merrymaking, kept up ever since the time of the original settlement. HANNINGTON. The name is properly Haningdon: and the Manor before and at the Conquest belonged to the Abbey of Glastonbury. In Domesday _ Book, under the head of this Manor, there is a curious circumstance noted, which very rarely indeed occurs in that Record, viz.—That in the time of Edward the Confessor the Abbot of Glastonbury had sold one portion of his Manor for the lives of three men. This is a _ very ancient instance indeed, showing that the custom of leasing for three lives is not by any means a practise of late times in this country, but existed in Saxon days before the Conquest, and more than 1000 years ago. The same thing occurs also under the head _ of Highway, in the Parish of Hilmarton; and the Record Com- missioners, in their preface to Domesday Book, call particular _ attention to the rarity of that example. __ By some means or other Haningdon Manor passed out of the hands of Glastonbury Abbey, and in the year 1317 it is found belonging to the Earldom, afterwards the Duchy, of Lancaster. a The Dukes of Lancaster were the founders of a noble collegiate establishment at Leicester, called St. Mary’s Novi Operis, or St. Mary’s New Work. It consisted of a dean, 12 prebendaries, 12 vicars, clerks and choristers, 50 poor women, 10 nurses, with proper officers and attendants, all plentifully provided for, and greatly _ patronised by the House of Lancaster. Part of the maintenance came from the rents of Haningdon and Inglesham in Wilts, and - Kempsford in Gloncestershire. The College at Leicester also had the advowson of Haningdon. This continued till the Reformation. _ According to a document in the State Paper Office, the Manor was granted, in the year 1604, to Sir Roger Aston and Edmund Shaw: and the family of Swaine, of Tarrant Gunville and Blandford, in Dorset- shire, were patrons of the vicarage in 1615 and 1630. Very soon after ‘i hat time,appears the name of Freke, also of Dorsetshire, as owners 136 Swindon and its Neighbourhood. and patrons. The date of 1653 is on the Manor House; and an emblem of two pair of hands holding one heart between them is also there, to signify that two brothers, William and Ralph Freke, possessed the estate in partnership, and could enjoy it without quarrelling. The same harmony is further denoted by a Latin inscription, being a quotation from the 138rd Psalm: “Evce, quam bonum et quam jucundum est habitare fratres in unum.”—“ Behold,” (behold, ¢.e. in the case of Hannington) “how good and joyful a thing it is, brethren to dwell together in unity.” The Church has an ancient Norman doorway. Hannington village was the birth-place of the Right Rev. Dr. Narcissus Marsh, who rose to be Lord Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of Ireland. In that country his name is held in the highest respect. He was the founder of a chapel and a noble library in Dublin, and of an almshouse in Drogheda for the widows of clergymen. His baptism | is duly entered in Hannington Register as the son of William and Grace Marsh. His father had come from Kent and purchased a little property in the parish, but of the family nothing is now known there. There were some years ago some of his relatives in Ireland, one of whom was a fellow of Trinity College, Dublin. Archbishop Marsh had been, in his earlier days, Vicar of Swindon for one year, 1662. The Archbishop gave a great many of his Oriental ineatibinnell to the Bodleian Library at Oxford; and the same library is in- debted to Hannington for a donation in the year 1657 of 500 gold and silver coins, with a cabinet to contain them. These were presented by the two brothers already mentioned, William and Ralph, sons of Sir Thomas Freke, whose filial affection for their Alma Mater is duly recorded by an inscription there. CRICKLADE. Cricklade has two Churches and two crosses; the churches are St. Sampson’s and St. Mary’s. St. Sampson’s is a very unusual dedication, and it is not at all unlikely that many persons have lived at Cricklade all their lives, and have gone quietly to the grave, under the innocent conviction that the canonized person, By the Rev. J. E. Jackson. 137 _ whose name that church bears, was the celebrated strong man who _ carried off the gates of Gaza. Saint Sampson was a native of : Glamorganshire (and therefore a true Briton), born A.D. 496. _ He was trained in Ireland to a life of extreme holiness and self- © denial; went over into Continental Britany, then under the same dominion as this country, and there became founder of the Abbey, _ and Bishop, of Dél. How he came to be selected for the Patron Saint of a church in _ Wiltshire is quite another question. Perhaps the reason may be _ this. Among several derivations that have been suggested for the difficult name of the town of Cricklade, one is that it is a cor- ruption of the Welsh words “ Kerig-glad,” meaning stone country. Ifthisis so, then the place itself may have been of Welsh origin and associations, and under those circumstances nothing would be more natural than that they should select as their Patron Saint, one, of whose kindred, and of whose eminence, they had in those days reason to be proud. _ There ought also, but there is not, to be seen at Cricklade, a Hospital of St. John the Baptist; and there ought likewise to be seen, but likewise there is not, a Castle. No work on Wiltshire makes any mention of Cricklade Castle: but that there once was one so called, appears from the ancient history called “The Acts of K. Stephen.” Speaking of the wars between Stephen and the Empress Matilda, the latter of whom was chiefly supported by the then Earl of Gloucester, the historian says: ‘‘ At that time, 1142, William of Dover, a skilful soldier, and an active partisan of the Earl of Gloucester, took possession of Oricklade, a village delight- fully situated in a rich and fertile neighbourhood. He built a castle for himself with great diligence, on a spot which, being sur- rounded on all sides by waters and marshes, was very inaccessible.” _ This description suits the local geography pretty well, but whereabouts the castle stood in Cricklade is not clear. It may, perhaps, have been not exactly at Cricklade, but at Castle Eaton, hich is not very far off, and as Eaton means the inclosure within aters, that site would answer the historian’s description equally well. n Leland’s time some remains of Eaton Castle were still standing. . VII.—NO. XX. N a 138 Swindon and its Neighbourhood. BRaADEN. The proper way of spelling this name is Braden, not Bradon. And the explanation of the reason will give in a few words its history. The whole of the country, North West of Swindon, presented in ancient times as strong a contrast as possible to the district South of Swindon. Any ancient British or Saxon gentleman standing upon the brow of the chalk downs at Wroughton, or Cliff Pipard, and looking towards the South, would see before him a vast open platform, almost without a tree, probably without a ploughed field, a range for many miles of green turf, dotted with barrows, crossed by grass dykes, studded here and there with earthworks, camps, structures of huge stones in avenues and circles, and all the other relics of his predecessors. But if the same British or Saxon gentle- man turned upon his heel, right about face, and looked to the North, he would see something very different ; commencing almost at his feet’ immediately under the cliff, a broad tract of wood for many miles. In ancient times Braden came a great deal farther South, as well as in other directions, than the small tract now called by that name. There are in existence several documents called Per- ambulations of the Forest; and in one of them the town of Wootton | Basset, is described as lying within its precincts. The name of Wootton means Wood-town. Basset is, of course, only the family — name. The Anglo-Saxons brought their words over with them, and { applied those words according to the character of the places where they settled. Their way was this. A number of men settled on — one spot. Each had a portion of arable land, on which he lived ; — this was for his own exclusive use. But their feeding ground, their pasture, was in common. So also, in common, were the woods and forest ground through which their animals ranged. Such | names of places as end in ton, tun, (meaning enclosure) ham, worth, § stead, and the like, all imply the settled habitation where the houses | were. Butsuch names as end in, den, holt, wood, hurst, and others, invariably denote forests, and roving pastures in forests. The word den, in particular, says the late Mr. Kemble, is a Saxon noun By the Rev. J. E. Jackson. 139 neuter, which always denotes woodland feeding. In the counties of Kent and Sussex, along the edge of the Weald (the Great Forest), there are many such names as Surrenden, Tenterden, Ashenden, and the like. There are so many of them, that within the last two centuries, there was actually a peculiar jurisdiction, called the Court of Dens, for settling claims belonging to the wood- land feedings. There is another word, dene, which means a valley; but that is ancient British, not Saxon, and is very rarely found in composition. The Saxon Den is woodland pasture. Brad is, of course, Saxon for broad; and Bra-den, means the broad woodland pasture. That is the reason why it ought to be spelled with an e, not with an o. If it is spelled don, as in Swindon, that would mean hill. PurtTon. _ It can only have been in very remote times that the whole of _ this tract was forest, because in William the Conqueror’s great survey we find the same parishes named as are now within that district, showing that those different portions of it had been cleared and enclosed by that time. For example :—Purton. This had _ been granted by Saxon Kings of Wessex 300 years before the _ Conquest to Bishop Aldhelm, as the charter expressly states,“ for the foundation of his Abbey at Malmesbury.” Purton ought to | be spelled P-i-r, as it is a pure Saxon name, Piriton, meaning the In the, sometimes weary, work of tracing obscure histories, it is a relief to find that a manor was given to a Monastery ; because, as the Monasteries took better care of their property than any body _ else, its history is settled for many centuries. So it was with | a | Parton. It belonged to Malmesbury Abbey till the Dissolution. Preferring to live on his own freehold to living on leasehold, n2 140 Swindon and its Neighbourhood. Mr. Hyde came to Purton. This is told in Lord Clarendon’s life of himself, where he mentions a little incident, which may help to garnish our notices of Purton. Among other juvenile recollections of himself and this place, Lord Clarendon says that in 1625, being then only Edward Hyde, 17 years of age, studying law in the Middle Temple, he was seized with an illness, and that his friends, fearing consumption, sent him down to Purton. One evening he was busy reading to his father a chapter in “‘ Camden’s Annals.” The particular chapter was one which mentioned that many years before, a copy of an excommunication by the Pope had been nailed up against the Bishop of London’s Palace-gate by a person whose name was John Felton.’ Whilst young Hyde was reading this passage a neighbour knocked at the door, and being called in told them that an express messenger had just gone through the village on his way to Charlton House, Lord Berkshire’s, bringing the news that George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, had been stabbed at Portsmouth, and that the culprit’s name, in this case also, happened to be the same as the one he was reading about, John Felton. The coincidence of names made an impression upon young Hyde, and, in after life, when Chancellor, he used often to tell the anecdote. Lord Clarendon’s first wife was a Wiltshire lady, and a neigh- bour to Purton. She was a daughter of Sir George Ayliffe, of Grittenham House in Brinkworth. She was very fair and beauti- ful, but died at the age of 20, and in the first year of marriage. There is, or was, a gravestone to her at Purley, in Berkshire, with a short and touching Latin inscription, which no doubt was written by her young husband himself, and shows that the great historian knew how to write in other languages besides his own—“ Vale, anima candidissima ; Vale, mariti tui, quem dolore et luctu conficis, eeternum desiderium: Vale, feminarum decus, et seculi ornamen- tum.” [Adieu, fairest of spirits: for ever to be regretted by thy sorrowing husband: honour to thy sex, and ornament of thy age, adieu ! | ” 1Joannes Feltonus affixed a Pope’s Bull against Queen Elizabeth upon the Bishop of London’s palace 1570, Camd. Ann., p. 182, Ed. 1615. iva By the Rev. J. E. Jackson. . 141 The house in which he lived at Purton is still standing. On one of the chimney-pieces is a curious coat of arms—a Tyger regardant or looking backwards, in a mirror. It is the arms of the Chancel- lor’s grandmother, who was of the Sibel/ family. It is also in the church of Tisbury, not far from Dinton. Purton church has two towers, on one of which isa spire. A good many years ago there was some fine glass in the windows ; among the rest, two coats of arms of Keynes and Paynell. These were leaseholders under the Abbey of Malmesbury. Keynes wasa family once widely spread in North Wilts; and the name is still preserved in Ashton Keynes, Pool Keynes, and Somerford Keynes. They were hereditary keepers of Braden forest. Keynes-place is, I believe, still the name of a house at Purton. Paynell’s (if it exists) was corrupted into Neel’s-place. LypDIArRD. Our tour ends with two parishes, with difficult names—Lydiard Milicent and Lydiard Tregoz. For a long time they had but one name in common—Lydiard, and under that one they are mentioned _ separately in Domesday Book. In other old records the name occurs spelled in a very great variety of ways. The spelling near- est to the right one would be Led-yard, as it appears to be a pure _ Anglo-Saxon compound word—leod, people, and yeard, enclosure ; | the people’s enclosure or dwelling—a natural name for a large _ clearing in the ancient forest. They lie in two different hundreds, ; _ and belonged at the Conquest to two different lords; North Lydi- t ard or Milicent to the Crown, which held it in its own hands; the other to Alured of Marlborough. } The custom of giving second names to parishes was first intro- _ duced by the great Norman families, and was greatly in fashion in | the reigns of Henry III., and the Edwards. In this county the 1 i instances are very numerous. The second name so given is, in the majority of cases, that of the family to whom it belonged about that period. It is a very convenient and pretty mode of dis- _tinguishing parishes that had originally one common Saxon name, as in the case of Stanton St. Quintin, Stanton Fitzwarren, Stanton 142 Swindon and its Neighbourhood. Bernard ; Draycot Foliot, Draycote Cerne , Compton Basset, Comp- ton Chamberlayne, Compton Beauchamp; and others. But in the case of one of the Lydiards the puzzle is that Milicent is not a family name—it’ is a female Christian name; and such addition to a parish is not very common. Still, there is in the county of Wilts another instance; the parish of Winterbourne Gunner, near Salisbury. The records of that parish given in Sir R. C. Hoare’s work, prove that Winterbourne in the reign of Henry III. was held by Gunnora, the widow of Henry Delamere, and to distinguish it from several other Winterbournes it obtained that lady’s bap- tismal name of Gunnore. The same was probably the case with North Lydiard, for there is a document of the reign of King John, a deed of agreement between two brothers, sons of a lady, who, as widow, was at that time Lady of the Manor of North Lydiard : and in this deed one brother, Hugh, grants to the other the rever- sion of the manor “after the death of Milicent their mother.” It so happens that all the parties are called by their Christian names, and no family name at all appears, but from other evidences the name was perhaps Clinton. About the second name, Lydiard Tregoz, there is no difficulty. The older name of this parish was Lydiard Ewyas; so called because it had been granted, with several other places in Wilts, to one William de Ewyas, Baron of Ewyas Castle in Herefordshire. One of these Wiltshire places was Teffont Ewyas, in the vale of Wardour. Sibilla, the heiress of the Ewyas family, in the reign of Richard J., married Sir Robert Tregoz. His family (also Barons) held it for about 100 years, and in 1299 ended in two coheiresses. One of them took the Herefordshire Castle, the other, Lydiard, and married William de Grandison. The same story was repeated. The heiress of Grandison married Pateshall, the heiress of Pateshall married Beauchamp, and the heiress of Beauchamp married Oliver St. John, ancestor of the present owner. It is sometimes called in deeds “ Lydiard St. John,” which it ought to be, as that family has held it 400 years. The splendid monuments of the St. John family, and the high decoration of their part of the church, have earned for it the popular name of Fine Lydiard. The By the Rev. J. E. Jackson. 143 windows of the chancel contain much stained glass: and among other heraldry, a quaint allusion to the name of Oliver St. John ; an olive tree, from the boughs of which hang the different shields of all the heiresses just named. There is also a painting on wooden panel, as large as life, of Sir John St. John and his wife, Lucy Hungerford, of Farley Castle. On the panels is a pedigree of the St. Johns, drawn up by Sir Richard St. George, Garter King at Arms, whose wife was a St. John, sister of the Knight who is painted there. Horace Walpole, in his “ Anecdotes of Painting,” mentions that upon one occasion, when the furniture of Lydiard house was sold by auction, an old servant of the family during the night hid a bust of Lord Bolingbroke, by Rysbrach, in a vault in __ the church, from which, in due season, it was restored to light. _ One of the daughters of Sir John St. John (just mentioned) was _ wife of Sir Allen Apsley Governor of the Tower, by whom she was _ the mother of Mrs. Mary Hutchinson the wife and biographer of Col. John Hutchinson, governor of Nottingham Castle. In the church is an inscription to another daughter of Sir John St. John, Katharine, Lady Mompesson. Her husband was Sir Giles Mom- pesson, of an old Wiltshire family, of Corton and Bathampton Wyly, near Deptford Inn. Sir Giles was M.P. for Great Bedwyn, about 1620. He was also a great projector, dealer, and patentee. In no reign was the system of patents, granted by the Crown, more _ abused than in that of King James I., chiefly through the fault of, | and to fill the purse of, the favourite Duke of Buckingham. Sir Giles Mompesson and another person of the name of Mitchell obtained the privilege of the exclusive manufacture of gold and silver thread, with which the dresses in those days were liberally _ embellished. This privilege they abused so outrageously, that an ' example was obliged to be made, and Sir Giles was severely ' punished. He was the original of the Sir Giles Overreach of _ Massinger the dramatist (himself a Wiltshire-man). The most remarkable name in the family of St. John is that of Henry, the first Lord Bolingbroke, the celebrated statesman. He was neither born nor buried here: but Lydiard was his family ' inheritance. In 1712 he was created Baron St. John of Lydiard, 144 Swindon and its Neighbourhood. and Viscount Bolingbroke, but owing to the course he had taken in Queen Anne’s reign he was, upon the accession of George I., in 1714, attainted of high treason, and deprived both of his estates and titles. He escaped to France, where he entered the service of the Pretender, but was again unsuccessful. In 1723 he contrived to make his peace at home, and was restored to his estates, but never to his titles. After several years of able hostility to Walpole, he renounced politics, and again retired to France; but upon his father’s death came back and lived at Battersea. The “ Jethalis arundo,” the poisoned arrow that rankled in his heart, was his de- gradation from the House of Lords. His-political disappointments embittered his mind against everything else. During the latter part of his life he employed his great abilities in preparing a grand attack upon Religion. He was looked upon as the Goliath of his party, and great were the vaunts of the wonderful feat he was about to perform. But there was lying in wait for him a champion, of whom he had already had some slight experience, enough to make him hesitate. So he delayed his work: and, in fact, it was not published until 1753, two years after his own death. Bishop Warburton then placed Lord Bolingbroke’s philosophy and reputation in the light in which it has since stood, which is this. That though there is much in his works to mislead the people, there is nothing in them to alarm the scholar. And others who have also studied them deeply tell us, that (unlike the case of Lord Bacon, Newton, and others) there is nothing really original in Bolingbroke. With all his transitory splendour, his knowledge was that of other men which he had mastered. He is not the author of a single new discovery in Nature. Lord Bolingbroke admits the existence of a Deity, but he denies God’s moral superintendence. This was anything but new doctrine; but in his hands it was revived with every attraction that language could supply. If he was really anxious for his principles to be adopted and acted upon, then he must have been anxious to destroy in men’s minds all checks to conscience, and all the consolations of religion. The world may regard such men as prodigies, but it has no reason to remember them as its benefactors. 329F OOT 9% YOUT [-~e Teds ‘LSHUM FHL WOM ‘TTIH AUNATIIS 4 apa TAS PUTIN BR OTP UDUMnene Ap sy7UT. OP YQR SD Fp AR : a LT ad Tt Silbury. By the Rey. A. C. Smiru, M.A. Read before the Society at Avebury during the annual Meeting at Marlborough, September, 1859. “ Unchanged it stands: it awes the lands Beneath the clear dark sky ; But at what time its head sublime It heavenward reared, and why— ‘The gods that see all things that be ‘Png “ae Can better tell than I.” * IVING as I do, though not quite under its shadow, yet within sight of Silbury, I feel in some degree locally consti- tuted its guardian, and if I hear of any one impugning its purpose, _ or in any way speaking disrespectfully of the great mound, I have suck a wholesome dread of incurring the wrath of the “ genius loci,” that I consider myself in duty bound to act in some sort as its champion, and rebut any such accusations to the best of my "power. Moreover esteeming it as one of the most remarkable and Beeietostins relics of antiquity in this or any other County, and entertaining a strong belief that it contains the remains of the mighty dead of a very early age, I am very desirous to rescue it _ from the imputation of having been raised for other than sepulchral _ purposes, under which it has lain since the year 1849, when Mr. _ Tucker, who drew up the report of its examination by the Arche- ological Institute boldly concluded his paper by announcing the sepulchral theory to be henceforth exploded! From such an ‘ agar I must beg leave to dissent, and I hope to prong, that 23 9, p. 303. Archeological Téamnal, vi., 307. . VII.—NO. XX. a) a : 146 Silbury. protest against it, ] imagine that I do not stand alone, but am only echoing the sentiments of very many, and some of these no mean Archeologists, among whom I am proud to enumerate Aubrey and Stukeley of old time, and of our own day, the late Dean of Hereford, and that prince of Anglo-Saxon scholars, the late Mr. Kemble; both of whom (unless I very much misunder- stood them at the time) as well as many other influential members of the Institute who were present on the occasion, gave it as their opinion, not that the sepulchral theory as regarded Silbury must be abandoned, but only that we failed to prove it to be some- thing more than theory, by not being so fortunate as to hit upon the exact spot in our excavations. With considerable diffidence of my own knowledge of the subject, but backed by such well-known names, I proceed to give a short description of the great tumulus, and then to consider its probable origin: remarking by the way, that gigantic as the work is, we can find no allusion to it in any early writer, unless we accept the suggestion (for which there seem to be scarcely sufficient grounds,) that possibly the ‘ heaping the pile of Cyvrangon” mentioned in the Welsh Triads, as one of the three mighty labours of the island of Britain, may be applied to Silbury.? SILBURY stands on the extreme edge of a short spur or prom- ontory of down, jutting out Northwards towards Avebury, and is nearly South of the great Circle, and midway between the extremities of the avenues:? that is, asswming that there was a second avenue, and that it ended where Stukeley fancied. Its general mass is com- posed of chalk, earth, and rubble taken from the surrounding soil, and is covered with the short close turf for which our downs are so famous: but by the kind assistance of Mr. Cunnington (who also furnished me with some of the details of the accompanying section) I am enabled to give an accurate description of the com- 1Sir R. C. Hoare’s Ancient Wilts, ii., 83. Davies’ Celtic Researches. 2 Stukeley’s Abury, p. 41. ‘‘ Abury illustrated,” by William Long, Esq., M.A., in Wiltshire Magazine, vol. iv., p. 337. 3 Professor Buckman found forty species of plants on Silbury Hill, and considers that it furnishes a good example of the flora of a limestone district. By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 147 ponent parts of the hill, as they were originally placed in situ by the workmen (whoever they were) and as they were revealed by the tunnel which penetrated to the centre in 1849 under the auspices of the Archzxological Institute.! It will be seen that at the nucleus of the mound these several materials lie in regular layers, (or segments of concentric circles)? as they must have been taken _ from the surrounding ground and there deposited: the curve of the strata plainly showing the commencement of the accumulation, by which this gigantic tumulus had been formed :* thus we have Ist, (at a) Light rubble with flints and chalk. 2nd, (at 6) Dark clayey rubble with flints. 3rd, (at c) Decayed peat with moss and shells. 4th, (at d) Light chalky rubble, forming the general mass of the hill. Nor is this all which the tunnel has revealed, for it exposed the _ undisturbed surface, just as it existed before the vast superincum- _ bent mass was placed upon it, showing throughout its entire length, Ist, (at e) The ancient original turf. 2nd, (at f) The original soil (viz: clay with flints). 3rd, (at g) The original chalk undisturbed. 1«¢On Tuesday the 10th July the excavation of the gallery was commenced : from this time gangs of workmen succeeded each other at stated intervals, so _ that the work proceeded day and night without interruption. By Friday _ evening the 13th, the tunnel had extended to 94 feet from the entrance, about one-third be the whole intended length, by which it was calculated the _ centre of the hill would be attained. The work thus far was carried through i the natural soil, a vein of hard undisturbed chalk, and proceeded in an upward direction, at an ‘noliriation of 1 in 28: the artificial soil was cut into at 33 yards" Pon the entrance: the work was then carried on through 18 inches of the arti- ficial earth and 5 feet of the original soil, presuming that by this means any ee volchral remains must be discovered if they existed. The excavation was carried in this way 54 yards, at which distance, according to the survey made, 7 the original centre of construction, or true centre of the hill would be attained.” [Examination of Silbury, in Salisbury Volume, P- 300. | 2 Archeological Journal, vi., 307. 5“ The turf was quite black, as was also the andoonyed moss and grass which ; formed the surface of each layer, and amongst it were the dead shells, &e., such as may still be found in the adjoining country.” [Salisbury Volume of the Archeological Institute, p. 301.] - ‘Tilustrations 2 and 8 are copied from the Salisbury Volume of the Archxo- =~) 02 148 Silbury. So far for its geology. Next with regard to the Etymology of Silbury. Here, as in everything else connected with this mysterious tumulus, there is a great variety of opinion, some inclining to the tradition that a King Sel was buried here, and thence its name;! others, that it is “Solis-bury,” the mound of the Sun:? but the most obvious derivation seems to be from the Anglo- Saxon words se/ “great, excellent,” and bwry “mound,” just as Silchester undoubtedly derives its name from sed “chief” and ceaster, “city: and Selwood is described by the Saxon Chronicler Asram as “Magna Silva.” And in good truth an enormous mound it is, and correctly stated by Mr. Matcham in his paper on the results of Archeological investigation in Wiltshire, “the largest tumulus which this quarter of the world presents.”* It is extraordinary that though its dimensions have been often published, no two measurements have ever yet proved alike: under these circum- stances I hardly dare assert my own accuracy, though from repeated measurements with the spirit level, the quadrant and the tape, I have satisfied myself that I have mastered its dimensions: and I cannot but conjecture that the fact of its circular form giving it 1 The tradition was that King Sel or Zel was buried there, and that the vast mound was raised while a posset of milk was seething. [Hoare’s Ancient Wilts, ii., 80. Abury illustrated, in Wiltshire Magazine, vol. iv., p. 337. Stukeley’s Abury, p. 42. ] 2 Rickman (who disdains the idea of sepulture as connected with Silbury) enters into a long and ingenious argument, to prove that the latter part of the name, though apparently denoting a memorial of interment there, was applied indiscriminately to every tumulus and hillock, natural or artifical, and is in truth the same as berg, a fact which I do not wish to dispute. [Archzologia, xxviii, p. 415.] 3 In the county of Westmoreland there is a Ravse or large heap of stones, called ‘‘ Selsit-raise,” near Shap: and a How, or heap of earth and stones, near Odindale, called ‘‘Sillhow,’ [Archeological Journal, No. 69, 1861]. [See Bosworth’s Anglo-Saxon Dictionary in loco.] In like manner Stukeley supposes that the old British or Belgic name of Stone-henge ‘‘ Choir-gaur,” latinized by the monks into ‘‘ chorea giganteum”’ signifies ‘‘the great Church,” or, as we should say, the ‘‘ Cathedral.” (Stonehenge, p. 47.] ‘(Salisbury Volume of the proceedings of the Archeological Institute in 1849, p. 5.] The author of the ‘‘ Lost Solar System of the Ancients discovered,” calls it, ‘‘ the largest tumulus in Europe, and one worthy of comparison with those mentioned by Homer, Herodotus, and other ancient writers,” [i, 417]. [Sir R. Hoare’s Ancient Wilts, ii., $1.] : eo | N AQ anrkwa Bs NN N So c & » & S : Q : GROUND PLAN OF THE EXCAVATIONS IN SILBURY HILL IN 1849. Ae wes, = pee ee ir, Nea: phl- Pai He Tie) EN e Io f00 Feet. Lurnpthe Road Duke of WNorthumberland’s Shaté . -4--d i . Sean zy i SS = ies abana dae eens \y SNS tol, « See” So eee EL 3 ee | Ie eee) Prt ee eh Oe on SWSMEINEERKEN 4 ine Level af Base ae SECTION , SHOWING GEOLOGICAL FORMATION oF SiLBURY HILL. | | | ! | | | | | ! | | et | | | | | Windenilé Wal 4 8 2 © . 3 % a \\ a § \ © 9 ne Se Nee P | i | : Overton dee Hill . 8 6 ae ° To Ba sehaoh ong wallow =e eee a -F.dw Rite, anastat Rev i c.simasv, del: Course oF Roman ROAD NEAR SILBURY. X . © signifies a Barrow. i Pimtnie St. SS, =e i SS. Se ee ~s * eS oe \ Zee “se, x ate aa ‘ Fo Sp \ Ny \ i % ~*~ f . \ . \ \ \ \ \ \ ‘\ \ \, \ \ ‘, \ \ ‘ ‘ ¥ \ S \ edrea at base \ \ 7 . ‘ ry 5 acres and 92 yards. \ H \ H 1 1 | | nana ne ene S52 fb-------------~-----==------- == ” i } H i \ ‘ ' 5 ee oe H { Ctircumterence of base 1657 Lect. } \ ; } \ H \ / { / f 1 / / / / | if / f aa { Prd i ee S oe eet To Marlborough ‘ Edw. Kite, anastat. GROUND PLAN oF SiLBURY HILL. By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 149 the appearance of far greater steepness than in reality it possésses, has caused some to doubt the accuracy of their own measurements, and led them to trust.to their eye rather than the tape; though by standing at some distance and holding up a stick obliquely between the eye and the slope of the hill, any one may easily satisfy himself that the angle of elevation is far lower than he would at first sight have imagined. I proceed now to compare the measurements of Stukeley who surveyed it circa A.D. 1720;! Sir Richard Hoare about A.D. 1812; Mr. Blandford in 1849, and my own of the present year, as regards Perpendicular Height; Circumference of the base; Diameter of the base; Diameter of the top; Slope of the side; and Angle of elevation: first remarking that with the single exception of the comparatively immaterial measurement of the Diameter of the top, Mr. Blandford’s figures coincide very nearly with my own, though we both differ widely from those of the above-named eminent Antiquarians. Perpendicular! Diameter of |Cireumference Diameter of | Angle of i ; uy Slope of side. eight. Base. of Base. op. Elevation. Stukeley. 173 519 ° 1557 270 105 40° Sir R. Hoare. 170 675 2027 316 120 32° Blandford. 125 555 1665 250 120 30° A.C, Smith, N. 130 552 1657 249 104 30° E.S.E. 122 —. — 242 102 — Wiel = = — 238 — — With regard to the slope of the side, and the diameter of the 'Stukeley’s Abury, p. 43. * Sir R. Hoare’s Ancient Wilts, ii., 82. * Rickman, (in the 28th vol. of Archeologia,) gives 2300 feet as the circum- ference of the base ; 105 as the diameter of the top; and 130 as the perpendicular height, the two latter figures agreéing with my own: but the former (if correct), would produce an area of 10 acres and 538 yards, whereas Rickman says, it covers only 45 acres, wherefore there is a manifest discrepancy in his figures. *In taking the present measurements, I have not only been very much assisted by my friend the Rey. W. C. Lukis: but his name is a further guarantee that no mistake has been made: and in working out the figures, and calculating the contents of the hill, I desire to record my obligations to Mr. Richard Falkner of Devizes, who has kindly come to my aid, and has also given me much valu- able information on many points connected with my subject. 150 Silbury. top, which are so easily measured, and especially in the latter case, which requires no calculation, and where the line extends from one side to another, one would imagine that with ordinary care no discrepancies could exist, and yet it will be seen by the table that the measurements here vary quite as much as elsewhere. And with regard to the angle of elevation which Stukeley boldly affirms to be 40°,1 I would again observe, that in this the eye greatly deceives us, leaving us under the impression that the sloping side is far steeper than it really is, and while I confess that on paper our hill does look very depressed, and very easy of ascent, I would deprecate the criticism of the casual observer, and beg him before he condemns my figures, to give them the only fair trial of their accuracy, viz: a personal examination. So much then for its dimensions, though I may add that the ground covered by this gigantic tumulus has been variously esti- mated at from five to six acres.?, According to my measurements, the area of the base would be 5 acres and 1192 yards, and its cubical contents 468, 170 cubic yards. And now I think I may assert without fear of contradiction that Silbury was a work of enormous labour, and at the early period of its formation must have taxed the sinews as well as the patience of a vast multitude; and though in this advanced age, and in our superior wisdom, we are (I think) somewhat inclined to underrate the powers of our rude forefathers in a remote period, and decry their skill, (though surely in Wiltshire at least Stone- henge and Avebury and Silbury stand before us to rebuke our self conceit, and arrest our supercilious contempt for bygone ages) yet without arrogating to barbarous times the skill of modern engineers, and the appliances of modern science,.we may rest 17 must add that Dr. Stukeley, though an accomplished scholar, was by no means accurate in his figures and plans. 2 Sir Richard Hoare says 5} acres: (Anc: Wilts, ii., 82). Rickman only 43 - acres: (Archeologia, vol. xxviii., 402), Stukeley adds ‘‘ the solid contents of it amount to 13, 558, 809 cubic feet: some people have thought it would cost £20,000 to make such a hill.” [Abury described p. 43,] and Aubrey says, ‘‘T remember that Sir Jonas Moor, Surveyor of the Ordnance, told me it would cost threescore, or rather (I think), fourscore thousand pounds to make such a hill now.” By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 151 assured that those who directed the throwing up of Silbury were not wanting in courage and ability to accomplish so mighty a work ;! for without question a mighty work it was, and especially if we consider that in all probability every particle of it was carried in baskets on the shoulders of the workmen, as was and is the custom of barbarous nations:* though I confess it dwindles down to the comparative insignificance of a mole-hill when placed side by side with the gigantic results of railway embankments within the last thirty years, so graphically described in a recent article in the Quarterly. There we are told that it is almost impossible “ to form an adequate idea of the immense quantity of earth, rock and clay, that has been picked, blasted, shovelled and wheeled into embankments by English navvies during the last 80 years: on the South Western Railway alone the earth removed amounted to _ sixteen millions of cubic yards, a mass of material sufficient to form - apyramid 1,000 feet high, with a base of 150,000 square yards. Mr. Robert Stephenson has estimated the total amount on all the railways in England as at least 550 millions of cubic yards, and what does this represent ? ‘“‘ We are accustomed,” he says, “ to re- gard St. Paul’s as a test for height and space; but by the side of the pyramid of earth these works would rear, St. Paul’s would be 1The grand dimensions of Silbury attracted the particular notice of King Charles II. during a Royal progress to Bath; and under the guidance of Aubrey the ‘“‘merry monarch” ascended to the top. [Hoare’s Ancient Wilts, ii., 59. Stukeley’s Abury, 43. ] 2Tt is a ridiculous but significant fact that when a railway plant was sent to India from this country, the natives who were employed as labourers in the work, mistaking the use of the wheelbarrows, filled them with earth and then placed them on their heads, and so proceeded to carry them to the embankment they were forming. The same thing is told of the negroes in South America: “they seem to prefer carrying burdens on their heads, transporting the very heaviest articles in this way: itis said that when the railway to Petropolis was being built, the negroes insisted on carrying the handbarrows (which were furnished to them) on their heads, turning the wheel in front with the hand, in time to their song.” [From New York to Delhi by way of Rio de Janeiro, Australia, and China, by Robert Minturn: Longman, 1858.] And Sir James Emerson Tennant in his admirable work on Ceylon, says, ‘the earth which formed the prodigious embankments and Dagobahs in Ceylon was carried by the labourers in baskets in the same primitive fashion which prevails to the present day,” [vol. i., p. 464]. * Quarterly Review for January, 1858. 152 Silbury. but as a pigmy to a giant: imagine a mountain half a mile in diameter at its base, and soaring into the clouds one mile and a half in height, that would be the size of the mountain of earth which these earthworks would form: while St. James’s Park, from the Horse Guards to Buckingham Palace would scarcely afford space for its base.”! But to return to Silbury, which we will not attempt to compare to these modern labours. I apprehend it will be allowed on all sides, that it could not have been thrown up without a vast expense of time and severe toil, but at what cost, and whence the workmen derived their supplies of food during their labours,” it were idle now to speculate: we may also assume that its promoters must have had some great motive, when they set about and accomplished so Herculean a task: and now comes the question, what can we assign as the probable object, likely to have given rise to such a stupendous work ? I believe that if we search into the existing remains of the most ancient times, and if we continue our enquiries through more mod- ern ages, in heathen countries, we shall find that, almost without an exception, the greatest works of man have been devoted either to objects of religious worship or of sepulture. To accomplish either of these ends, no labour seems to have been too great. As regarded worship, however misguided might be the worshipper, however false the god, the object of providing a suitable temple was enough to smooth away all difficulties, and overcome every obstacle: while on the other hand, to leave behind him a sepul- chral monument which should continue as long as time should last, and remain an imperishable memorial of him to distant ages,” this was enough to rouse all the energies of the ambitious barba- rian, and spur him on to perseverance in the most arduous tasks’. 1 The author of the “ Lost Solar System of the Ancients discovered ” calculates that in the last fifteen years, 250,000,000 cubic yards, or 400,000,000 tons of earth and rock have in tunnel embankment and cutting been moved to greater or less distances in the construction of railways, [vol. ii., p. 296]. 2Compare Herodotus, book ii., chap, 125, where the good old historian delighted to compute the garlic and onions consumed by the workmen at the Pyramids as amounting to 1600 talents of silver, a sum equal to £345,600. [See too Rollin’s Anc. Hist., book i., part i., chap. 2, sect. 2. ] 3 The Lost Solar System of the Ancients discovered, vol. il., 209. By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 153 We may take Stonehenge and Avebury as instances of what the first of these motives could effect, while the Pyramids of Egypt, the renowned Mausoleum in Caria,’ and the famous Taj Mahal and other tombs of astonishing size, beauty, and the most elaborate workmanship in India, demonstrate no less clearly the power of the second. Now to affirm positively that Silbury was not erected for religious worship, would be to beg the question at issue: moreover we know that the Persians and other Sun-worshippers did frequent the tops of conical mountains, whence they could catch the first beams and watch the last rays of their rising and setting Deity : * as indeed at this day do the Parsees or Ghebers in the East, and the Peruvians and inhabitants of La Plata in the West,’ ‘To loftiest heights ascending, from their tops With myrtle wreathed tiara on their brows.* Therefore I say it is not impossible that this may have been the origin of the great mound in question: though I confess such a conjecture carries little conviction to my mind: for in the first place, its immediate contiguity to the famous temple at Avebury seems to forbid its intention for such a purpose: and again, stand- ing as it does, on comparatively low ground, and surrounded with undulating downs which tower above it, very limited indeed is the view from the summit, and this fact alone seems to deny that it had any such object. __ But against the probability of its being the tomb of some Sovereign or famous Chieftain amongst the early Britons‘ I confess I have 1 Herod., vii., 99. Strabo, xiv. Diod., xvi. Pliny, N.H., xxxvi., 4—9. Aul: Gell., xc., 18. 2 Herodotus Clio, chap. 131. Rollin’s Anc. Hist., ii., 186. Job xxxi., 26, 27. 5 Lost Solar System of the Ancients discovered,” vol. i., pp. 260, 265, 395. '® Wordsworth’s Excursion, book iy. Gladstone’s Studies on Homer, vol. iii. p. 169. 4 Stukeley goes so far as to assume (though I must own he comes to conclusions on very slight premises) not only that Silbury is the tomb of the Royal founder Fiof Avebury; but that the temple of Avebury was made for the sake of this _ tumulus : and then he adds, ‘‘ I have no scruple to affirm ’tis the most magni- - fieent Mausoleum in the world, without: excepting the Egyptian Pyramids: ”’ and then giving the reins to iis fanciful imagination, he continues, ‘‘ this huge © _ snake and circle (meaning the avenues and temple of Avebury) made of stones, VOL. VII.—NO. XX. P a 154 Silbury. seen no arguments of any force, while there are many prima facie reasons to induce us to assign this as its origin. For though it is perfectly true that nothing indicating it to be a place of sepulture was discovered, either by the Duke of Northumberland and Colonel Drax, when they sunk their shaft from the top towards the close of the last century,! or by the Archeological Institute, when they drove their tunnel into the centre from the side in 1849,’ yet I contend that these failures proved nothing more than the unpropi- tious fortune of the excavators: for if the vast area of the whole mound be considered, and the comparatively narrow passages which pierced it to its centre, like puny bodkins probing a whale,’ surely, (to use a homely proverb,) it was like searching for a needle in a hay-rick, and a marvel it would have been, if without a clue to guide them, they had hit upon the cromlech, always supposing one, or more (for there may be several), to exist. Again, however geometrically exact the engineer may have been in driving his tunnel into the exact centre, and however accurately the perpendicular shaft may have attained the same spot, (though by the way they did not meet, for it was in cutting a diagonal passage from the tunnel that the workmen came upon the shaft,) yet how improbable is it, that the cromlech would retain its position in the exact centre, assuming for a moment (which I shall presently show to have been unlikely) that it was intended to be near the middle of the mound : for even in this case, those rude workmen, (the hangs, as it were, brooding over Silbury-Hill, in order to bring again to a new life the person there buried.” [Abury, p. 41.] 1 Douglas’s Nenia Britannica, p. 161. 2 Without at all impugning the decision of the late Dean of Hereford, who heard their statements, it would have been satisfactory to have learned on what grounds he rejected the testimony of the two old men in the neighbourhood whom he examined, and who both asserted that the miners from Cornwall who dug into Silbury by direction of the Duke of Northumberland in 1777 found ‘‘a man,” meaning a skeleton. [Salisbury Journal, p. 74.] 3This is an allusion to a large whale stranded on the coast of Norfolk (of whose death throes I was an eye-witness from a yacht) despatched at last by a ship’s spit, after an hour’s fruitless attempts on the part of some fishermen to reach some vital part with their short knives. [See Zoologist for 1851, p. 3134.] 4Salisbury Journal, p. 300, By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 155 “navvies”’ of a remote age,) as they heaped up their vast tumulus, soon losing sight of the tomb to guide them, would necessarily fail to preserve it as their centre, and the more the mound increased under their exertions, so in inyerse ratio the chances diminished of the cromlech retaining its original position in reference to its gigantic covering. Moreover it is not probable that the workmen would have been at any pains to preserve it as a centre, even if it had been so at the first heaping up of the earth. Thus I deny that anything like a satisfactory examination of the interior of Silbury has yet taken place, or that the fruitless researches hitherto made are any proof that it contains no cromlech. And now having answered the only objection put forth against the sepulchral theory, I come to state the arguments I am able to adduce in its favour: and here I would submit, that where absolute proof is wanting, and, (until at least some further research is made) opinions formed can at the last be but conjectures, rendered more or less probable by the arguments adduced, it is quite fair to reason from analogy: and here certainly the countless barrows which stud the downs in every direction around Silbury being them- selves places of sepulture, proclaim the great hill to be the same. I need not stop to prove that to heap a mound of earth over their dead, as a sort of protection to their remains, has been the most ancient and uniform practice of all nations,! a fact referred to by the oldest extant authors of all countries,? and of which we have in Wiltshire, *The Soros which marks the graye of the Athenian dead is still a conspicuous object on the plain of Marathon. [Wordsworth’s Pictorial Greece, p. 113. Leakes Demi of Attica, p. 99. Rawlinson’s Herodotus, vol. iii. p. 505.] *The following list I have found in an unpublished MS. of Aubrey, and which I have considerably amplified: the figures marked thus (*) being addi- tions to Aubrey’s catalogue : De Tumulis. Josh: xxiv. 33. vii. 25, 26, viii. 29. 2 Sam: xviii. 17. Homeri Iliad: ii, *793. 811—815. vi, *419. : vii. 332—836. *435. *86, Ri) “0. F166. *302. xvi. *457. 667—675, Xxili, 245—255, 156 Silbury. and especially on the Marlborough downs more ocular proof than perhaps any where else: and now I would ask, what appearance does Silbury present, but that of a gigantic barrow? though to to adapt the words of the Roman poet, “ Micat inter omnes Silbury collis, velut inter ignes Luna minores.” And how comes it that the downs round Avebury abound for miles in every direction with such innumerable barrows, but that they form, as it were, a vast graveyard to the colossal temple there, a kind of Mecca where the faithful would desire to lay their bones, a Westminster Abbey in the remote age of the Druids ?? xxiy. 791—799. —— Odyss: xii. Elpenor’s Tomb. xxiv. 722. Herodotus i. *93. iv. *71. v. *8: wherein he respectively describes the Lydian, Scythian, and Thracian Barrows. Virgil Aineid iii. 63. *304. v. *605. vi. 232—285, *3880. *d05. vii. 1—6, xi. *103. *594. 850. Ovid Metam. vii. 362. xiv. 84. 101. Tacitus de Mor: Germ: c. 27. Annales, lib. i. c. 62. Seneca de Consol: ad Polyb: § 37. Appian, pt. 2, c. 2, § 27. Cicero de legib: lib. 2. Vopiscus de Probo, wherein it is stated that Arcadius had a tumulus erected for him 200 feet broad. 1«¢ All around Stonehenge are barrows extending to a considerable distance from the temple, but all in view of it, so that like Christians of the present age, ancient Britons thought proper to bury their dead near where they worshipped the Supreme Being.” [Spencer’s Wilts, p. 79.] Stukeley in his Itiner: Curios: vol. i. p. 128, describing what he supposed to be ‘‘ Carvilii tumulus,” the grave of a king of the Belgz near Wilton, within sight of Stonehenge, says, ‘¢T question not but one purpose of this interment was to be in sight of the holy work or temple of Stonehenge ;” ‘‘ and here,’ he concludes, ‘‘rest the ashes of Carvilius, made immortal by Cesar for bravely defending his country.” Again, he says, speaking of the vast number of barrows round Stonehenge, ‘‘ We may very readily count fifty at a time in sight from the place,” and again at a short distance off he declares he could count 128 barrows in sight. {Stonehenge, pp. 43, 45. Abury, p. 40.] See also ‘‘ Lost Solar System of the By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 157 But if it be objected that from their inferior size, the analogy of the barrows is of little value, and so to argue from such premises carries little weight, I reply in the first place that many of the barrows which stud our downs are not at all despicable in bulk even now, when the tendency of ages, especially where assisted by the plough, has been materially to diminish their height, and bring them down to the level of the plain: indeed those who have attempted to excavate some of the larger ones will bear me out in my statement, that they are extremely deceptive, and are really very much larger than the casual observer would suppose. But not to insist too strongly on this point, I pass on to the grand climax of my argument, viz., the analogy of other tumuli of colossal dimensions in other countries, which by recent excavations and recent discoveries have been positively proved to be sepulchral. And I would beg of the reader to observe as we pass on, in how many cases the discovery of the interment was the result of pure accident; how in others their sepulchral character had been denied, till proof positive set the question at rest for ever: and how in several instances the interments were not found in the centre of the mound, but at the side; for these are all questions nearly affecting the point now under examination, and may materially help us in forming our conclusions on the probable object of Silbury, when we shall have weighed all the evidence I can bring to bear upon it. The first tumulus which I adduce is in the sister kingdom of Ireland, and is generally known in that country as “ New Grange.” It is one of four great sepulchral mounds, situated on the banks of the Boyne, between Drogheda and Slane, in the county of Meath, and which have been not inaptly termed “ the Pyramids of Ireland.” It is the only one of the four, whose interior has been exposed to human curiosity, but there is every reason to believe that if explored, the others would be found similar in nature to the one in ; “question. I extract the particulars of it from the second vol. of _ Archeeologia, and the Dublin Journal of March 1833, corroborated by the evidence of my father, who visited it, and made a personal > _ Ancients discovered,” p. 113; and Sir R.C. Hoare’s Ancient Wilts, i. 250. ji, 113, 158 Stlbury. inspection of the interior in 1848.1 It is now (as the learned antiquary Governor Pownall tells us) but a ruin of what it originally was, though it still covers two acres of ground, and has an elevation of about 70 feet ; but its original height was not less than 100 feet, as it has been used for ages as a stone quarry, for the making and repairing of roads and the erection of buildings in the neighbour- hood, It is formed of small stones, covered over with earth, and at its base was encircled by a line of stones of enormous magnitude, placed in erect positions,’ and varying in height from four to eleven feet above the ground, and supposed to weigh from ten to twelve tons each: these stones as well as those of which the grand interior chamber is built, are not found in the neighbourhood of the tumulus, but have been brought hither from the mouth of the river Boyne, a distance of seven or eight miles. The interior of the tumulus, was accidentally made known in the year 1699, when a Mr. Campbell, who resided in the neighbouring village, in carrying away stones from it to repair a road, discovered the entrance to a gallery or passage leading into a sepulchral chamber. This entrance was about 50 feet from the original side of the Pyramid, and is placed due South, and runs Northward: the length of this passage to the entrance of the chamber is about 58 feet, its breadth and height gradually narrowing till at about 18 feet from the entrance 1See Mr. Edward Lhwyd’s description of it, in a letter to Mr. Rowlands at the end of Mona Antiqua; and that by Dr. Thomas Molineux, published first in the Philosoph: Transactions No. 3385 and 336, and afterwards in his discourse on Danish forts in Ireland: above all, see Governor Pownall’s description in the Archeologia, vol. ii. pp. 236—275. Also Journal of Archeological Institute, iii. 156. Stukeley’s Itinerarium Curiosum, plate in vol. ii. p. 43, Dublin Penny Saturday Journal. vol. i. p. 305. 2JIn the Salisbury vol. of the Proceedings of the Archeological Institute in 1849, p. 74, Dean Merewether in speaking of Silbury, says, ‘‘ It is remarkable, though I have not seen it noticed by former writers, that the verge of the base is set round with sarsen stones, three or four feet in diameter and at intervals of about eighteen feet; of these however, only eight are now visible, although others may be covered with the detritus of the sloping sides of the tumulus, and overgrown with turf.” This is clearly a mistake, though it is astonishing how the Dean, usually so careful, fell into such an error, for there is, and there has been for very many years, but one small stone visible on the Northern side of the base. [See Mr. Long’s ‘‘Abury Illustrated” in Wiltshire Magazine, vol. iv. p. 339. ] By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 159 it reaches a stone which is laid across in an inclined position, and which seems to forbid further progress: beyond this, the gallery immediately expands again to the width of three feet, and to the height of from six to ten feet at the entrance of the dome. The chamber is an irregular circle, about 22 feet in diameter, covered with a dome of a bee-hive form, constructed of massive stones laid horizontally and projecting one beyond the other, till they approxi- mate and are finally capped with a single one: the height of the dome is about 20 feet. The chamber has three quadrangular recesses, forming a cross, one facing the entrance gallery, and one on each side: in each of these recesses was placed a stone urn or sarcophagus, of a simple bowl form, two of which remain to this day: of these recesses the East and the West are about eight feet square, the North is somewhat deeper. The entire length of the cavern from the entrance of the gallery to the end of the recess is 81 feet 8 inches. The stones of which the entire structure consists are of great size, viz., from 12 to 18 feet long by 6 broad; a great number of the stones within the chamber, as well as in the gallery, are carved with spiral, lozenge-shaped, and zig-zag lines, and in the West chamber there are marks, which have been supposed, though perhaps without reason, to be an alphabetic inscription. That this large tumulus was constructed “as a tomb or great sepulchral pyramid,” and that the “oval granite basins originally _ contained human remains” admits of no doubt: and as to its age, “by most of the learned and intelligent modern archeologists it is _ referred to the most remote period of Celtic occupation, and far __ beyond the time of the invasion of the Danes, to which peorte, like so many other Irish antiquities, it has been sometimes attributed ; _ indeed it is generally supposed to be coeval with, by some to be even _ anterior to, its brethren on the Nile.”! Such is the remarkable tumulus of New Grange in Ireland, apparently the very counter- part of Silbury: and I have been thus minute in giving all the _ 1Compare Mr. Scarth’s account of this tumulus in his very able paper on _ Ancient Chambered Tumuli,” published in the 8th vol. of the Proceedings of the Somersetshire Archeological and Natural History Society : Taunton, 1859, pp. 24—27. 160 Silbury. particulars I could glean, and especially the exact position, with reference to the points of the compass, of the chambers and gallery, because I am not without hopes that they may hereafter be useful to some future investigators of Silbury which perhaps may be found to contain similar treasures. The next great mound to which I wish to direct attention, and this too externally bearing an exact resemblance to Silbury, is the largest of all the tumuli in Britany, the “Tumiac,” situated at the South of that Province, near the end of the promontory in which Sazzeau is situated, and on the road to Arxon. It is about 280 feet in diameter, and 68 feet in height; or, to speak more accurately, it measured, according to the French style, 260 métres in circumference, and 20 métres in height, the métre being, (as it is almost needless to state) within a fraction of 40 inches English. Up to 1853 it had baffled the curiosity of antiquaries no less than Silbury has done to the present day, and then accident alone led to the discovery of a large sepulchral chamber on one side, for there was nothing to indicate the spot. This discovery took place in July of that year, under the auspices of the Société Polymatique, who opened a gallery at the base of the mound due South, or rather one point East of South. The entire mound proved to be composed of small stones or large pebbles thrown together, and through these the tunnel penetrated in a straight line running N.N.E. to the distance of about 140 feet, and then reached a square chamber, at a considerable distance from its centre, though far into the interior of the mound. This chamber was formed of three large granite pillars, placed sideways on a bed of stones supporting a large flat slab of quartz which formed the roof of the cromlech. On the sides of some of these stones, characters were to be traced, some- what of a Syriac or Arabic form, though their meaning still re- maius an enigma not to be deciphered : within the chamber, which was exceedingly damp, the water continually dropping from the upper stone, was found a layer of dark dust, evidently the remains of decomposed wood ; buried in which were 120 round beads, which probably formed a necklace: and in another part about half that number of larger round beads of jasper, which were supposed to ~ By the Rev. A. CO. Smith. 161 have composed a bracelet. Two groups of celts, or . Druidical knives, fifteen in each group, were also discovered here; some highly polished and of great beauty, though the greater part were broken in two pieces. But to crown all, several fragments of bone were also found, which, though almost pulverized and in a very decomposed state, were identified by scientific anatomists to whom they were submitted, as undoubtedly human: indeed there were sufficient portions to indicate pretty clearly that the corpse was laid on a wooden plank at the end of the chamber along the North wall, the head to the East, and the feet towards the West. The _ accident which led to the discovery of this chamber was as singular as it was happy, for with nothing to guide them, the directors of the excavations pushed their tunnel right up to the very entrance _ of the chamber, whereas had they gone one point more to the East _ or West, they would have missed the only entrance to it, if not the cromlech itself. The above particulars I have taken from the _ Report, drawn up by M. Fouquet, the Secretary of the Société _ Polymathique, and addressed to the Préfet of the district:! and I have the greatest satisfaction in bringing forward this instance, both because my friend, the Rev. W. C. Lukis, chanced to be _ present soon after the discovery of the sepulchral chamber, and was an eye-witness of the particulars I have given above: and also because the fact of the sepulchre being at the side, speaks volumes to my mind with regard to Silbury, accounts for the failure of former investigators, whose whole energies were directed towards the centre, and suggests that it is no cenotaph, but still contains “one or more tombs, to reward the perseverance of future excavators. _ From Britany I pass through North Germany, remarking on the numerous barrows of various form and height which abound there, and are denominated “ Kegelgraber,” conical graves,? whose sepulchral object has never been called in question; but which, as they do not rival Silbury in bulk, I will not adduce in support of 7 " 1 Rapport sur la découverte d’une Grotte Sépulerale dans la butte de Tumiac ‘te 21 Juillet 1853, adressé 4 Monsieur le Préfét du Morbihan, au nom de la Société Polymathique par le Secrétaire de cette Société le 1° Aodt 1853. 2 Archeological Journal, xii., 387. 162 Silbury. my argument. Thence I proceed to Northern Europe, and call attention to the large tumuli there, some of which are of such vast dimensions and adorned with such enormous blocks of stone (wherein the Northmen especially delighted) that they are still regarded by the natives as of stupendous magnificence:' it has never however been disputed there, that these are the tombs of the mighty dead, (whose souls wander, and whose shades drink mead out of the skulls of their enemies, in the halls of Valhalla) though I am not aware that any of the larger ones have been explored. Therefore I merely allude to them as we hurry by, but above all, I would point out as more particularly deserving of notice the great mounds of old Upsala, the sepulchres of the ancient “gods of Scandinavia” as they are called, the graves of Odin, Thor and Freya.” And now I come to the vast empire of Russia, abounding as it does in large tumuli, and entering upon the almost boundless Steppe, we are told by an eminent traveller (the Baron Von Haxthausen) that “all trace of human life disappears, and the traveller sees nothing but the heavens above him, and the boundless flat green carpet spread out around, while here and there small and regularly formed mounds rise up to his view: on either side he perceives also low ridges of hills, and upon these again at intervals, large conically shaped mounds: the latter are occasionally sur- mounted by roughly cut stone figures, which look down like ghosts upon the silent desert. The country over which they are scattered, as already ascertained, comprises more than 600,000 square miles. The statues are made of a stone which is not found nearer than 400 miles from the spot where they have been erected; and this is the case with regard not to one statue only, but to thousands.”* Such is the general aspect of the dreary Steppe, but some of the largest of these tumuli have been carefully examined by the Russians: 1 Archeologia, vol. ii., p. 264. Monum. Dan., lib. i., ¢. vi. Monumenta Sueo-Gothica, lib. i., pp. 215—217. Northern Travel by Bayard Taylor: London, 1858, p. 17. See Murray’s Handbook for Northern Europe, vol. ii. 3The Russian Empire, its people, institutions and resources, by Baron Von Haxthausen, vol. ii., chap. ii, pp. 79—80. By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 163 who even removed entirely the immense mound in the province of Ekatarinoslay near Alexandropol.! It took no less than five years to effect this, for it was 250 feet in height; and numerous articles in gold, silver, and bronze were discovered there, as well as human bones and skeletons of horses, proving its sepulchral character, and making it probable that it was one of the catacombs of the Scythian Kings described by Herodotus.2 Again an enormous tumulus, called Altyn-obo, on the Golden Mountains, has been explored by the Russians. It was walled from top to bottom like a Cyclopean monument; and two others, somewhat smaller but similar in structure were also examined: they were ali proved to be sepulchral, and tradition assigned them as the tombs of the mother of Mith- _ ridates and other members of his family. Again on a spur of the Golden Mountains, called by the Tartars Kouloba, on the Hill of _ Cinders, is another large tumulus, which was also examined, and in which, in addition to several ornaments, arms, and vessels of a Scythian character, a human skeleton was found. And now I pass on to that fertile field for archeological research, abounding as it does with so much of interest and historical associ- ation, the immediate neighbourhood of Kertch, the particulars of which we learn from Dr. Duncan Mac Pherson,' who superintended f 1 Antiquities of Kertch by Duncan Mac Pherson, M.D., (Smith, Elder and Co.) . 86. & * Herodotué Melpomene, chap. 71. 3 Antiquities of Kertch by Dr. Mac Pherson, p. 60. Idem, p. 61. See also ‘‘ Russia and the Black Sea’”’ by Danby Seymour, Esq., M.P. _ The rich treasure found in the Crimean Kourgans, had long attracted obser- _ vation, and most of these tumuli had been partially at least excavated, and _ many of them ransacked at various periods: in more modern times too, the Russians have carefully prosecuted Archxological research here, as in other parts of that vast Empire: but owing to the account of such investigations having _ been published only in Russian, a language rarely studied in this country, and in works difficult of access to the English antiquary, little was known of these discoveries to Western Archeologists, till the publication of an interesting - Memoir given by Mons. Raoul Rochette in the Journal des Savans. More detailed accounts of these Kourgans are to be found in Herr Anton Ashitk’s, Deseription of a Panticapeean Catacomb ‘‘ Kerchenskiya Drevnosti, &c.” Odessa 1845 fol :—Ermans “‘ Archiy fir Wissenshaftliche Kunde von Russland.” Band 4, 1844. Demidoff’s voyage dans la Russie Méridionale, vol. i., 535 et seq: yol. ii., p. 1, et seq. Archeol. Journal, vi., 260. Q2 164 Silbury. the investigations made there during the Crimean campaign, and gave an account of his researches to the Archeological Institute in 1856 and 1857,! and subsequently more fully in his book on the “ Antiquities of Kertch and researches in the Cimmerian Bos- phorus.” That indefatigable explorer tells us that the character- istic features around Kertch are the innumerable tumuli or ~ Kourgans that abound in that locality: “they resemble gigantic cones, and are the sepulchres of the ancient world, the labour of the construction of which must have been prodigious and the expen- diture enormous.”’ Now Herodotus (whose statements were con- stantly verified by the discoveries made) relates that the Scythians dwelt on the Eastern side of the Caspian sea, and migrating West- ward, arrived in the neighbourhood of the Palus Meotis, and that they expelled the Cimmerians who held this and the surrounding countries :? he farther tells us that the tombs were still to be seen in his time of the heroic Cimmerian Kings, who rather than cede their country to the invading Scythians preferred death from the hands of one another;* and again, speaking of the mode of regal burial among the Scythians, he says, “this done,” (i.e. the body being deposited in a large four-cornered excavation in the earth) “they all set about raising a great barrow, vying with one another, and endeavouring to make it as large as possible.’* Thus the Scythians adopted this mode of perpetuating the memory of their deceased princes. Moreover the Milesian Greeks, a family of the Ionians, who displaced the Scythians about B.C. 600, and planted colonies at Panticapeum and other places, appear to have E Archeological Journal, xiv., 65—70; ; see also pp. 196—206. 2 Herodotus, Melpomene, chapters i.—xi. 3Idem chap. xi. Rawlinson says that the Cimmerians, like the Mexican Aztecs, whom they resembled in some degree, have been swept away by the current of immigration, and except in the mounds which cover their land, and in the pages of the historian or ethnologist, not a trace remains to tell of their past existence. [Rawlinson’s Herodotus, vol. iii., p. 205.] 4 Herodotus, Melpomene, cap. lxxi. See Rawlinson’s Herodotus, vol. iii. pp. 61—63, and with Herodotus’s account of the burial of a Scythian King about B.C. 500, compare M. Huc’s descriptions of a royal interment of modern days: the similarity of customs among these barbarians of such different ages being somewhat remarkable. [Voyage dans la Tartarie, pp. 115—16.] By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 165 adopted the same mode of burial.!. But whoever were the founders, whether Cimmerians, Scythians or Greeks, the height and grandeur of these sepulchres of the ancients excite astounding ideas of the wealth and power of the people who formed them. In circum- ference they sometimes exceed 400 fect, and in altitude 150 feet, and they are formed from surface soil, heaps of stone confusedly : thrown together, with débris of every sort, each successive layer | being distiactly traced, either by a difference of colour in the sub- soil, or by a layer of sea-weed or rushes, which had been laid on the surface, probably with the view of preventing the moisture of the fresh earth pressing into, and displacing that immediately -under it. It would occupy too much space to follow Dr. Mac Pherson through the details of his discoveries, deeply interesting though they are: sufficient for our purpose that he “drove tunnels into the centre of seven of these huge mounds,” the greater part of which proved to have been previously explored: enough however remained amply to prove their sepulchral character. Moreover he was fortunate in his selection, inasmuch as each of the large mounds opened presented distinct varieties either in the construction of the tomb, or the mode of sepulture. Thus in the first, measuring 80 feet in height, though nothing was found on arriving at the centre, but a few amphore, yet branching off a little to the left, an oblong space was discovered, containing among other things, hwman and animal bones. In another, a stone sarcophagus was found in the centre of the mound, considerably beneath the natural surface. In another, a stone tomb was found, also below the natural surface of the ground. The fourth was quite a mountain, and contained two _ chambers of hewn stone. In another enormous tumulus examined» the earth was merely heaped up cn a natural peak of coral rag, _ formed by huge boulders of stone, and here too human bones were found: while the last tumulus explored was composed entirely of _ sand. And in addition to these which have been examined, mention is made of a “large artificial hill (at the extreme West of the s 1 When Darius advanced against the Scythians, he came upon barrows of a larger size and better material than common, which Herodotus says he built, and calls them forts; but which Dahlmann shows to have been most unlikely: - (life, p. 120, E.T.) But barrows covered then without doubt, as they still _ cover, the whole country. [Rawlinson’s Herodotus, iii., 104—106, notes. ] 166 Silbury. ancient city of Panticapzeum) evidently the work of man, though the height and size are so remarkable that it is difficult to believe the mound to be the result of human labour; in shape it is hemi- spherical, and its substance consists of large stones confusedly heaped together.” Such are the wonderful Crimean Kourgans, those vast tumuli proved to have been sepulchral; and I cannot _ dismiss my account of them, without calling attention to the remark of Mr. Winter Jones in his very interesting paper on the Kertch antiquities, published long before the Crimean campaign and Dr. Mac Pherson’s discoveries; a remark with which he sums up his observations, and which I most heartily commend to any future explorers of Silbury; “The English Archzologist will not fail to recognize the curious coincidence in the fact of the deposit in these Kurgans being commonly on the North-East side of the tumulus, which is in accordance with the observation frequently made in the examination of barrows in our own country.”’! Thus far as regards the larger tumuli of Europe, and I have dwelt so long on the details of some of the most interesting of them, ai/ of which have been proved to be sepulchral, that I must endeavour to compress my remarks on those in the other quarters of the globe, confining my account of most of them to a bare enumeration of their localities; and I can yet point to many a large mound, either proved or traditionally declared to contain the mortal remains of men, not only in Asia and Africa, but even in America and Australia, showing that this was the natural impulse of primitive uncivilized races in a// parts of the world, to com- memorate their dead in so simple but enduring a manner. And first we have but to cross the Straits from Kertch and the Tauric Chersonese, abounding as that region does in tumuli of every size, and we find that on the plains round Phanagoria on the Asiatic side the country is no less full of them: here too they are essentially of Milesian and Scythian structure, for the same people colonized both districts.? And now passing on to that most classic of all lands, the plains 1 Archeological J ournal, vol. vi., p. 266. * Mac Pherson’s Antiquities of Kertch. By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 167 of Troy, we find a large tumulus said to be the tomb of Zisietes, 80 large as to meet your eye wherever you turn throughout the whole extent of the plain,! and from which Polites reconnoitred the Grecian armament: ‘Who from Aisetes’ tomb observ’d the foes High on the mound ; from whence in prospect lay The fields, the tents, the navy and the bay.” * Beyond this stand the smaller barrows commonly assigned to Antilochus, Achilles,? Patroclus and Ajax:* one of which has been recently opened by its English proprietor, Mr. Calvert, HBM Consul at the Dardanelles, and calcined Auman bones found therein. More recently the vast tumulus of Hanai Tepeh in the Troad has been examined, likewise by Mr. Calvert, who notwithstanding its enormous size, entertained grave doubts of its being a natural hill, as was usually supposed, and as Dr. Forschammer thought; who in his observations on the Topography of Troy, published in the Journal of the Geographical Society for 18425 says “that its immense size rendered its being artificial improbable, though” (he adds) “excavation alone can settle this point.” Through Mr. Calvert’s exertions not only its artificial, but its sepudchral character has been proved, (as he has announced in a recent Number of the Archeological Journal,) ® calcined human bones having been found therein in such marvellous quantity, as to induce the supposition 1 Diary in Turkish and Greek waters, by the Right Hon. the Earl of Carlisle, pp. 89, 90. * Pope’s Homers Iliad, ii., 961. ? When Alexander landed on the coast of Troy his first care was to pay mag- nificent funeral honours to the shade of the hero Achilles, during which he himself, in imitation of the ancient rites, ran naked and on foot round the barrow which covered the hero’s remains, «That mighty heap of gathered ground Which Ammon’s son ran proudly round.” [Byron.] The barrows which are erected on the shores of the Hellespont to Hector and _ Ajax, are, according to Kohl, exactly like the barrows which commemorate - Odin and Thor, and other Scandinavian heroes. [Lost Solar System of the _ Ancients discovered, ii., 246. ] _ 3Lord Carlisle’s Diary in Turkish and Greek waters, p. 89, 90. Byron’s Bride _ of Abydos, Canto ii., 4. 4 Carlisle’s Diary, &c., p. 158. 5 Vol. xii. 6 Vol. xvi., pp. 1—6. 168 Silbury. that it was the funeral pile of a very great number of bodies, and is suggestive of that most probably raised by the Trojans after the first truce mentioned in the Iliad,} ‘‘ When those deputed to inter the slain Heap’d with the rising pyramid the plain: a High in the midst they heap’d the swelling bed Of rising earth, memorial of the dead.” And now leaving the plain of Troy for that of Sardis, we come to the famous tomb of Alyattes, the father of Craesus, who died about B.C. 560, a barrow of proportions so gigantic, that it may well be called an artificial mountain. Though constructed of earth, and not of stone, a barrow and not a pyramid, and therefore not requiring so large an amount of labour as the vast works of Egypt, it was nevertheless compared for magnificence by Herodotus who had seen it, with the constructions of Egypt and Babylon: indeed he says that, with the exception of the gold dust washed down from the range of Tmolus, it is the only wonder of Lydia for the historian to notice.2 The tumulus was visited and described by Mr. Hamilton in his work on Asia Minor, and recently has been accurately measured by M. Spiegenthal, Prussian Consul at Smyrna, who has also carefully explored the interior: he gives the average diameter of the mound as about 250 métres, or 281 yards, which produces a circumference of almost exactly half a mile, which was the rough estimate conjectured by Mr. Hamilton as he rode roundit.® ‘Towards the North it consists of the natural rock, a white horizontally-stratified earthy limestone, cut away so as to appear as part of the structure, (wherein it bears a striking resemblance to Silbury.) The upper portion is sand and gravel, apparently brought from the bed of Hermus: several deep ravines have been worn by time and weather on its sides, particularly on that to the South: we followed one of these as affording a better footing than the smooth grass, as we ascended to the summit. Here we found the remains ofa foundation nearly eighteen feet square, on the North of which was a huge circular stone, ten feet in diameter, 1 Pope’s Homer’s Iliad, book xxiii. 2 Clio, chap. 93. P Pp 3 Rawlinson’s Herodotus, vol. i., p. 232. By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 169 with a flat bottom, and a raised edge or lip, evidently put there as an ornament on the apex of the tumulus. Herodotus says that phalii were placed upon the summit of some of these tumuli, of which this may be one; but Mr. Strickland supposes that a rude : representation of the human face might be traced on its weather- _ beaten surface. In consequence of the ground sloping to the South, this tumulus appears much higher when viewed from the side of Sardis than from any other. It rises at an angle of about 22°, and is a conspicuous object on all sides.”! In the interior, into which M. Spiegenthal drove a tunnel, he was fortunate enough to discover a sepulchral chamber, composed of large blocks of white marble, highly polished, situated exactly in the centre of the tumulus: the chamber was somewhat more than eleven feet long, nearly eight feet broad, and seven feet high: it was empty, but the mound out- side the chamber showed traces of many former excavations: it was pierced with galleries, and contained a great quantity of bones, partly human, partly those of animals; also a quantity of ashes, and abun- dant fragments of urns. Undoubtedly the chamber had been rifled at a remote period, and the mound had been used in Post-Lydian times as a place of general sepulture: hence the remains of urns, and the human bones and ashes: there can be little doubt that the marble chamber was the actual restin g place of the Lydian King.? It is worthy of remark that the internal construction of the mound was not found by M. Spiegenthal in any way to resemble that of the famous tomb of Tantalus near Smyrna, explored by M. Texier.? Besides this barrow of Alyattes, there are a vast number of ancient tumuli on the shores of the Gygean Lake: three or four of these, scarcely inferior in size to that of Alyattes, may probably be the tombs of other Lydian Kings.* * Hamilton’s Asia Minor, vol. i., p. 145—6, * Compare Rawlinson’s Herodotus, note to book i, cap. 214, for an account of the sepulchral chamber of Cyrus, with which the dimensionsof this nearly coincide. 8 See Texier’s Asie Mineure, vol. ii., p. 252, et. seq: and for M. Spiegenthal’s account of his excavations, see the Monatsbericht der Kénigl: Preussisch : _ Academie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin, Dec., 1854, pp. 700—702, Rawlinson’s Herodotus, vol. i., p. 234. * Chandler’s Tour in Asia Minor, ch. 78, p. 802, 170 Silbury. And now from Asia Minor we pass on to Asia Proper, and here I forbear to dwell on the vast mounds of unburnt brick at Babylon, though the mound of Babil rises from the plain to the height of 140 feet, (the Northern and Southern faces at the base measuring 200 yards in length, while the Eastern and Western are respectively 182 and 186 yards):! and the great mound of Mugheir, though less colossal, is of no mean proportions; being 198 feet in length, and 133 feet in breadth. But I must not pause upon these, for they have but slight pretensions of a sepulchral nature,’ both being generally allowed to have been erected as the platforms of temples, the former crowned with the temple of Belus, the latter with that of Sin.? Not so however the monument of Ninus raised at Nineveh by Semiramis over the tomb of her husband, and which, according to Rich, is an artificial mound in the form of a truncated pyramid : it is 178 feet in height, 1850 feet in length, and 1147 feet in breadth, very near the size of the pyramid of Cholula: this is without doubt an enormous structure, though when Diodorus quotes- Ctesias to prove that its dimensions are 9 stadia high and 10 broad, that is to say that it is of superior elevation to Mount Vesuvius, and nearly equal to Mount Hecla, he is guilty of a manifestly gross exaggeration.* And now we pass on to the huge Tartarian wieonidg called “ Bougres,” which overspread much of the desert country occupied 1 Rawlinson’s Herodotus, vol. ii., p. 576. 2 The author however of the ‘‘ Lost Solar System of the Ancients discovered,” (a very valuable work, to which I often have occasion to refer,) speaking of the mound of Belus, the ‘‘ Mujelibe,” says that ‘‘ skeletons were found in it;” he says it is oblong, of an irregular height, and gives the dimensions as 650 feet long by 450 feet broad; and its highest elevation 141 feet, (vol. ii. 371). The same author says there are many more large mounds in the neighbourhood, nearly or quite as large as the Mujelibe, one measured 126 feet in height (p. 372). Again, the mound of Khorsabad in Assyria is 983 feet long: the Kalah Shergat, a trian- gular mound near the Tigris is 60 feet high, 909 yards in extent, with a total circumference of 4685 yards. The Birs Nimroud, (or mound of Borsippa which Rich says is 235 feet high,) 762 feet in circumference: the Kasr, 2100 feet: and the Koyunjik at Nineveh, 2563 in circumference, &e, (vol. i., p. 156, ii., 66, 3714, 3 Rawlinson’s Herodotus, vol. i., p. 615, ii., 576. 4 Lost Solar System of the Ancients discovered, ii., 332, 394. _ i. By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 171 by the Calmuc Tartars, and which from time to time have been plundered by the wandering hordes of that people, and their sepul- chral character fully proved! We learn from M. de Stehlin, Secretary of the Academy of Sciences at St. Petersburgh, that these Bougres or barrows are not found beyond the latitude of 58°, but only in the Southern parts of Siberia, and that they are generally constructed of earth, thrown up in the form of a cone, but flat on the summit. They are of all dimensions; the circumferences of some are of 30 Russian toises, others 50, 100, or even 500 toises: their altitudes are also various, some of 5, 6, 12, 20, or even 30 Russian toises, each toise measuring seven English feet. In all that have been opened, decayed or burnt human bones were inva- riably found; but about one hundred years since a thorough examination of the largest of all was made; the officer in charge of the excavations supposing that the barrow of largest dimensions most probably contained the ashes of the prince or chief: nor was he mistaken: for after removing a very deep covering of earth and stones, the workmen came to three vaults, constructed of stone of rude workmanship ; the central one which was the largest, contain- ing the remains of the prince with his spear, sword, bow and quiver : a smaller one to the East, containing the remains of the princess, distinguished by her female ornaments, chains, and bracelets; and that to the West, the skeleton of the chieftain’s horse, with bridle, saddle and stirrups. Many more of the larger tumuli were opened, and many curious articles found with the human remains: but the _ above, as the largest, was the most remarkable: the position of the bodies was always found to be the same; they were laid with the head to the East or S.H.? And now we come to the Steppes of Issim; and near the river eS ___1See Strahlenberg’s History of Russia and Tartary, pp. 4, 325, 330. Also _ Bell’s Journey from Petersburgh to Pekin, vol. i., p. 209, and Archeologia, vol. ii., 33, page 222—235, Some account of Tartarian Antiquities, in a letter _ from Paul Demidoff, Esq., at Petersburgh to Mr. Peter Collinson, September 17, 1764. _ *Archeologia, vol. ii., p. 222 et seq: also p. 263 et seq: containing Governor Pownall’s account of the same. See also some description of the Scythian or Tar- tarean barrows and the finding of human bones therein, in “ Lost Solar System of the Ancients discovered,” vol. ii., p. 246, 172 Silbury. Irtisch are “ many large tumuli, covering up the ashes of ancient heroes, who have passed over these scenes ages ago; but whether they indicate battle-fields, or simply the burial places of a tribe or nation, it is impossible to say:” they are almost invariably placed on high land, near the great rivers, and command views over the whole country.!' But to come to particulars: on the N.W. side of the river Bouchtarma there is a conical mount quite peculiar in its form and exceedingly picturesque, and in the neighbourhood are many ancient tumuli, some of which have been opened, and warlike implements found in them.? In China, several versts to the North of Tchin-si, stands a very large tumulus, surrounded by many others of smaller dimensions :? and again, near the Chinese town of Tchoubachach, in a rocky valley, is another barrow of vast size, 150 feet in height, and regular in its form.4 “All these” (says Mr. Atkinson in his admirable work on Siberia) “ have been thrown up by a people of whom we have no trace, and in this part of Asia such ancient works are extremely numerous: on the Kirghis Steppe too, there are many and some very large tumuli scattered over the Steppe, thrown up at different periods, and by different races: but the larger tumuli are the most ancient: one of these, composed of stones, is a circle of 364 feet in diameter, forming a dome-like mound 37 feet high. To whom this tomb belongs the Kirghis have not even a tradition, but they attribute all such works to demons, and say their master Shaitan has been the chief director.’ Similar testimony to the existence of vast tumuli at the foot of the Altai, and also on the banks of the Irtisch among the Calmucs and Kirghises, and to their sepulchral character, is borne by the Russian exploring mission in Siberia in 1733, and by Pallas in 1759.° Nor is the island of Ceylon without its gigantic tumuli; they are for the most part cased in brick, which is an advance upon the more primitive mound, and are called “‘ Dagobahs’”’’ or shrines, and 1 Oriental and Western Siberia, by T. W. Atkinson: Hurst and Blackett, 1858, p. 168. 2Tdem, p. 235. 3 Idem, p. 537. 4Tdem, p. 558. 5 Atkinson’s Oriental and Western Siberia, p. 566. 6 Lost Solar System of the Ancients discovered, vol. ii., p. 249. 7“ Dagoba” either from datu a relic and gabbhan a shrine, (Tennent’s Ceylon, By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 173 some of the largest of them have been proved to be sepulchral. We have the authority of Sir James Tennent for asserting that they are scarcely exceeded in altitude and diameter by the Dome of St. _ Peter’s.!. Those of Anooradhapoora, which out-top all others, were originally no less than 400 feet high: some of their ruins even now are 220 feet in perpendicular height, and the outer wall exceeds 13 mile in length. Thus, the Dagoba of Bintenne is still 100 feet high, although now much decayed :? that of Rankot, nearly 200 feet high :? that of the Golden Dust, one of the most celebrated in Ceylon, erected B.C. 160, still 150 feet high :* the stupendous one called Abhayagiri, originally 405 feet high, and still (after the lapse of above 2000 years) more than 240 feet in height :° another described as 249 feet high, and 360 in diameter, so that its contents exceed twenty millions of cubical feet.6 Such are the gigantic Dagobas of Anooradhapoora,’ “structures whose stupendous dimen- sions, and the waste and misapplication of labour lavished on them, are hardly outdone even in the instance of the pyramids of Egypt: and in the infancy of art, the origin of these ‘high places’ seems to have been the ambition to expand the earthen mound which covered the ashes of the dead into the dimensions of the eternal hills.” So far for the larger tumuli of Asia: the remaining quarters of _ the globe will not detain us long, but as we approach Africa, we can- _ not pass by the pyramids of Egypt, to which the brick Dagobas of Ceylon very easily conduct us; and which are none other than artificial tumuli, in advance of the more primitive sepulchral - mounds of earth, the ruder work of less civilized nations. Grand from their colossal size, and noble from their strength, solidity, and simple form, they stand out to mock the perishing monuments p. 345,) or from deha the body and gopa that which preserves, (Wilson’s Asiatic _ Researches) either derivation pointing to the sepulchral character of the tumulus, _ with which we are chiefly concerned ; each Dagobah professing to enshrine por- tions of the deified body of Gotama Buddha himself. 1 Ceylon, vol. i. p. 346. 2 Idem, vol. ii., p. 421. 3Tdem, vol. ii., p, 590. 4Idem, vol. ii., p. 620. 5 Idem, vol. ii., p. 621. 6 Idem, vol. ii., p. 623. 7Idem, vol. ii., p. 624. See Lost Solar System of the Ancients discovered, oa, 110—111. 174 Silbury. of later ages. As it is interesting to compare their dimensions with those of Silbury, I have taken pains to ascertain the most accurate measurements, as given not long since by the French engineers. The base of the great pyramid (that of Cheops) was found to measure 232°747 métres (763 feet 7 inches) and its height 139°117 métres (456 feet 5 inches) the whole mass containing nine million cubic feet, and covering above eleven acres, the area of its base nearly coinciding with Lincoln’s Inn Fields. The second pyramid, (that of Chephren) presents a breadth of base of 700 feet, and a height of 425 feet; its summit (as is well known) remains uninjured, and shows the ancient casing of plaster, consisting of gypsum, sand and pebbles. The third pyramid (that of Mycerinus) measures 300 feet at the base, and 173 feet in height. Nearly in the centre of the two largest pyramids are small sepul- chral chambers, containing a single sarcophagus, but the chambers are of very diminutive size when compared with the whole mass of the pyramid.!. Farther on in the interior of the country in the midst of the vast expanse of the Sahel, where the traces of men are so slight, the eye is attracted by an object bespeaking an altogether different order of things. This is a conical pyramid, standing on the highest part of the Sahel, which even from that distance indicates that it must have been raised by the hand of man, and formed of material of a more durable character than the ordinary soil of the hills. Among the natives it is known by the name of ‘“‘Khober el Roumiyeh” Tomb of the Roman woman (or the Christian woman), and appears on the charts under that of ‘“Tombeau de la Reine.” Shaw says that in his time the Turks called it “ Maltapasi ” the treasure of the sugar loaf. Really itis an old Mauritanian work, called by the Roman geographer Mela? “‘monumentum commune regiz gentis,” the common monument of the Royal family: it may be seen for many miles out at sea, and from the whole of the Northern crest of the Atlas, and forms the best of landmarks. In 1 Encyclopedia Metropolitana, Article Pyramid. Herodotus, book ii., cap. 124—134. Rollin’s Ancient History, book i., chap. 2. 2 Mela, de situ orbis, i., 6, 10. 3 Four months in Algeria, by Rev. J. W. Blakesley, 1859, p. 126. : . . ' By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 175 the province of Constantine there is another tumulus, called by the French “the tomb of Syphax,” 166 feet in diameter, and 16 feet in height.! But little acquainted as we are with the interior of Africa we learn that there are other mouuments of a sepulchral character, erected by a race whose very name has perished, who not only showed in the large tumuli they erected over their dead a similarity of custom with their Northern and Eastern contempo- raries ; but who erected for religious purposes quadrangular pillars of stone of enormous size, with others lying transversely on the top, bearing a striking resemblance to those at Stonehenge, and proving an identity of worship as well as of sepulture.? And now we cross the Atlantic to the New World and are perhaps astonished to find there similar monuments of considerable antiquity, the work of the aborigines of a remote age, and containing the bones of the ancient inhabitants. And yet the aborigines of America seem to have had grander conceptions of earth-works, and to have carried them out on a far more gigantic scale than any with which we are acquainted in the Old World, for it was their practice first to heap up an enormous mound,’ the interior of which served as a sepulchre for their Kings and principal persons, and then to surmount the tumulus with a temple of hewn stone: often they would encase their mound of earth with a solid wall of stone, and almost universally, ranges of shallow steps led up to the summit, sometimes nearly 200 feet above the plain. At Copan in Honduras there exist to this day the ruins of one of these structures of earth and stone, so gigantic in dimensions, that it can only be compared to the area of the great pyramid at Ghizeh: it is 624 feet in length, ‘1Tdem, p. 320. ? Barth’s Travels and Discoveries in Northern and Central Africa, passim: See particularly the account and illustration of the aboriginal structure near the glen of Wadi Ran, near Tripoli, p. 58—61 of vol. i. 8 The learned author of the Lost Solar System of the Ancients discovered, _ declares, that it is impossible to read the descriptions which Herodotus and Diodorus Siculus have left of the temple of Jupiter Belus, without being struck _ with the features of resemblance which the Babylonian monument presents when compared with the teocallis of Anahuac, (vol. i., p. 353; also vol. ii., 145), 176 Silbury. about 90 feet in perpendicular height, and 140 feet on the slope.’ Another of nearly equal size exists at Guatemala,’ and others are to be seen at Uxmal, Papantla® and Palenque:4 but at Cholula stands by far the largest of all, in perpendicular height 177 feet ; its base 1423 feet long, twice as long as the great pyramid of Cheops; while it covers no less than 44 acres, and the platform on its truncated summit embraces more than one.® At this day it is called “the mountain made by the hands of man;” and in the interior were found considerable cavities which served for sepulchres: the discovery of which was owing to accident not ten years ago.® But in addition to those enumerated we can point to many mounds of great size and undoubtedly sepulchral. Thus in the valley of Mexico, eight leagues N.E. from the capital, lies a plain which . from the vast group of sepulchral tumuli which it contains, bears the name of “ Micoatl” or “the Path of the Dead.”? Here are two larger tumuli dedicated to the Sun and the Moon, and these are surrounded by several hundreds of smaller mounds, which serve, according to the tradition of the natives, as burial places for the chiefs of the tribes,® just as around the larger pyramids of Egypt 1 Incidents of travel in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatan, by Stevens and Catherwood, p. 81. 2Tdem, p. 365. 8Idem, p. 511. 4TIdem, p. 418. 5 Prescott’s Conquest of Mexico, book iii., ch. i. See also vol, ii., p. 5, 6,— 67, for the vast mound at Mexico: p. 328—832, for the venerable pyramid of Teotihuacan : p. 123—124 for the teocallis: also 275—276: also vol. iii., p. 311. Lost Solar System of the Ancients discovered, i., 357. . 6 IT cannot forbear quoting the following passage from Mr. Helps’ ‘‘ Spanish Conquests of America” to show how profound an appreciation of the skill and perseverange of the aborigines in those parts, as displayed by their earthworks and buildings, that talented and very pleasing author entertains: He says, “Those who wish to study the Indians must turn to the ruins of the temples or the tombs at Mitla Palenque and Copan; must investigate the primeval remains of buildings to be found on the borders of the vast lake of Titicaca and the adjacent plain of Tiahuaco; must consider well the Pyramids of Papantla and Cholula ; and still further ponder over the clear signs of an early and consider- able civilization, which seems to have existed in a somewhat similar form in places so wide asunder as Canada and the banks of the Orinoco, (vol. i., p. 288: see also vol. ii., p. 141.) 7 Prescott’s Conquest of Mexico, vol. ii., p. 332, Lost Solar System of the Ancients discovered, vol. i. p. 355, ® The Barrow-diggers, note to p. 44. By the Rev. Al C. Saith. * 177 are the remains of many smaller ones in various stages of decay ; and around the gigantic tomb of Alyattes, stand a multitude of more humble barrows which cover the remains of the Lydian Kings,! and (may I not remind the reader ?) around Silbury, many sepulchral tumuli of smaller dimensions stud tke downs on all sides.2 There is also a very large tumulus at Grave Creek in Virginia, rising to the height of 70 feet, and measuring 1000 feet in circumference round the base. Another near Miamisburg, Montgomery County, Ohio, which is 68 feet in perpendicular height, and 852 feet in circumference at the base, and contains 311,353 cubic feet of earth: and that at Selserstown, Mississippi, which is computed to cover six acres of ground: in addition to the innumerable smaller mounds which stud the prairies; those in Ross _ County, Ohio, amounting to about 10,000, while they are scarcely _ less numerous in Virginia and the Kenhawas and other districts.? Again, beyond the Alleghanies exist many large sepulchral tumuli, the work of unknown nations; and many of them have been found _ to contain hunian bones. There is one near Wheeling 70 feet in height, between 380 and 40 rods in circumference, and 180 feet at the top. There is also a numerous group at the Chaokin, about 200 in all, the largest of which is 90 feet high, and 800 yards in circuit: the skulls found in these mounds are said to resemble those found in Peru.t In the Western States, Davies and Squier have made accurate measurements of 90 tumuli or mounds, and have excavated 115; and as a climax to the evidence in favour of ‘the sepulchral theory here at least, I may state that among the larger mounds in the Southern States of the American Union which have been opened by Dickenson, one of them proved to be a vast cemetery, containing ‘many thousand human skeletons.5 In South America too, vast mounds of an irregular or more frequently oblong shape, penetrated by galleries running at right angles to each other, were heaped by 1 Encyclopedia Metropolitana, vol. xxiii. a ? Stukeley’s Abury, p. 40. _ #* Ancient chambered Tumuli,” by Rey. H. M. Scarth, p, 7. Lost Solar System of the Ancients discovered, ii., 255. 4 Lost Solar System of the Ancients discovered, iy ii,, 243. 5 Lost Solar System of the Ancients discovered, ties 256, » VII.——-NO. XX. R 178 Silbury. the Peruvians over their dead, whose dried bodies or mummies have been found in considerable numbers, sometimes erect, but more often in the sitting posture common to the Indian tribes of both continents. Lastly, even in New South Wales, we find tumuli of earth and of very considerable dimensions, though these are of comparatively recent construction:? and in the island of Otaheite large sepul- chral cairns of stone are to be seen, called “ Morai,” the largest of which is a huge pile, said to measure 50 feet in height, 270 in length, and 94 in width.’ And now to sum up the evidence of all these witnesses of various nations and languages before us, what is the verdict to which they seem to lead us? We have seen that barrows ofa very large size, as well as of inferior proportions, exist in almost every country, from North and South America to the Steppes of Tartary, in the country of the Hottentots, and in the interior of New South Wales: and that while the intention of the smaller ones was un- doubtedly to commemorate the dead interred beneath, many of the larger ones which have been thoroughly explored have been proved to have had the same object. We have seen that the simple earthwork, (such as Silbury) was the most primitive method of commemorating their deceased chieftains among the earliest races in most countries, but as they advanced in civilization they some- times supported their earthworks with brick (as in the case of the tombs, etc. of Babylon and Nineveh, the feocallis of Central America, and the Dagobahs of Ceylon), or they substituted stone, as in the Pyramids of Egypt. We have seen moreover that these — earthworks (whose object, as monuments of the dead interred beneath, has been proved beyond dispute by excavation) have in many cases assumed proportions, not only as large as, but very much more gigantic than those of Silbury. And we have seen that the method of interment, and the position of the remains within themound 1 Prescott’s Conquest of Peru, vol. i., chap. 3., p. 86. 2 British Critic, vol. xvii., New Series, p. 493, A.D., 1818. See Oxley’s Journal of two expeditions into the interior of New South Wales, in 1817, 1818. (Murray) 1820. ’ Lost Solar System of the Ancients discovered, ii., 233. By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 179 were as varied as the races who have adopted this simple mode of commemoration ; the sepulchral chamber having been found at the side of the tumulus, and towards every point of the compass, almost as frequently as in the centre of the mound. With so many proofs, facts, and examples before us, and arguing from analogy, I confess that I entertain a very decided opinion that Silbury too was a place of sepulture ; for what exter- nal features had many of these sepulchral tumuli which Silbury has not P and why may not our mound contain a goodly cromlech, perhaps several, not placed indeed in the centre, but at the side, where they were easily accessible to those who had the clue to their exact position ; but for want of which we might long hunt in vain. I own that I can discover no satisfactory argument against _ such a supposition. Butif it be still contended that the sepulchral _ theory is “not proven,” I ask what more probable solution to the difficulty can be given? we shall then be either driven to the . astronomical or stellar theory,' which I for one must look upon as fanciful and cannot at all accept: or we must consider it asa _ mount of worship and sacrifice,’ which for the reasons given above Ido not think probable: or as a post of observation, or beacon,? 1See ‘‘ Druidical Temples of Wilts,” by the Rev. E. Duke, whose theory of a _ stationary orrery on our downs on a meridional line, extending North by South sixteen miles, with the planets, seven in number, supposed to revolve round ‘Silbury, deserves credit for its ingenuity, however little it may convince our judgment. [Salisbury Journal, p. 6.] _ * The author of the ‘‘ Lost Solar System of the Ancients discovered” suggests ‘the possibility of the sacrifices of human victims made by the Druids on the pl atform of Silbury, similar to those related by the Spaniards to have been made on the platform of the ¢eocallis when Cortez arrived in Mexico, reminding us that the Druids were much addicted to human sacrifices, and that we have it on esar’s authority that Britain was the stronghold of Druidism, but I trust that this conjecture (though I feel bound to record it) will find no favour amongst ur Wiltshire Antiquaries, (ii., 165). 3In his very interesting description of the antient tumular cemetery at Lamel-Hill near York, printed in the Journal of the Archeological Institute for 1849, Dr. Thurnam well observes, that not only were miouads raised in early ‘ as exploratory posts or beacons, but that tumuli, really of a sepulchral n, were also thus applied, (vol. vi., p. 28). And Sir R. C. Hoare in his Ancient Wilts has the following passage :—‘‘ A little to the West of Alfred’s Tower is a large mound of earth, vulgarly called Jack’s Castle, and generally considered R 2 ‘ 180 ; Silbury. whence to keep watch, to guard against surprize, and to signal to similar eminences, which the nature of the surrounding hills en- tirely forbids us to suppose: or asa place of assembly for judicial and legislative purposes,! for which we have no authority whatever ; though I am quite aware that these large tumuli having been found convenient, were sometimes made use of in this way: but I have yet to learn that we have any direct evidence of their being erected for such objects, against which the labour and necessary expense would strongly militate, when any natural eminence would answer the purpose equally well. And surely, however inconclusive and unsatisfactory arguments from analogy may be, I submit that they are not without their force, especially if considered in connexion with other arguments such as I have used above: therefore I take leave to regard Silbury as nothing else than a sepulchral tumulus of colossal dimensions, in short a gigantic barrow, and containing the bones or ashes of some renowned Briton, but whether the tomb of the illustrious founder of Avebury 2 (as Stukeley asserts), or the as one of these beacons, where in former times fires were lighted to alarm the neighbourhood on the approach of an enemy : * And flaming beacons cast their beams afar, The dreadful signal of invasive war.’ Its elevated situation over the great forest of Selwood, commanding a distant view of the Severn, was well adapted to such a purpose, and might have been so used, but I always had considered its original destination to have been sepul- chral, oa so, on opening, it proved to be,” “al +) 09. 1 The famous Tynwald, or Judicial Hill, in the Isle of Man, celebrated as the place whence the laws of the island have been promulgated from an unknown period of antiquity, and where the kings were crowned, is no exception to this, as in the first place its primary object and date are unknown, and again its form and comparatively small size suggest no comparison with our own Silbury ; for it is described as a round hill of earth, 300 feet in circumference, cut into terraces, and ascended by steps of earth, like a staircase. [‘‘ Train’s History of the Isle of Man,” ‘‘Lost Solar System of the Ancients discovered” ii., 20. Mr. Long’s “‘ Abury ” illustrated, in Wilts Magazine, iv., 340.] 2 Stukeley records the custom of the country people meeting on the top of © Silbury every Palm Sunday, when they make merry with cakes, figs, sugar, ~ and water fetched from the Swallow-head, or spring of the Kennet near the foot of the mound (Abury, p. 44); and Sir R. C. Hoare remarks that the habit of ascending to the summits of hills on Palm Sunday is not confined to Silbury, : for it prevails on another conspicuous eminence, in South Wilts, viz. Clea Hill, 4 i ‘e of é By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 181 monument of some mighty warrior, is not so easy to determine. Mr. W. Long in his admirable article on Abury (the most compre- hensive, lucid, and accurate account which I have ever seen on the _ subject), records the tradition, which Stukeley too hastily seized, of an iron bit being discovered, supposed to belong to the horse buried with its master:! and there is at this day a local tradition that a horse and rider, the size of life, and of solid gold, yet remain below; and though this of course bears on its face evidence of the vulgar notion that the precious metals® alone must be the object of so much search and expense in opening tumuli, yet it is a curious circumstance that the tradition embodies a fact, that it was the custom of barbarians to bury horses with deceased chieftains, as is not only distinctly stated by Herodotus ® of the ancient Scythians, near Warminster (Ancient Wilts, ii, 80). To which I may add that the custom _ still prevails, not only with regard to Silbury, which is to this day thronged every Palm Sunday afternoon by hundreds from Avebury, Kennet, Overton and the adjoining villages, but that the same thing occurs at Martinsall and several other eminences in North Wilts. 1 Wiltshire Magazine, vol. iv, p. 389. Stukeley’s Abury, p. 41. Sir. R. C. _ Hoare’s Ancient Wilts, ii, 81. 2Until Matlow or Mattilow Hill, the large and well known tumulus of _ Cambridgeshire was examined in 1852, under the superintendence of the Hon. RB. C. Neville, afterwards Lord Braybrooke, the popular tradition, implicitly . _ believed among the labouring classes thereabouts for many years was, that it contained a gold coach. I may also here remark in passing, that though, with ‘such unusual allurements to whet their curiosity, that tumulus had. been more than once explored, (shafts having been driven horizontally on the Eastern side, and sunk perpendicularly from the top,) it was not till Lord Braybrooke turned it over regularly from end to end, advancing from the Southern extremity that human bones, and urns, (which he describes as resembling those so frequently taken from the large Wiltshire tumuli) were discovered near the Eastern, Western, Southern, and South-Western extremities. [Archeological Journal, x., 226.] *Melpomene, cap. 71. Compare with this description of the burial of a Scythian King by Herodotus, the following account of the burial of Harald the : ‘‘ King Ring searched for the corpse, when he had proclaimed a truce: a great mound was then raised, and the horse which had drawn Harald during i Yorway and Sweden.” [Anders Pryxeli’s Sweden. Lost Solar System of the Ancients discovered, ii., 252. Archwologia, vol. xxx., art. xxi. lawlinson’s Herodotus, iii., 62.] 182 Silbury. by Cesar! of the Gauls, and by Tacitus of the Germanic races : but Mr. Kemble, with his usual accurate research, has collected abun- dant evidence that the same custom prevailed in different ages among the Tschudi of the Altai?; the Tartars of the Crim;* the Celtic tribes in Gaul and Britain; the Franks, as evidenced in Childeric’s grave; the Saxons, as proved by constant excavation ; and the Northmen, as we read in all the Norse Sagas, and find in innumerable Norse graves. It was common also to the Sclavonic tribes of the Russ in the 10th century ;* to the Lithuanians ; Letts; Wands; and the Ugrian population of the Finns.® Nor is it a practice in vogue amongst uncivilized nations only in days gone by, for we are told that the people of Assam in India beyond the Ganges are still accustomed to bury horses, elephants, camels and hounds with their Kings; and the Abipones of South America, when a chief or warrior dies, kill his horses on the grave:® and Washington Irving mentions the burial of a child, among the American Indians, with whom were buried all her playthings, and a favourite little horse that she might ride it in the land of spirits. So that after all, if Silbury was reared over the ashes of some mighty chieftain, it is most probable that his horse was buried there too.” I come now to the most perplexing part of my subject, the probable date of the erection of Silbury; and here, (I fear) we are and for the present must be contented to remain very much in the dark: still we have (I think) certain threads of more or less consist- 1Comment., lib. vi., c. 19. ‘‘ Funera sunt, pro cultu Galloram magnifica et sumptuosa ; omniaque, que vivis cordi fuisse arbitrantur, in ignem inferunt, etiam animalia.” 2 Ledebour Reise, i., 231. 3 Lindner, p. 92. 4See Frahn’s edition of Ibn Foylan’s Travels, p. 104. > Mac Pherson’s Kertch, p. 77. 6 Lost Solar System of the Ancients discovered, ii., 252. 7 An interesting discovery of horse shoes near the foot of Silbury, apparently Roman, and recorded in the Archeological Journal, (vol. xi., 65), has misled some with the false report of these relics having been disinterred from the interior of the mound: whereas one was found on Beckhampton Down, two miles from Silbury ; another at the foot of the hill ; and another a short distance to the N.W. of it: their obvious connexion with the locality being only with ~ the Roman road-which ran at the base of the hill. a By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 183 ency to guide us, which lead us back towards the maze of antiquity, and enable us to refer its origin to a very remote period. In the first place I am strongly of opinion that Stukeley! and Sir Richard Hoare? were correct in their assertion that the Roman road was turned from its usually straight course a little to the South of Silbury, to avoid passing through it; and though Rickman * denies that it was so turned, and Mr. W. Long‘ entertains the same opinion, yet I would ask with the late Dean of Hereford ° that people should stand at the hillock or grave where the present Bath road crosses the Roman road half-a-mile West of Beckhampton, and judge for themselves, whether or no the latter does not deflect to the right to avoid Silbury, and whether, if it had not done so, it would not have cut the hill at one third of its base.6 I have very carefully examined the ground, and followed the road over and over again at all seasons of the year, but more especially in winter, at the beginning of a thaw, when the snow which is melted from the surrounding fields, clings somewhat longer to the old road, and marks its course most unmistakeably. And I have the strong corroborative testimony cf Mr. Pinniger, through whose land at Beckhampton the road runs, and who, living on the spot, has con- tinual opportunities of observation at all seasons, and who will bear me out in my assertion, that the crops of corn ripening somewhat earlier on the track of the Roman road than in the surrounding fields, mark its course just before harvest very clearly. Now at both these. seasons we can trace the old road much nearer to Silbury than at any other time of the year, and the testimony of all those who have had their attention called to it agrees in affirming that even East of Beckhampton the road runs straight for Silbury, but afterwards turns Southward to avoid it. In reply to 1 Abury, p. 48. 2 Ancient Wilts, ii., 70. 3 Archeologia, vol. xxviii., p. 401, 402, 409. 4 Wiltshire Magazine, iv., 340—341. 5 Salisbury Journal of the Archeol. Institute, p. 81. ®Tdem, p. 92. The author of the ‘‘ Lost Solar System of the Ancients dis- covered,” also declares that the Roman road diverges South to avoid Silbury Hill, and then continues its direct course, (i., 417). 184 Silbury. Mr. Long’s argument that a line ruled on the Ordnance Map between Overton Hill and Morgan’s Hill would pass to the South of Silbury, and that therefore Stukeley’s view, [‘‘ that the Roman road in its course from Overton Hill to Runway Hill (or Morgan’s Hill) should have passed directly through Silbury Hill, wherefore they curved a little Southward to avoid it” is incorrect: I would submit, that the ridge of steep downs which the road has to cross between Morgan’s Hill and Beckhampton forbad so direct a line as the Romans delighted in where practicable, and that the road is necessarily turned considerably to the South by the sharp back- bone of down, along which it runs, long before it approaches Beck- hampton: but that on descending to the more level plain in which Silbury stands, it makes directly for the very centre of the hill. And again on the East of Silbury, the small fragment of Roman road which remains points straight for the middle of our mound, and I apprehend that a line connecting those nearest portions of the Roman road which still exist East and West of the hill, would pass directly through the middle of Silbury. Again, we must remember that the Roman road from Bath to London, passing through Spye Park and Verlucio or Wans, and crossing Morgan’s Hill, did not make for the town of Marlborough, but for the lower Cunetio or Mildenhall, considerably to the North of Marlborough : and a straight line ruled on the Ordnance Map from Milden- ’ hall to Verlucio will be found to bisect Silbury: the generaé direct line therefore seems to be kept throughout, though the nature of the ground may cause here and there a divergence. Moreover I apprehend that though the plough has now effaced all traces of the Roman road throughout a great part of its course over our downs, the case was otherwise 150 years since, and that when Stukeley described its course as making directly for Silbury and then curving Southwards to avoid it, and published the sketches which he made on the spot to aid his description, he was making no imaginary drawings or assertions, but only describing what he could see clearly before him; whereas at this date and under present cir- cumstances, we can only conjecture where the road passed, from those fragments of it which we see at some distance on either side By: the Rev. A. C. Smith. 185 of the hill! Now it is manifest that if this opinion is correct, Silbury must be of anterior date to the formation of the Roman road, and consequently prior to the occupation of this country by the Romans. Moreover, this is not a solitary instance of the respect with which the Romans in Britain treated barrows, (a respect the more marked from their general unwillingness to deviate for any consideration from the invariable straight line,) for the course of the Roman road from Old Sarum to Ad Axium, (opposite Brean Down, the Port on the Severn,) diverges in like manner, as Sir Richard Hoare? has shown, and as Mr. Scarth has pointed out in his able paper on “ Ancient Sepulchral Tumuli.”* But, not- withstanding what Mr. Rickman.and “Cyclops Christianus ” may have said in disparagement of its age, it is probable that Silbury was already of considerable antiquity long before the Roman road was planned. By some it has been held to be the work of the Belge, those marauding invaders, who, landing on the Southern coasts, _ gradually penetrated farther and farther inland: but if the Wans- dike was (as is generally allowed) the fourth and last of the great boundary ditches which they formed as they increased their _ territory and advanced more and more into the heart of the country _ from the South, and if it defines the most Northern limit which the _ Belgic kingdom ever attained; it is obvious that they never reached so far as Silbury, which lies two miles or more to the North of _Wansdike; and even if they sometimes passed their border, it is ‘not to be supposed they would have selected the enemy’s country, as the site of so gigantic a work. Again, the absence of all relics, ‘and the blank results of the tunnel in 1849 have been adduced by some in conclusive proof of the non-sepulchral origin of Silbury : but I think that those who hold the opposite view, and still main- tain their belief in the existence of interments therein, may fairly argue from the same grounds in favour of its great antiquity: for -1See Stukeley’s Maps of the Roman road curving round Silbury in his work on Abury, Tab. viii., p. 15, Tab. xxvii., p. 52. 2Ancient Wilts, ii., 39. 3 Page 6. 4Sir R. C. Hoare’s Ancient Wilts, ii, 16,18: et seq: Stukeley’s Itinerarium iosum, i, 184, 181. Archeological Journal, xvi. 157. 186 Silbury. when the only substances of which the arms and domestic imple- ments of the primitive races were formed, were of bone or of flint and stone, we can readily imagine that comparatively few of that sort would be met with, their probable scarcity, and the obvious difficulty of recognizing them being considered; whereas when bronze and iron came into use, particles at least of those metals, from their greater durability and greater likelihood to attract observation on the part of the antiquary, would, in so large an excavation, have in all probability come to light had they existed at the period of the raising of the mound. Therefore, though I by no means attach great weight to the argument, it may, (I think) be fairly stated, and weighed for as much as it is worth, that the absence of even the smallest particles of bronze or iron indicates a period prior to the age of metals. And as the absence of all relics seems to me to bespeak its antiquity, so no less does the absence of all allusion to the hill in old writers point the same way: for had it been thrown up during the age of letters, or had even the tradition of its erection, its date, its founders, or its object come down to the period when the Romans occupied this country, it is inconceivable that no men- tion of so grand a work would have been made: whereas I can easily imagine, that when no record and no tradition of its intention existed, and the very memory of the race who raised it had passed away, and the Romans found it the same grand but mysterious tumulus, which we see it to be now, they might easily pass it by without mention, having indeed nothing to record regarding it. Moreover, we have seen that the simple earthwork unsupported by stone or brick, was the most early method of commemorating their dead, among nations the most uncivilized, and of the greatest anti- quity: indeed if it be true that the Cimmerians when expelled from the shores of the Euxine (as Homer relates) proceeded West; were called Celts and Gauls; spread over France and England,! and were our British ancestors, as some have conjectured; we know that their practice was to heap a vast tumulus of earth over their dead long before the Scythians took possession of their country, a recol- lection of which custom they must have carried with them when 1 Antiquities of Kertch, by Dr. Mac Pherson, p. 2. = ae By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 187 they migrated westwards B.C. 1500;! and may have bequeathed to their descendants here. But it is idle to speculate farther on such uncertain data, with no reliable proofs to guide us, though it would add immensely to its interest to feel assured (what in reality is not unlikely) that Silbury is contemporaneous with the siege of Troy, the wanderings of Ulysses, and the period when Jephtha judged Israel. I have purposely deferred to this place all mention of other British mounds of large dimensions, because I cannot discover that any of them have been explored internally, and therefore they can throw no light on our subject, but stand in the same category as Silbury, and what applies to one will be applicable in great degree to all, for I entertain the opinion that they were almost all thrown up for sepulchral purposes, to whatever uses they may after- wards have been applied. I cannot however close this paper without giving a brief account of some of the largest with which I am acquainted. ‘ The first to which I call attention is Cruckbarrow Hill, three _ miles 8.E. of Worcester, and in the chapelry of Whittington or Witenton: it forms from its situation a very conspicuous feature in the landscape, but differs from Silbury in not being entirely artificial, as it is evidently raised on a pre-existing natural emi- nence of red marl, the prevailing soil of the surrounding country. It is of an irregular elliptical form, and only rises at all abruptly on the East and South sides, the first rise from the natural eminence on the North being so gradual, that only a conventional line can be taken in measuring the entire circumference: it is but forty- eight feet in perpendicular height,? though it has a circumference 1 Perhaps the date I have given is scarcely early enough. Bateman says that scholars and chronologists assign the date B.C. 2100 for the passage of the Celts across the Thracian Bosporus ; and B.C. 1600 for their immigration to England. * When I read this paper before the Society at Avebury, I erroneously stated that Cruckbarrow exceeded Silbury in dimensions, as I relied on the measure- ment given in a printed guide book of the locality, and very kindly re-exam- ined by the author at my particular desire, and repeated by him. But the _ figures given seemed so strangely at variance, that I could not satisfy myself _ without personal examination: and I subsequently made a pilgrimage to Wor- ester for the express purpose of measuring this tumulus, when I found the 188 Silbury. at the base of 1428 feet. The tradition on the spot is that this tumulus is the burying place of those who fell in a great battle fought in the neighbourhood ages ago: and one old man (John Richards) asserts that many years since bones were dug up there: it is supposed however by the historian of the neighbourhood? to have been “erected by Celtic hands as a sacrificial mount of worship to one of their deities, and that it was used by the Saxons as a place of assembly for judicial and legislative purposes at a later period,” and he grounds his opinion, partly on the large space on the summit, capable of accommodating a vast assembly, and partly on the “name of the adjacent village of Witenton, which may imply that the Witen or Witenagemot of the Saxons had here their place of meeting.” I cannot however coincide with this opinion, at least as regards the primary object of the hill, though it may have served both these purposes in the course of ages. Another large tumulus existed not long since in the same county, but is now unfortunately destroyed, called ‘‘Oswald’s Lowe” or “ Mount,” from which the laws of Oswald, Bishop of Worcester, are said? to have been pro- mulgated; and the name still exists in the hundred of “ Oswaldslow.” This mound lay between Norton and Stowton in Kemsey Parish, and its basis is declared by Aubrey to be as large as Bloomsbury Square. And there is yet another at Wick, near Pershore, described as “ of vast size,” and called Pridsur-Hill. Dorsetshire also boasts a mound of large proportions called “Shipton Barrow,” lying between Dorchester and Bridport: it is situated on an eminence, and is supposed to derive its name from its form, for from a distance it very much resembles a large boat or the hull of a ship turned keel upwards: the dimensions given by Hutchins are,’ length 749 feet, breadth at the top 161 feet, and slope of side 147 feet. The perpendicular height, and the angle of elevation are not given: but though Hutchins concludes his perpendicular height to be 48 instead of 150 feet, the circumference of the base 1423 instead of 1680 feet, and the angle of elevation 20° instead of 45°.—The diameter of the top measures 213 by 68 feet. 1 Pictures of Nature round the Malvern Hills,” by Edwin Lees, Esq. 2 History of Worcestershire, by Dr. Nash. 3 Hutchins’s History of Dorset. See also ‘‘ Barrow digger,” p. 49. j By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 189 notice of it by remarking that ‘it is 250 feet longer than Silbury bar- row in Wiltshire,” I am disposed to regard it as of less actual bulk, its oblong form and very inferior elevation being considered. There is also another barrow of considerable size in the same County, near Studland in the Isle of Purbeck, called ‘‘ Agglestone Barrow ;” on the top of which stands an enormous stone. The dimensions of this mound, as given by Hutchins, are, perpendicular height 90 feet: slope of side 300 feet: and the area it covers half an acre and 14 perch. And now I come back to Wiltshire, and mention the mound oF ee at Marlborough, alike mysterious in its origin, its purpose, and its date, though I cannot agree with the present Bishop of Calcutta in his statement that it was at any period of equal size with _ Silbury, mutilated and changed by its successive occupants _ though it undoubtedly has been. For though in Norman days it was used as a fortress, and in later times has been turned to account as a fitting site for the spiral walks and formal pleasure grounds wherein our ancestors two centuries ago delighted, yet we must not forget that it was thrown up by none of these, but bears as venerable an appearance, and as plain marks of Celtic origin as Silbury itself: and I doubt not that if thoroughly examined it would be found to contain the ashes of some man of renown in an age of which few traces now remain: for whether or no the British Merlin was buried here, and whether or no “ Merlin’s Barrow” gave a name to the town, (as has been asserted,’ “‘ Merlini tumulus.tibi Merlebrigia, nomen Fecit, testis erit Anglica lingua mihi ;”’) certain it is, that Merleberg was the original mode of spelling Marlborough (in Doomsday Book for instance, and in King John’s 1“ Antiquities of Marlborough College,” by Dr. G. E. Cotton, p. 9. Rickman says ‘“‘The area covered by this mount is about an acre and a quarter.” {Archeologia, vol. xxviii, p. 414.] Sir R. C. Hoare in describing it says, ‘It is inferior in proportions only to Silbury Hill:” (North Wilts, page 15), He gives its dimensions as 1000 feet in circumference of base, and 110 feet for diameter of top. *Gough’s Camden. Antiquities of Marlborough College, p. 7. Waylen’s History of Marlborough, p. 19. 190 Silbury. early charters), the latter syllable of which, the modern German for a mountain, clearly points to the tumulus hard by: moreover it has given to this day a crest to the Borough, to wit, “Ona wreath a mount vert, culminated by a tower triple-towered, argent.” In addition to these I may enumerate the following large tumuli;! in Hertfordshire one near Bishops Stortford ; in Bedfordshire one near Leighton Buzzard; in Berkshire two near Hampstead Marshall; in the North Riding of Yorkshire there are several, two of which are of considerable dimensions, the largest of which is called ‘‘ Rosebury Topping,” near Newton, between Stokesley and Guisborough: it is described as “flat on the top, and as large though not so high as Silbury.” In the County of Gloucester there is one in the Parish of Bromsberrow, called the “‘Conygre Hill” which (Mr. Lees informs me) is of about the same circumference, but of lower elevation than Silbury. In Surrey there are many barrows of large size: one on Collingley Ridge in the Parish of Frimley is described as “larger than any in Wilts except Silbury ; ” another at Horshill on the Heath; another West of Oxenford; and another to the West of the town of Chobham. In Essex, there is one near St. Giles’s Church, in the town of Colchester; in Kent one near Ashford; in the County of Hants one near Blackwarren; and in Suffolk six miles to the East of Ipswich, a large tumulus surrounded by six smaller ones. There are also barrows of large size, of whose strength and solidity advantage has been taken to convert them into suitable sites for castle keeps at Oxford, Thetford, Canterbury and Lewes, the two latter of which have been proved by recent excavations to contain human bones at their very base.? But the tumulus which most nearly approaches Silbury in size and proportions was raised in modern days over the remains of our Belgic allies who fell at Waterloo. This vast barrow of the 19th century occupies (as is well known) the centre of the field of battle, and though of less actual bulk than our Wiltshire mound, is of no 1Most of the larger tumuli mentioned here are taken from a list in an unpublished MS. of Aubrey in the Library of the Wilts Archeological and Natural History Society, at Devizes. 2 Wright’s Celt Roman and Saxon, p. 437. By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 191 insignificant dimensions. I have myself taken the measurements in the spring of the present year, with the tape and with the quadrant, so that I can speak with some certainty on the point. The sloping side is 270 feet; the circumference of the bottom 1632 feet; the diameter of the base 544 feet; the diameter of the top 40 feet; the perpendicular height 180 feet; and the angle of ele- vation 273°: so that with an altitude and circumference of base nearly identical with those of Silbury, it is only the inferior size of the platform on the top and the consequently lower angle of inclination, which bring its cubical contents below those of our Wiltshire mound. But not to linger over this modern colossus of graves, interesting though it is to compare it with our ancient giant among tumuli; I now bring my somewhat lengthy paper to a close, leaving it to the Members of the Wiltshire Archeological and Natural History Society to form their own opinions on the subject: only I would bespeak the respect of all Wiltshiremen for Silbury, which deserves our reverence from its antiquity, our admiration from its size, and our awe from the mystery which envelopes it. ALFRED CHARLES SMITH. Vatesbury Rectory, July, 1861. - 192 Che Flora of Wiltshire: COMPRISING THE Glowering Plints and Ferns indigenous to the County; By Tuomas Bruezs Frower, M.R.C.S., F.L.S., &., &e. No, VI. ORDER. CARYOPHYLLACEZ (JUSS). So named after Caryophyllus (the Clove Pink), which was anciently used as a generic name for many plants of this order. The Clove Pink was so called from its scent resembling that of the Indian spice (Caryophylion) or Clove. Karuophullon being a com- pound of karuon, an almond, and phullon, a leaf. Drantuus, (Linn.) Pryx, Linn. Cl. x. Ord. ii. Name derived from Dios (gen. of Zeus), Jupiter, and anthos, a flower: dedicated, as it were, to Deity itself, to express the high valne that was set upon this beautiful genus of plants ; ‘‘ Like that sweet flower that yields great Jove delight.” 1. D. Armeria, (Linn.) Deptford Pink. Engl. Bot. t. 317. Reich. Icones, vi. 249. Locality. Gravel pits, and borders of fields on a gravelly soil ; also in copses for the first year or two after they have been cut. A. Fl. July, August. Area, 1.**** - South Division. 1. South-east District, ‘Hedge banks about Alderbury,” Major Smith, and Mr. Joseph Woods. “ Hedges at Pitton,” Dr. Maton. “Near Milford,” Mr. James Hussey. Confined to the Southern portion of Wilts, and there rarely distributed. Limb of the petals rose coloured, speckled with white (not red as mentioned in E. B.); dots, crenate at the margin. Flowers scentless. Every species of Pink is interesting and beautiful, and even rare in the present day, By Thomas Bruges Flower, Esq. * “193 when extended cultivation leaves so few wild tracts to the botanist. By floriculture its petals have been enlarged and multiplied and its colours infinitely varied, but their beauties cannot be rendered permanent. Nature seems to have allowed her works to bear a temporary improvement only in order to create industrious habits in man her most noble and finished work. SaponartA, (Linn.) Soapwort. Linn. Cl. x. Ord. ii. Name from sapo soap, the plant yielding a mucilaginous juice which has been employed in place of that useful article. 1. S. officinalis, (Linn.) officinal or Common Soapwort. Engl. Bot. t.1060. Reich Icones, vi. 245. Sturm’s Deutschland’s Flora, 6.10. Locality. Roadsides, and hedge banks, especially near cottages. Rare. P. Fl. July, August. Ared, * 2. 3. 4.5. South Division. 2. South Middle District, ““ About Heytesbury,” Mr. Rowden. 3. South-west District, “Ditch banks at West Harnham,” Major | Smith. “Near Flintford, Corsley,” Miss Griffith. . ; North Division. 4. North-west District, ‘Chippenham not unfrequent,” Dr. Alex- ander Prior, and Mr. C. E. Broome. ‘“ Biddestone,” Miss Ruck, _“ Roadside at Netherstreet,” Miss L. Meredith. « Derry Hill and Sandy Lane,” Mr. Sole, M.S. Flora. 5. North-east District, Purton, and Lydiard Park wall near the “Mansion. “Great Bedwyn,” Mr. Bartieti. This plant has much the appearance of being naturalized through- out the county, being generally observed near houses or villages. Stems cylindrical, about eighteen inches high, each terminating in aroundish panicle of handsome blush coloured flowers, which have a sweetish though scarcely agreeable scent. The double variety is not uncommon in gardens. Flowers become double by the multi- _ plication of the parts of the corolline whorl. This arises in general | from a metamorphosis of the stamens. It is very common in the | Natural orders Ranunculacee, Papaveracee, Magnoliacee, Malvacee and Rosacee, whilst it is rare in Leguminose. The tendency to VOL. VII.—DO. XX. 8 7. 194 - The Flora of Wiltshire. produce double flowers is sometimes very strong, thus Kerria japonica in cultivation is never seen except with double flowers. Saponaria contains Saponine, which imparts to it saponaceous qualities. The same principle is found in species of Silene, Lychnis and Cucubalus. Sivene, (Linn.) CatcHrry. Linn. Cl. x. Ord. iii. Name. Supposed to be from Sialon, (Gr.) Saliva, in allusion to the viscid moisture on the stalks of many of the species, by which flies of the smaller kinds are entrapped, hence the English name of the genus Catchfly. ; 1. S. anglica, (Linn.) English Catehfly. Engl. Bot. ¢. 1178. Locality. Onarable land where the soil is light, sandy or gravelly. A. Fl. June, July. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. * South Division. 1. South-east District, ‘‘ Alderbury near Salisbury,” Mr. Joseph Woods, and Mr. James Hussey. ‘‘ Amesbury,” Dr. Southby. 2. South Middle District, “Sandy cornfields near Market Laving- ton,” Miss L. Meredith. 3. South-west District, “Cornfields near Corsley,”’ Miss Gritth North Division. | 4. North-west District, “Bowden Hill,” Dr. Alewander Prior, and — Mr. C. E. Broome. ‘Cornfields near the Old Horse and Jockey, Kingsdown,” Fora, Bath. One of the most inconspicuous of its genus, it will possibly prove to be more frequent throughout Wilts than the above: area of distribution indicates. 2. S. nutans, (Linn.) Nottingham Catchfly. Engi. Bot. t. 460. Has been observed by Miss L. Meredith at Scratchbury Hill near Warminster, where it appears to have been introduced. But no- where is it seen in greater perfection by the collecting botanist than upon the brow of the once rude, now tufted and glowing heights of Encombe, in the adjoining county, (Dorset). When night has hidden the glories of the garden it expands its narrow petals, and fills the whole air and every breeze with most deliciou fragrance. By Thomas Bruges Flower, Esq. 195 3. 8. inflata (Sm.) inflated Catchfly, Bladder Campion. Engl. - Bot. t. 164. Locality. Gravel pits, borders of fields, and road sides. Common. P. Fil. June, August. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. General in ail the Districts. _ Avery frequent plant in cornfields and pastures, especially in chalky and calcareous soils, Stem and leaves very glaucous, the latter somewhat fleshy. Calyx beautifully veined with purple and green. A variety having the stem and leaves rough, with hairs and calyx downy, is sometimes met with. 8. noctiflora, (Linn.) Night flowering Catchfly, though not as yet recorded for Wilts, should be searched for in the Southern Districts. _ So closely resembling starved plants of ZLychnis vespertina (S.) that it is probably overlooked. Lycunis, (Linn.) Campion Lycunts. Linn. Cl. x. Ord. iv. Name. From the Greek (/uchnos) a lamp, in allusion to the _ brilliancy of some of the species, e.g. ‘ L. Chaleedonica,” the scarlet Lychnis of gardens. 1. L. Mos cuculi, (Linn.).Meadow Lychnis, or Ragged Robin. Engl. Bot. t. 573. Reich. Icones, 5129. Locality. In wet places, in meadows, and in woods, frequent throughout the county. P. £. May, June. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. This plant is called Ragged Robin from the finely cut or ragged appearance of its petals, and Cuckoo-flower, in common with several other plants that blossom about the time this weleome and merry messenger of spring begins its monotonous song. “The agreement between the blowing of flowers, and the ' periodical return of birds of passage” says Mr. Curtis in his excel- lent “ Flora Londinensis” “has been attended to from the earliest ages. Before the return of the seasons was exactly ascertained by Astronomy, these observations were of great consequence in pointing out stated times for the purposes of agriculture, and still in many a cottage, the birds of passage and their corresponding flowers assist in regulating the short and simple Annals of the Poor.” 2s 196 The Flora of Wiltshire. For this reason no doubt we have several other plants that in different places go by the name of Cuckoo-flower. Gerarde says Cardamine pratensis, is the true Cuckoo-flower. Shakspeare’s Cuckoo-buds are of “yellow hue,” and are probably Ranunculus or Crow-foot. By some the Orchis, Arum, and Oxalis, or Wood-sorrel are all called after the Cuckoo. Some interesting observations respecting the coincidence of the flowering of particular plants, and the arrival of certain birds of passage may be seen in Stillingfleet’s “Tracts relating to Natural History,” &c. Fourth Edition, p. 148, and ‘ Loudon’s Mag. of Natural History,” vol. i. p. 17. 2. L. diwrna, (Sibth.) Day-flowering, Red Campion. The English Campion so called from Campus, (Lat.) or the French Champ. Engl. Bot. t. 1579. Reich. Icones, vi. 304. St. 238. Li. dioica. a. (Linn.) Locality. Damp hedge banks, and in moist or shaded situations. Common. B. (?) Fl. June, September. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Generally distributed throughout the county, less frequent in the Southern or chalky Districts, preferring rather moist situations par- ticularly where the subsoil is clay or gravel. Linnzeus confounded this with the following species under his “ L. divica,” but though mutually deficient in the development of their floral organs, the same plant rarely perfecting both stamens and pistils, such is the difference of their habit that independent of colour they would scarcely be associated by the most indifferent observer. 3. L. vespertina, (Sibth.) Evening flowering, White Campion. Engl. Bot. t. 1580. Reich. Icones, vi. 304. St. 2389. L. dioica, 8 (Tann.) Locality. Hedge banks, cultivated ground, borders of fields and amongst corn. Very frequent. B. (?) #7. June, September. Area, 1. 2.3.4.5. General in all the Districts. A more robust plant than the preceding species, with larger white or pale blush coloured flowers, diffusing towards evening and at the approack of rain an agreeable fragrance, which is never perceptible in those of L. diurna, (Sibth.) Well distinguished by the leaves being of a denser substance and more lanceolate than ovate, by its conical not globular capsule, with erect not reflexed teeth. It seems to prefer ' By Thomas Bruges Flower, Esq. 197 an open habitat, abounding in fields and exposed pastures, especially in a chalky soil, where the Red Campion rarely intrudes. Both L. diurna (Sibth.), and vespertina (Sibth.), vary in colour from red to white and from white to red. 4. L. Githago, (Lam.) Corn Cockle, Corn Campion, Wild Nigella, Git vel Gith, n. indecl. a small seed. (Ainsworth.) The Gith of the Romans was Nigella sativa, the seeds of which plant they used as the moderns do pepper. Ago in botany, when it terminates a word, usually denotes resemblance, thus, Gith—ago, Medic—ago. Agrostemma (Linn.) Engl. Bot. t. 741. St. 5. 6. Locality. In cornfields on a dry soil. A. FV. June, August. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 8. A frequent plant in cornfields throughout Wiltshire, but probably introduced. This is a very troublesome weed and should be erad- icated by hand before it comes into flower. The seeds are large and heavy, and their black husks when mixed with wheat, breaking so fine as to pass the bolters, renders the flour specky. They are : therefore obnoxious to the millers and depreciate the sample of corn. Sacina, (Linn.) PEarLworru. Linn. Cl. iv. Ord. iii. Name. From Sagina, nutriment, it being supposed fattening to cattle, though perhaps originally designating some nutritious sort of grain. 1. 8. pro-cumbens, (Linn.) procumbent Pearlwort., Engi. Bot. t. 880. Reich. Icones, v. 201. Locality. On sandy ground, walks, grass plots and beds of of neglected gardens, as well as on shady walls and gravelly banks everywhere. P. Fi’. May, September. Area, 1. 2, 3. 4. 5. A common weed:in all parts of the county. It sometimes occurs with five sepals, five petals and five stamens, often without petals with a five sepaled calyx, ten stamens and five pistils, thus ypproaching to Spergula. The calyx and other parts of the flower appear in this case to increase at the expense of the corolla, the atter however is often wanting without an augmentation of the her parts. Few plants assume a greater variety of appearance 198 The Flora of Wiltshire. than this, but in all situations the singular appearance of the seed vessels placed on the calyx like a cup on a saucer, will easily distinguish it. It is a native everywhere throughout Europe, on the north-west coast of America and on the banks of the Columbia. 2. S. apetala, (Linn.) apetalous, or small flowered Pearlwort. Engl. Bot. t. 881. Reich Icones v. 200. Locality. On wall tops, and waste barren ground, frequent.