History of Amesbury - Merrill.org

HISTORY OF AMESBURY. 9 1
At a town meeting held in the early part of the year ( date
wanting ) a large amount of business was transacted and, among
other things, the new town was named.
"At the seam metten the Towen have named this Towen
Amesbery."
There is little doubt that a large number of the original set-
tlers of Salisbury and Amesbury came from towns of the same
names in England. In fact, the two towns are as closely con-
nected there as here, and are said to be very pleasantly located.
Salisbury is specially noted for its elegant cathedral of ancient
build, and Amesbury for its Druid temple or anointed stone,
erected by the Druids at a very early period.
By the kindness of Mr. J. G. Whittier, we are enabled to
give a brief sketch of the ancient town of Amesbury in Eng-
land, and the origin of the name. The following is Mr. Whit-
tier's letter :
—
"Amesbury derives its name from Amesbury or Ambresbeery
in Wilts, England, on Salisbury plain, and near the great Dru-
idical temple of Stonehenge. The ancient Cymric name of
these stone circles was Emrys Avee, Ambres or Ambrosius, sig-
nigfying immortal or anointed stones.
The practice of anointing sacred stones is as old as history
or tradition. The Druidical stones in Cornwall were called
Dina's Emrys or the ' Anointed City.' In Genesis, chapter 28,
we are told that Jacob set up a stone in Bethel and poured
oil upon it. It is probable that Amber ( French Ambre ) means
Ambrosial or sacred, as it was used by the Druids. Gridley,
in his work on Stonehenge, says :
' It seems tolerably clear
that the ancient name of Stonehenge is preserved by the neigh-
boring town of Amesbury or Ambresbeery, as it was formerly
called.'
The old English town is venerable in appearance—the little
church, one of the oldest in that region. Here are situated
the abbey of Amesbeery, one of the first religious houses in
Great Britain. Tennyson, in his Idyls of the King, makes the
faithless queen of King Arthur, after her disgrace in connection
with Sir Lancelot, fly for refuge to 'the holy House of Ames-
bury.'