Volume 1

Berkeley manuscripts. Abstracts and extracts of Smyth's Lives of the Berkeleys, illustrative of ancient manners and the constitution; including all the pedigrees in that ancient manuscript. To which are annexed, a copious history of the castle and parish of Berkeley, consisting of matter never before published; and biographical anecdotes of Dr. Jenner / By Thomas Dudley Fosbroke, M.A. F.S.A.

  • Thomas Dudley Fosbroke
Date:
1821
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Berkeley manuscripts. Abstracts and extracts of Smyth's Lives of the Berkeleys, illustrative of ancient manners and the constitution; including all the pedigrees in that ancient manuscript. To which are annexed, a copious history of the castle and parish of Berkeley, consisting of matter never before published; and biographical anecdotes of Dr. Jenner / By Thomas Dudley Fosbroke, M.A. F.S.A. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    retained*; and, even in the Anglo-Saxon era, we find that Beorc- lea signified a country of far superior extent to the subsequent Berkeley Hyrnesse or Hundred. The Abbots of Westbury were denominated Abbots of Berkeley °. : Titherington, from the tesselated pavements and Sher remains, which have been there excavated, all accompanied by a Roman camp, upon an eminence, called Castle-hill, was probably the chief residence of the Roman military governors. The subordinate Britons, in the pursuit of their usual avocation of grazing cattle °*, seem to have lined the rich grounds on the banks of the Severn. The evidences upon which these presumptions are founded, so far as concerns Berkeley, the simple parish now so denominated, com- mence with the usurpation of Allectus. He was elevated to the throne of Britain for three years by means of assassinating Carau- sius*. Allectus began to reign in the year 293 of the Christian era. The Britons did not build in streets; but the Anglo-Saxon term, Wic is known to indicate a town, particular mansion, or fortress. . In the hamlet so denominated, about two miles eastward of Berkeley, has been recently discovered an ancient cemetery ¢, in which was found a coin of Allectus in high preservation. It contained also the bones of adults, children, and fa the small British breed of horses, as well as fragments of vases. ‘These were deposited in a gravel bed, though close to the remains was an artificial soil £. These relicks demonstrate a mixture of Celtic and Roman customs. * Fosbroke’s Gloucestershire, ii. 128, &e. b See Anglia Sacra, i. 470, 472. Dugdale’s Monasticon, i. 125. p. 38, d Histor. August. Scriptor. iii. p. 126. ed. Sylburg. e “Tt is customary with the great Highland ~ families to have upon their estates exclusive ¢ Cicero says to Trebatius (Opera, Lond. fol. 1681, tom. ili. p. 45), “In Britain, I hear, there is neither gold or silver. If it is so, I advise you to take one of their‘chariots, and return to us as soon as possible.” However, it appears from other Roman writers, that the Romans contrived to make the Britons raise corn, &c. for their benefit, wisely consi- persede a more portable source of wealth. burial-places for themselves and their rela~ tions, distinct from the common burial- grounds of the parishes.” Sketch of a Tour in the Highlands, pp. 101, 102. The place described is an inclosure, with a barrow or tumulus in the middle; and this passage throws the strongest light upon Celtic sepul- ehral customs.
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