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Historical and Descriptive Account

OF

WARWICK, &c.

CHAP. I.

Early History.

WARWICK founded by Gutheline-enlarged by Guiderius-destroyed by the Picts-repaired by Caractscus-fortified by the Romans-destroyed a second time by the Picts-rebuilt by Constantine—destroyed a third time by the Picts-rebuilt by Gwdyr—a fourth time destroyed by the Saxons—~ rebuilt by Warremund—disputed whether a Roman Station-a fifth time destroyed by the Danes-rebuilt, and the Castle founded by Ethelfledaa sixth time destroyed by the Danes-rebuilt-førtified, and the Castle strengthened by order of William I.—paved and improved by Guy de Beauchamp-its ancient Churches and Edifices enumerated-represented early in Parliament—incorporated—destroyed by Fire—rebuilt.

GUTHELINE, or, as he is otherwise called, Kimber

LINE, who was King of the Britons, about the Christian era, is said by Rous, the celebrated antiquary, himself a native of the place, to have been the FOUNDER of WARWICK.* Its name originally, according to him, was Caer-guthleon, and, by contraction, Caer-leon; from Cuer, which signifies a city, and Guthlin, the name of its founder. He, also, asserts that the town was considerably enlarged and improved by GUIDERIUS, another British King; that it afterwards suffered greatly, during the wars of the Picts and Scots; and that it continued in a ruinous condition, till it was rebuilt by CARACTACUS, the most distinguished of all the early British Princes, who erected in it a manor-house for himself, and founded a church in the market-place, dedicated to St. John the Baptist.

His. Reg. Angl. p. 53, &c.

A

Destroyed by the Picts-Rebuilt by Gwdyr-Made a Bishop's See.

WHEN this high-spirited but unfortunate prince, after a brave and vigorous resistance of nine years, was completely subdued by the power of the Roman arms, in the reign of the Emperor CLAUDIUS; his general, PUB. OST. SCAPULA, A. D. 50. in order to secure his conquests, as we are informed by TACITUS, erected various fortifications, on the rivers Avon and Severn ;* one of which, there is considerable reason to believe, was at Warwick, as will be more distinctly stated in the sequel of this chapter.

AFTER its restoration and enlargement under the fostering cares of CARACTACUs, and the final secession of the Romans, from the whole Island in the year 426, Rous further asserts that Warwick was again laid in ruins, during one of those sudden and frequent wars which usually mark the character of barbarous ages; and that it was again rebuilt by CONSTANTINE, another British king, who called it Caer-Umber. Upon his death, it was a third time exposed to the desolating calamities of war; and, from that period, continued in a ruinous state, till it was a third time, rebuilt by another British king, named GWDYR, who called it after himself, Caer Gwar. About that period of its history, if the fact be sufficiently verified, Warwick was made a Bishop's see, by DUBRETIUS, afterwards Bishop of St. David's, who chose for his episcopal church, not St. John's, but another, All Saints, which stood on the site, where the Castle was afterwards built. This season of its prosperity was, however, short; and the town was exposed to new and dreadful devastations, during the time of the Saxon

Lib.zii. s. 30.

cinctosque castris Antonam et Sabrinam fluvios cohibere parat.-Tac, AxN.

Destroyed by the Saxons-Rebuilt by Warremund—and call'd Warrewyk.

invasions. But when that warlike people had completely established themselves in the country, and had divided it into provinces, the Kingdom of Mercia was allotted to WARREMUND; and by him the town was once more rebuilt, and was called, after his name, Warrewyk. In the time of the Anglo-Saxons, however, this town was certainly called WERHICA, as appears from the inscription on an existing and genuine Saxon penny,* of HARTHACNUT, minted at this place. It is also written in the Saxon Chronicle wERINCA, and WÆRINGWIĆ, and the county is called wÆRINWICKSHIRE.§

BUT to this account of the foundation and the subsequent events, in the early history of Warwick, as related by Rous, and recited with approbation by DUGDALE, some considerable objections have been opposed, by several antiquarians, and particularly by DR. THOMAS,|| the learned Editor of an enlarged edition of the Antiquities of Warwickshire, published in 1730. In his opinion, the town was not of British but of Saxon origin; and that it was ever a Roman station is a supposition utterly rejected by him. The facts, on which he principally relies, are, that no Roman antiquities have ever been discovered here; and that, there was a military station, beyond all doubt, at Chesterton, only six miles distant-whence it seems improbable that another should have been established, so near as Warwick. Upon the whole, however, not only

This curious coin, hitherto unpublished, and as to the name of this town; unique, is in the cabinet of WILLIAM STAUNTON, ESQ. of Longbridge, near Warwick. From waring, a mound or bulwark, and wyk, or wick, a town, the curved bank of a river, or a castle. Sax. Chron. p. 104.

See THOMAS' Edit. of DUGDALF, vol. i. p. 371. WARD'S New Survey, p. 493.

Disputed whether a Roman Station-Destroyed by the Danes.

DUGDALE, but most of the great antiquarians, as CAMDEN, BAXTER, STUKELEY, SALMON, and BARTLETT,* admit as credible the account of Rous; and assert not only that Warwick was originally a British town but that it was afterwards a Roman Station. This account, they think, is greatly confirmed by one of its ancient names, CaerGwar, derived, they say, from a British word, signifying præsidium, a garrison: and is still further confirmed by the situation of the place which is on a fine rocky elevation, such as was usually chosen by the Romanson the banks of the Avon, where, TACITUS affirms several fortifications were actually erected-in the very center, too, of the island, like the Præsidium in Corsica-and closely adjoining to the Fosse Way leading from Cirencester, and uniting with the great Roman Road, called Watling Street. A situation só happily adapted to all the purposes of a military station, it may well be supposed, could scarcely be overlooked;|| and some have even ventured to give it, as their opinion, that Warwick is the Præsidium Romanorum, mentioned in the NOTITIA IMPERII; where, it is said, a cohort of Dalmatian horse was placed, under the immediate command of the Dux Britanniarum. But this last opinion, though supported by most of the great antiquarians, just enumerated, can

CAMDEN GOUGH's Ed. v. ii. p. 444. BAXTER'S British Antiquities. STUKKEBY'S Itin. Curios. II. 20. SALMON's Surv. of the Rom. Stations, p. 489. BARTLETT'S Hist, and Ant. of Manceter, p. 6.

Dr. STUKELEY thought he discovered traces of an encampment, on the east side of the river, in a field opposite to the Castle. It. p. 20.

Not. Imp. Sectio. LXIII. "Sub dispositione viri spectabilis ducis Britanniarum, Præfectus equitum Dalmatarum, Præsidio.”—Præsidium is not mentioned in the Itinerary of ANTONINUS; but Mr. WARD and the learned HORSELEY suppose the Præsidium of the Notitia to be the Prætorium of the Iter, and they fix the place of it, not at Warwick, but at Broughton, in Lincolnshire. New Survey, p. 498. Brit. Apt. 481,

Repaired, and the Castle founded by Ethelfieda.

only be received, and indeed, is only given, as purely conjectural.*

AFTER the establishment of the Saxons in Britain, the town of Warwick continued peaceful and prosperous, till at length it was destroyed by the Danes. It speedily rose, however, to more than its former consequence, under the auspices of ETHELFLEDA, the accomplished daughter of the great King ALFRED, and the inheritor,{{ in a high degree, of her father's genius and enterprizing spirit. By this Princess, who was married to Eтheldred, Earl of Mercia, the town was completely repaired and considerably enlarged and improved: and by her, also, the foundation of the Castle was laid in 915; which soon became the residence of the reputed Earls of those times, and proved of important consequence in securing the peace, not only of the town itself, but of the whole surrounding country.

THUS re-edified, enlarged, and embellished, by the cares of that active and spirited Princess, and defended by its newly-erected fortifications, Warwick enjoyed long and uninterrupted repose: till it was doomed once more to sustain dreadful injuries, from the incursions of the Danes, under CANUTE, in the year 1016. This was

It is curious to observe how very far the strength of confidence is sometimes suffered to out-run the strength of evidence. IRELAND, in his Pict. Views on the Warwickshire Avon, p. 133, thus expresses himself, "Warwick, it is well known, was called by the Romans, Præsidium."

See HENRY'S Hist. of Eng. v. iii. p. 93. See also SPELMAN's Life of Alfred. They were either deputies or lieutenants to the Earls of Merci, or else officers immediately appointed by the King. Gough's Cam. v. ii. p. 44. Dugdale, Orig. Edit. P. 298.

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