The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-01-04 00:00:00

ANNUAL MEETING OF THE DORSET
COUNTY MUSEUM.

The general annual meeting of the members of this
inititution was held at the Musemu iiii Friday last.
The attendance was very small, and the business of
the ordinary routine character.
F. 1.7,9., having been requested to take
the chair, called upon one of the secretaries present,
the Rev. e. W. Bingham, to read the ttttt Re-
port of the Council, which was read accordingly.
follows -

" The Council trust that the proceedings of the root
year wail be ileemed not altogether unsatisfactory. Mr.
Bally's valuable oerviees vivre again secured early in the
year to complete the arrangement and naming of the
fossils, which he was :sigma' as to increase by a serii, of
Pal:co:dee specimens brought by 1n.,. from Ireland. 'floe
collection, which has been liereti,fore practically ib.e.
le:s, is now rendered available for scientific purposes.
The eminent naturalist, Professor Owen, in tompaily
with the Earl of Enniskillen, visited thiroetshire in
the emir:ea the summer, and thus reconleil 16+1.0111011
of it : -.• The 11111.1,11111 is rich in the variety Anil fine
comfit of it, fos.do, which liililies are better than
mere 111111Ihet Ara... Miens. It will attract, I hope,
whatever ti.dural of antiquarian curiosity limy
covered in the vicinity, and 1111 rival, as an instrument in
the advance of knowledge, #ny other local
Dur,•ltests r kift made a gmol logimmig, RIPt net merely
so, but • good progress. TIo. nuns of 104. kV. been
invested in the mirelome of a few Greek coins, for the
• arrangement .4 which we have Men again indebted to
ih.• gioal "niceo of our talented yousi.,.. fellow taia
I Jr. Ilandley tiw 4 'mined his I bought it
rahl.• to e ...... taking Tio. Chronicles and Me •
l'1•11, ‘,l I; c-it Ittitaill and I rel.n.l during the l.lle
ied by the authority of Iler Map•sty's
,stit y, 1111.1 et the li:realm, of the M ...ter of the Roils.'
tio,a,_.•t. the donationsof the year, the have to
I. o.l'l tht• rt,eiltati‘.ll by Mr. Walter Maiden, tif 1111 l e
relies of the won.l.gful extinct lord of the
rich tribe,. the AM ,Dr )ylllOllll. They al-0 have re•
eeivisl from .t• V. twraii,,, Esq., a well I,6.l..reed:mil
nicely 1111 l tinted fragment of the st,me roofing of the
Roman house, recently discovered at Dorchester I 'Asti...
This day a beautifully preserved British urnoliscovered
at tVinterbourne .%bbas, i,n the estste of William Man-
ti 1,1, Esq., has been kindly presented by that gentle-
man. The treasurer's report will show that the funds
bays! 11144141 Y fallen short of the requirements of the
year ; and the Council venture to suggest, for the con•
obligation of the members, the possibility of retrenching
to some extent the expenses of the Reading Room,
without appreciably interfering with its advantage,"
From the statement of accounts, also laid before
the meeting by the Rev. 4'. W. Bingham, it appeared
that the receipts for the year had been £145 9s. ,sl.,
and the expenditure .41.19 leaving a ha•
lame against the Institut' of .1:4 6s. 74.1. Mr.
Bingham said that the disbursements included the
sum of £22 165., which had been paid dieing the
year to Mr. Baily for arranging the fossils. That
might appear at firat sight a large
such an object ; but it W:l4 to lie la.rite iii I,
that the arrangement of the fossils was a matter of
adnunitted importance, and most materially aug•
menhsl their value to the Museum. Then they hail
a balance of lA, the surplus of a fund specially
raised for this pupate, which balance WaS lucre:veil
by the addition of .t:141, since subscribed for the
arrangement of these fossils ; so that there was only
the difference between 4:14 and £22 I6s. to be
provided for in a general way ; and lie believed
the members were unatiimoualy agreed that the
money an well expended. (Hear, hear.) As to
the trifling delicit 111 the account, that he looked
upon as not at all alarming ; if there were any diffi-
culty whatever about it, lie had no doubt that that
3111 11111 l t LW readily made up. (Hear.) Then,
if there were a alight retrogression in their affairs,
it might be ao far productive or good as to stimulate
to more active exertion the labours of the friends of ,
the iiiiititution.

(hi the motion of Mr. Robert Davis, seconded by
Capt. Griffiths, the report was ordered to be re•
ceived and adopted—then to be printed and circu-
lated under the direction of the secretary.
The CHAIRMAN having called the attention of
the meeting to the next hinnies before them, which
wit.' the deal ~,, of members to the Cinuicil, in the
place of the outg ~,,, g members. Mr. Nloule, Mr.
(unite. Mr. C.imbriffize, and Mr. Thompson, those
gentlemen were . sly re elcited.
The CH AIICM AN then said he begged to propose
Mr. Coonilm in the room of the late Mr. Bridge, a
gentbman who, he was quite sure. would give his
Aunt to the MIIRC , RIO who would be a great
acquisition .m account of the I. Sal history he had
taken up, and his general attai 11111 l oits in that par.
ticular branch of knowledge. lie felt sure. too. that
tin re:Ming-room would not stiller by electing NI r.
t'omulls as :I mendar of the I %Dulled of that institu-
tion.

.1. T. Sunk ro, seen:vied the pnymition,
which was.unant ttttt tptly carried.
The Rev.t. W. 111%nitau hope,l that Mr. Coombs
wool.' give them s •of his valuable titne.
The I ‘11:%1 -I have no doubt he will.

The liCy. W. It K, having resigned his ether
a* "use of the seeretaraes, was elected a viee.prusideat
01 the instituti.m. _

Some alterations were made in the hit of papers
taken iii; one copy of the illAteaa two,
was .1 to he sufficient for the future, and
the Mornisj was to he substituted for the
.Ifoesii.ij Amt. Ti.. Inst,Ta Flyiny Post WAS or-
liens( to Ito thseollttlattea ; and, in the ease of the
Pooh //, odd, there being moue doubt as to whether
or not -payment was expected for it, that paper was
t.. arioik,l whenever a lull for isty•
went should he presented.
The prop.sed a vote of thanks to the
Conned and Secretaries for their op:anon...l and
valuable services ; one of who-h functionaries, Mr.
lii ighat.,, represented them all, and everything con•
meted sill; them ; and lie (the was sure
the institution was di indebted to lion. The
C:,airman remarked that he should like to see a
better ;ittendanee of the Council hereafter.

Mr. 141 ,;II t M lirielly acknowiedged the
and a vote of thanks to the Chairman
Jutted the proceedings.

The interesting relic of antiquity presented to the
Nluseutu by William Nlantield, FAT, referred to in
the official report of the secretary, is a cinerary urn
elf noble dimensions, aml in a state of eacellent
preservation. It is somewhat larger than the urn
1. .l not long ago by some dint-diggers near
olelbury Castle, on l'herhill-ilown, Declaim, which
was regarded with much curiosity as a most interest-
ing antiquarian discovery, being very nearly equal in
magnitude to the fammoestonehenge urn. Few urns,
indeed, of the size of the one under notice, have ever
In-ten found. It is 16 inches high, 14i inches wide
at the broadest point, narrowed to 121 inches at the
mouth. Its capacity is equal to rather more than
live imperial gallons. The symmetry and proper.
tills of this urn are admirable, and really it is a mat-
ter of surprise that such a large vessel could have
been moulded by hand into so coi reel a form with.
out the aid of the potter, which certainly bail not
heen used. Its strength and lirmiiiiecsi are very re-
markable. When f I it WM inverted over
calcined hones and ashes of the &A-- a mode of in•
terliont c Meet with there test times. A brow!
Iserder of rude zigzag marking runs round the upper
part of the urn. From the style of this, ornament
and other features that cannot lie mistaken, it may
be safely clamed with theme remains which carry 113
hack Go the Celtic perils( of our history. The fool.
loiringis the inscription printed on card-boarel, and
suspended by the donor from the top rini of the
urn :

"Ihr lama r

FOUND AT WINTERIWURNE ARRAS,

IN Till Vol XTT oDoIItACT.

ON THE ESTATE oF WILLIAM MAXFIELD,

1,1 11111
I'ItEMENTEI) TO THE DoItsET I'oUNTV MUSEUM,

AT Matti!
I. Mlt , 14gt.

" Fehelms ossa quieseast."—Ovw.