IT is proposed to enlarge or reconstruct the ancient Church of Portskewet, Monmouthshire. The building is in sound condition, and with its remarkable old churchyard cross is a most venerable and picturesque object. Harold had a palace at Portskewet, and Mr. Freeman is inclined to believe not only that he was the founder of a church there, but that the existing structure is substantially his erection (see “Journal of British Archæological Association,” vol. x.). The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings will do well to watch the proceedings. Ham. _THE SUFFIX “HAM” NOT EXCLUSIVELY DERIVED FROM A TEUTONIC SOURCE, BUT OCCASIONALLY ALSO FROM THE CELTIC._ BY JAMES HURLY PRING, M.D. In a former volume of THE ANTIQUARIAN MAGAZINE (vol. iii. p. 127) I pointed out that the place-name _Hampton_ did not necessarily represent the Saxon “_home-town_,” as has so generally, yet erroneously, been assumed, but that the name is frequently derived also from _Avon_ or rather _Afon_, the Celtic word for water or a river, and that it ought, therefore, strictly to be _Afonton_. It was shown that this latter view was maintained by Camden, in evidence of which he cites Leland to prove that Hampton Court was anciently called Avon, as it appears in quoting from him the following lines:-- “Est locus insolito rerum splendore superbus Alluiturque vagâ Tamisini fluminis undâ; Nomine ab antiquo jam tempore dictus Avona.” “Where Father Thames his gentle stream rolls on, Avona called, an ancient name it bears.” GOUGH’S _Camden_, vol. ii. p. 78. Here, then, and throughout the paper referred to, it will be seen that _Ham_ is presented to us chiefly, if not solely, in its aspect as a prefix. It is now my intention to proceed to consider it more especially as a suffix, in which use the instances of it are far more numerous than those in which it is employed as a prefix. It would seem, then, as a suffix to be almost universally regarded as representing the Saxon “home,” and even Isaac Taylor himself gives no other than a Teutonic derivation for it. True it is that in this derivation he makes a distinction, dividing it into the two forms of hăm and hām, maintaining that the former signifies an enclosure, whilst the latter is “the Home.” Without venturing to question the accuracy of this distinction, it is to be regretted that (except, indeed, so far as may be guessed at from its associations) it leaves us without any rule whereby we may be enabled to distinguish the hām, the _geheim_ or home, from hăm an enclosure; whilst, as just stated, Taylor altogether omits to notice that there is yet another distinct source from which “ham” is derived, which is indeed in no respect Teutonic, but is clearly to be referred to the Celtic, as insisted upon both by Camden and by Leland.