The firste [laste] volume of the chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande conteyning the description and chronicles of England, from the first inhabiting vnto the conquest : the description and chronicles of Scotland, from the first original of the Scottes nation till the yeare of our Lorde 1571 : the description and chronicles of Yrelande, likewise from the first originall of that nation untill the yeare 1571 / faithfully gathered and set forth by Raphaell Holinshed.

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Title: The firste [laste] volume of the chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande conteyning the description and chronicles of England, from the first inhabiting vnto the conquest : the description and chronicles of Scotland, from the first original of the Scottes nation till the yeare of our Lorde 1571 : the description and chronicles of Yrelande, likewise from the first originall of that nation untill the yeare 1571 / faithfully gathered and set forth by Raphaell Holinshed.
Author: Holinshed, Raphael, d. 1580?
Publication: At London :: Imprinted for Iohn Hunne,; 1577.
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Subject terms: Great Britain -- History -- Early works to 1800.
Link to this Item: http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A03448.0001.001
Cite this Item: "The firste [laste] volume of the chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande conteyning the description and chronicles of England, from the first inhabiting vnto the conquest : the description and chronicles of Scotland, from the first original of the Scottes nation till the yeare of our Lorde 1571 : the description and chronicles of Yrelande, likewise from the first originall of that nation untill the yeare 1571 / faithfully gathered and set forth by Raphaell Holinshed." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A03448.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 18, 2024.

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Of Cities and townes, within the realme of Englande. Cap. 7.

AS in olde time we read that there were 28.* 1.1 flamines and Archflamines in the south part of this Isle, and so many great ci∣ties vnder their iurisdiction, so in these our dayes there is but one or two fewer, & eache of them also vnder the Ecclesiasticall regi∣ment of some one Bishop or Archbishop, who in spirituall cases haue the charge, and ouer∣sight of y^e same. So many cities therefore are there in Englande and Wales, as there be Bishoprijcks and Archbishoprijcks: for not∣withstanding that Lichfielde and Couentry: and Bathe and Welles, doe séeme to extend the aforesayde number vnto nyne and twen∣tie, yet neyther of these coples are to be ac∣compted, but as one intier citie, and Sie of the bishop, sith one Bishoprijcke can haue re∣lation but vnto one Sie, and the sayd Sie be scituate but in one place, after which the bi∣shop doth take his name. It apeareth by our olde and auncient hystories, that the cities of thys southerly portion haue béene of excée∣ding greatnesse and beautie, whereof some were buylded in the time of the Samotheās, and of which not a few in these our times are quite decayed, & the places where they stoode worne out of al remembrance. Such also for the most part as yet remayne are meruay∣lously altered, insomuch that whereas at the first they were large & ample, nowe are they come eyther vnto a very fewe houses, or ap∣peare not to be much greater in comparison then poore and simple villages.* 1.2 Antoninus the most diligent writer of the thorow fares of Brytaine, noteth among other these aun∣cient townes following, as Sitomagus (which he placeth in the way frō Norwitch as Le∣lande supposeth wherein they went by Col∣chester to London) Nouiomagus that lyeth betwéene Carleill and Cantorbury, within tenne myles east of London, and likewyse Neomagus, and Niomagus which take their names of their first foūder Magus, the sonne of Samothes, and second king of the Celtes that reigned in this Islande. Of these more∣ouer Sir Thomas Eliot supposeth Neoma∣gus to haue stood somewhere about Chester, and George Lilly in his booke of the names of auncient places, iudgeth Niomagus to be the verye same that we doe nowe call Buc∣kingham. And as these & sundry other nowe perished tooke theyr denomination of thys prince, so their are dyuers causes, which mooue me to coniecture, that Salisbury it self doth rather take the first name Sarron the sonne of the sayde Magus, then of Caesar,* 1.3 Cara∣doc or Seuerus as some of our writers doe imagine. But sith coniecturs are no verities & mine opinion is but one mans iudgement,* 1.4 I will not stande now vpon the proofe of this matter, least I shoulde séeme to take great paines in adding new coniectures vnto olde, in such wyse to deteyne the heades of my readers about these trifles, that otherwyse peraduenture woulde be farre better occu∣pyed. To procéede therfore, as soone after the first inhabitation of this Islande, our Cities began no doubt to be buylded, and increased, so they ceased not to multiplye from tyme to tyme, till the lande was thorowly furnished, with hir conuenient numbers, whereof some at this present with their auncient names, doe still remaine in knowledge, though dy∣uers be doubted of, & many moe peryshed by continuance of time, and vyolence of the ene∣mie. I doubt not also but the least of these were comparable to the greatest of those which stand in our tyme, for sith that in those dayes the most part of the Islande, was re∣serued vnto pasture,* 1.5 the townes and villages eyther were not at all (but all sortes of peo∣ple dwelled in the cities indifferentlye an I∣mage, of which estate may yet be séene in Spaine) or at the lest wise stoode not so thick, as they dyd afterward in the time of the Ro∣maines,

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but chiefely after the comming of the Saxons and Normans, whē euery Lord buylded a church neare vnto his owne man∣sion house, & are imputed the greatest part of his lands vnto sundrie tennants, wherby the number of townes and villages was not a little increased among vs. If any man be de∣sirous to know the names of those auncient cities, that stoode in the time of the Romain•…•… he shall haue them here at hand, in such wise as I haue gathered them out of our writers obseruing euen their maner of writing of thē so neare as to me is possible.

1. London otherwise called: ...Trenouanton.
...Cair Lud.
...Londinum or Longidinium
...Augusta of the legion Augusta that soiourned there, when the Romaines ruled here.
2 Yorke o∣therwise called: ...Cairbranke.
...Vrouicum or Yurewijc.
...Eorwijc.
...Yeworwijc.
...Eboracum.
...Victoria of the legion victrix that laye there sometime.
3. Cantor∣bury: ...Duroruerno alias Duraruenno.
...Dorobernia.
...Cantwarbyry.
4. Colche∣ster: ...Cair Colon.
...Cair Colden.
...Cair Colkin.
...Cair Colun, of the riuer that runneth thereby.
...Colonia, of the Colonia pl••••∣ted there.
...Coloncester.
...Camulodunum.
5. Lincolne: ...Cair Lud Coit, of the woodes that stoode about it.
...Cair loichoi•…•…, by Corruption.
...Lindum.
...Lindocollinum.
6. Warwijc: ...Cair Guteclin.
...Cair Line.
...Cair Gwair.
...Cair vmber.
...Cair Gwaerton.
7. Chester vppon Vske: ...Cair legion.
...Carlheon.
...Cairlium.
...Legecester.
...Ciuitas legionum.
8. Carleill: ...Cair Lueill.
...Cair Leill.
...Lugibalia.
9. S. Al∣banes: ...Cair Maricipit.
...Cair Municip.
...Verolamium.
...Verlamcester.
...Cair wattelin, of the streete whereon it stoode.
10. Win∣chester: ...Cair Gwent.
...Cair Gwin.
...Cair Wine.
...Venta Simenorum.
11. Cisce∣ter.: ...Cair Chume.
...Cair Kyrne.
...Cair Ker•…•….
...Cair Cery.
...Cirnecester.
...Churnecester.
12. Silce∣ster.: ...Cair Segent.
...Selecester.
13. Bathe: ...Cair Badon.
...Thermae.
...Aquae solis.
14. Shaftes∣byry.: ...Cair palado••••.
...Septonia.
15. worcester: ...Wigornia.
...Cair Gworangon.
...Brangonia.
...Caer Frangon.
...Woorkecester.
16. Chiche∣ster: ...Cair Key.
...Cair Chic.
17. Bristow: ...Cair Odern•…•…nt Badon.
...Oder.
...Cair Br••••.
...Venta Belgar••••••.
...Brightstow.
18. Ro∣chest.: ...Durobrenis co•…•…ruptly
...Roficester.
...Roffa.
...〈◊〉〈◊〉.
...Dubobrus.
...Du•…•…ob•…•…ius.
19. Fortche∣ster.: ...Cair Peris.
...Cair pore•…•…s.
20. Cair∣marden: ...Cair Maridunum.
...Cair Merdine.
...Maridunum.
...Cair Marlin.
...Cair Fridhin.
21. Glocester: ...Cair Clowy.
...Cair Glow.
...Claudiocestria.

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22. Leir∣cester.: ...Cair Leir.
...Cair Lirion.
Wirall te•…•…te math west. 895.
23. Cam∣bridge.: Cair Graunt.
*: 24. Cair vrnach.
25. Cair Cucurat.
26. Cair Draiton.
27. Cair Celennon.
28. Cair Megwaid.

As for Cair Dorme (another whereof I read likewsie) it stood somewhere vpon Nen in Huntingdon shire, but nowe vnknowen, sith it was twise raced to the grounde, first by the Saxons, then by the Danes, so that the ruines therof are not extaunt to be séene. And in like sort I am ignoraunt where they stood,* 1.6 that are noted the star. It should séeme when these auncient cities flourished, that the same towne which we nowe call Saint Albons, did most of all excell: but chiefely in the Romaines time, and was nothing infe∣riour to London if self, but rather preferred before it, bycause it was newer, & a colony of the Romaines, wheras the other was old and ruinous, and inhabited only by the Bri∣taines. Good notice hereof also is to be taken by Mathew paris, & other before him, out of whose wrytings, I haue thought good to note a fewe thinges whereby the maiesty of thys auncient citie, may appeare vnto posterity, and the former estate of Verlamcester not lie altogither, as it hath done hitherto raked vp in forgetfulnesse, thorowe the negligence of such as might haue deserued better of theyr successours, by leauing the description thereof in a booke by it selfe, sith many parti∣culers thereof were written to their hands, that nowe are lost and perished. Tacitus in the fouretéenth booke of hys historie, maketh mencion of it, shewyng that in the rebellion of the Brytons, the Romaines there were myserablye distressed, Eadem clades (sayth he) municipio Verolamio fuit, and herevpon Nennius in his Cataloge of cities, calleth it Cair Minucip, as I before haue noted. Ptolo∣my speaking of it,* 1.7 doth place it among the Catyeuchlanes, but Antoninus maketh it one and twentie Italyan myles from London, placing Sullomaca nyne myle from thence, wherby it is euident, that Sullomaca stood ve∣ry néere to Barnet, if it were not the same. Of the cōpasse of the walles of Verolamium there is yet some mencyon by the ruines, but of y^e beauty of the citye it selfe, you shal part∣ly vnderstand by y^t which followeth at hand.

In the time of King Edgar, it fell out that one Eldred was Abbot there, who being de∣sirous to enlarge that house, it came into his mynde, to search about in the ruines of Ve∣rolamium, (which nowe was ouerthrow•••• by the fury of the sa•…•…ons & Danes) to sée if 〈◊〉〈◊〉 might there come by any curious péeces 〈◊〉〈◊〉 worke, wherewith to garnishe hys buylding taken in hand. To be short, he had no 〈◊〉〈◊〉 begonne to digge among the r•…•…bbis, but 〈◊〉〈◊〉 founde an exceeding number of Pillers, p••••ces of Antique worke, thresholdes, doore fra∣mes, and sundry other péeces of ••••ne mas••••∣ry for windowes and such lyke, very co••••∣mēt for his purpose. Of these also some 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of porphirite stone, some of dyuers kyndes of marble, touch, and Alablaster, beside ma∣ny curious deuises of harde mettall, in fyn∣ding whereof he thought himselfe an happy man, and his successe to be greatlye guyded by s. Albane: Besides these also he found sun∣dry pyllers of Brasse, and socketes of Lat∣ton, al which he laide aside by great heapes, determinyng in the ende, I say, to laye the foundation of a newe Abbaie, but God so preuented his determinatiō, that death tooke him awaye, before his buylding was begon. After him succéeded one Eadmerus, who prosequuted the dooinges of Eldrede to the vttermost: and therefore not onely perused what he had left with great diligence, but al∣so caused his pioners to searche yet farder, with in y^e olde walles of Verolamium, where they not onely found infinite péeces of excel∣lent workemanship, but came at the last to certaine vaultes vnder the ground, in which stoode dyuers Idolles, and not a fewe aul∣tars, very supperstitiouslye, & religiouslye a∣dourned, as the Paganes left thē (belike) in tyme of necessytie. These Images were of sūdry mettals, & some of pure gold: their aul∣ters likewise were rychly couered, all which ornamentes, Edmerus tooke away, and not only conuerted them to other vse in his buil∣ding, but also destroyed an innumerable sort of other ydols, whose estimation consisted in their formes: & substaunces could doe no ser∣uice. He tooke vp more•…•…uer sundrye curious pottes, Iugges, and cruses of stone, & woode most artificially wrought, and carued, & that in such quantitye besides infinite store of fine housholde stuffe, as if the whole furniture of the city had béene brought thither of purpose to be hidden in those vaultes. In procéeding further he tooke vp diuers pots of golde, syl∣uer, brasse & glasse, wherof some were fylled with the ashes and bones of the Gentyles, & not a fewe with the coynes of the olde Bry∣tons, and Romaine Emperours. All which vessels the sayde Abbot brake into péeces, and melting the mettalle, he reserued it in lyke sorte for the garnyshing of hys church.

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he founde lykewyse in a stone wall two olde bookes, wherof one conteined the rytes of the gentiles, about the sacrifices of their gods, the other as they now say, y^e Martyrdome of S. Albane,* 1.8 both of thē written in old brittish letters, which eyther bycause no man then lyuing could read them, or for that they were not woorth the kéeping, were both consu∣med to ashes, sauing that a fewe notes were first taken out of this later, concerning the death of their Albane. Thus much haue I thought good to note of the former beautie of Verolamium, whereof infinite other tokens haue béene found, since that tyme, and diuers within the memory of man of passing work∣manship, the lyke wherof hath no where else béene séene in anye ruynes wythin the com∣passe of the Isle, eyther for cost or quanti∣tye of stuffe.

Furthermore where as dyuers are not a frayde to saye that the Thames came some∣times by thys citie, in déede it is nothing so, but that the Verlume, (afterwarde called Vere and the Mure) did or doth so (whatsoe∣euer Gildas talketh herof, whose bookes may be corrupted in that behalfe,) there is yet e∣uident proofe to be confirmed by experience. But thus standeth the case. As those afore∣sayd workemen digged in those ruines, they happened oftentimes vpon Lempet shelles, péeces of rusty ancres, and Keles of great vesselles, wherevpon some by & by gathered that either the Thames or some arme of the Sea, did beate vpon that towne, not vnder∣standyng that these thinges might aswell happen in great lakes and meres, whereof there was one adioyning to the north side of the citie, which lay thē vnwalled. This mere at the first belonged to the king, and thereby Offa in hys time did reape no small commo∣ditie. It continued also vntill the time of Al∣f•…•…ijc the seauenth Abbot of that house, who bought it out ryght of the king then liuing, & by excessiue charges dreined it so narrowly, that within a whyle he left it •…•…e, bycause there was alwaies contention betwéene the monkes & the kings seruaunts, which fished on that water.

In these dayes there remayneth no ma∣ner mencion of this poole, but onelye in one streate, which yet is called fishpoole streate, whereof this may suffise, for the resolution of such men, as séeke rather to yeeld to an in∣conuenience, then that their Gildas shoulde séeme to mistake thys ryuer.

Hauing thus digressed to giue some remē∣braunce of the olde estate of Verolamium, it is now time to returne againe vnto my for∣mer purpose. Certes I woulde gladlye set downe with the names and number of the cities, all the townes & villages, in england and wales▪ but as yet I cannot come by thē, in such order as I woulde: howbeit the tale of our cities is soone founde by the Byshop∣rijckes, sith euery Sie hath such prerogatiue giuen vnto it, as to beare the name of a ci∣tie, As

...London.
...Yorke.
...Cauntorbury.
...VVinchester.
...Cairleil.
...Durham.
...Ely.
...Norwiche.
...Lincolne.
...VVorcester.
...Glocester.
...Hereforde.
...Salisbury.
...Excester.
...Bathe.
...Lichefielde.
...Bristow.
...Rochester.
...Chester.
...Chichester.
...Oxforde.
...Peterborow.
...Landaffe.
...S. Dauids.
...Bangor.
...S. Asaph.

Whose particular plots & models with their descriptiōs shal insue, if it may be brought to passe, that y^e cutters can make dispach of thē before this hystory be published. Of townes and villages likewise thus much will I say, that there were greater store in olde tyme then at this present, & thys I note out of dy∣uers recordes, charters, & donations (made in times past, vnto sundry religious houses, as Glessenburye, Abbandon, Ramsey, E∣ly, and such like) that there were many tow∣nes and villages, whereof at this present I fynde not so much as the ruines. Lelande in sundrye places complayneth likewise of the decaie of paryshes in great cities and townes, missing in some sixe, or eyght, or twelue churchs, of all which he giueth parti∣culer notice. For albeit y^t the Saxōs builded many townes & villages, and the Normans well mo: yet since the first hundred yeares, after the latter conquest, they haue gone a∣gaine so fast againe to decaye, that the aun∣cyent number of them is very much abated. Ranulphe the Monke of Chester, telleth of a generall suruey, made in the fourth of the reign•…•… of William Conquerour, surnamed the Bastarde, wherein it was founde that (nowithstanding y^e Danes had ouerthrowne a great many) there were to the number of 52000. townes, 45002. parish churches, and 75000. Knightes fées, whereof the clergy helde 28015. He addeth moreouer that there were dyuers other buylded since that tyme, wythin the space of an hun∣dred yeares after the comming of the Ba∣starde, as it were in lieu or recompence of those that William Rufus pulled downe for the erection of his newe Forrest. Howbeit if

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the assertions of such as wryte in our tyme concerning this matter, eyther is or ought to be of any credite, in this behalfe, you shall not finde, aboue 17000. townes and villa∣ges in the whole, which is little more then a fourth part, of the aforesayd number, yf it be thorowly scanned. But to leaue this lamen∣table discourse of so notable an inconueniēce (growing by incroching & ioyning of house to house, and lande to lande, whereby the in∣habitaunts of any country are deuoured and eatē vp.) It is so that our soyle being deuided into Champaigne ground & woodlande, the houses of the first lye vniformely buylded in euery towne togither with stréetes & lanes, whereas in the woodlande countries (except here and there in great market townes) they stande scattered abroad, eache one dwelling in the midst of his owne occupying. And as in euery one of the first, there are comonly thrée hundred or foure hundred families or mansion houses, and two thousande commu∣nicantes, or peraduenture moe: so in the o∣ther we finde not often aboue fourtie or fiftie housholdes, & two hundred communicantes, whereof the greatest part neuerthelesse are very poore folkes, oftentymes without all maner of occupying, sith the grounde of the parishe is often gotten vp into a fewe mens handes, yea sometimes into the tennure of two or three, wherby the reast are compelled eyther to be hyred seruaunts vnto the other, or else to begge their bread in misery from doore to doore. A great number complayne of thincrease of pouertie, but few men do sée the verye roote from whence it doeth procéede, yet the Romaines founde it out, when they florished, and therefore prescribed limites to euery mans tenure and occupying. Homere commendeth Achilles for ouerthrowing of fiue and twentie cities, but in myne opinion Ganges is much better preferred by Suidas for buylding of thrée score in Inde, where he dyd plant himselfe. I coulde if néede requy∣red set downe in this place, the number of religious houses and Monasteries with the names of their founders that haue béene in this Island, but sith it is a thing of small im∣portaunce, I passe it ouer as impertinent to my purpose. Yet herin I will commēde ma∣nye of the monasticall votaries, especiallye Monkes, for that they were authors of many goodly borowes and endwares, neare vnto their dwellinges, although otherwyse they pretended to be men separated from the world. But alas their couetous mindes one waye in enlarging their reuenues, & carnall intent an other appeared herein to to much, for being bolde from tyme to tyme to visite their tennants, they wrought oft great wic∣kednesse, & made those end wares litle better thē bordelhouses, especially where Nonri•••• were farre of, or else no safe accesse vnto thē. But what doe I spende my tyme in the r•…•…∣hearsall of these filthinesses, woulde to God the memorie of them might perishe with the malefactours. My purpose was also at them of this chapter to haue set downe a table of the Parishe churches and market townes thorowout all England and Wales, but sith I can not performe the same as I woulde, I am inforced to giue ouer my purpose, yet by these fewe that insue you shall easily sée what order I woulde haue vsed according to the shyres.

Shyres.	Market townes.	Parishes.
Middlesex	3.	73.
London within the walles, and without.	120.
Surrey.	6.	140.
Sussex.	18.	312.
Kent.	17.	398.
Cambridge.	4.	163.
Bedford.	9.	13.
Huntingdon.	5.	78.
Rutlande.	2.	47.
Barckeshyre.	11.	150.
Northampton.	10.	3•…•…6.
Buckingham.	11.	196.
Oxforde.	10.	216.
Southampton.	18.	248.
Dorset.	19.	279.
Norffolke.	26.	625.
Suffolke.	25.	575.
Essex.	18.	415.

And these I had of a friende of myne, by whose traueyle and hys maisters excessiue charges I doubt not, but my country men eare long shall sée all Englande set foorth in seuerall shyres after the same maner that Ortelius hath dealt wyth other countries 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the mayne, to the great benefite of our na∣tion and euerlasting fame of the aforesayde parties.

Notes

* 1.1

26. Cities in Eng∣lande.

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* 1.2

Sitomag•…•…▪ Nouio•…•…∣gus. Neoma•…•… Nioma•…•…

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* 1.3

Salis•…•…∣ry of S•…•…∣ron.

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* 1.4

Sar•…•…∣um. Sar•…•…∣bury.

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* 1.5

Great•…•… cities 〈◊〉〈◊〉 times 〈◊〉〈◊〉 when h•…•…∣bands also 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Citizens •…•…cause 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in∣•…•… of •…•…ges.

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* 1.6

When Albane was mar∣tyred, Asclepio∣dotus was Legate in Britaine.

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* 1.7

Sulomaca and Bar∣net all one, or not far in sunder.

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* 1.8

•…•…S soū∣•••• lyke a 〈◊〉〈◊〉

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About this Item

Pages

Of Cities and townes, within the realme of Englande. Cap. 7.

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Notes

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