Ancient funerall monuments within the vnited monarchie of Great Britaine, Ireland, and the islands adiacent with the dissolued monasteries therein contained: their founders, and what eminent persons haue beene in the same interred. As also the death and buriall of certaine of the bloud royall; the nobilitie and gentrie of these kingdomes entombed in forraine nations. A worke reuiuing the dead memory of the royall progenie, the nobilitie, gentrie, and communaltie, of these his Maiesties dominions. Intermixed and illustrated with variety of historicall obseruations, annotations, and briefe notes, extracted out of approued authors ... Whereunto is prefixed a discourse of funerall monuments ... Composed by the studie and trauels of Iohn Weeuer.

Ailesford.

* 1.1Richard, Lord Grey of Codnor in Darbishire, in the yeare 1240. founded here a religious house of white Friers, Carmelites, where now is seene (saith Camden) the faire habitation of Sir William Sidley,* 1.2 a learned knight, paine∣fully and expensfully studious of the common good of his countrey, as both his endowed house for the poore,* 1.3 and the bridge here with the com∣mon voice dotestifie.

Not farre from this Towne of Ailesford, lye interred the bodies of Ca∣tigern and Horsa;* 1.4 who hand to hand, killed one the other in a set battell; Catigern was the brother of Vortimer king of the Britaines, and Horsa bro∣ther of Hengist the Saxon.

But this battell, as also their buriall, are the best set downe by Camden, out of Lambards perambulation. This Towne (saith hee) was named in the British tongue, Saissenaeg haibail of the Saxons there vanquished, like

as others in the very same sense tearmed it Anglesford. For Guortimer the Britaine,* 1.5 Guortigerus sonne, did here set vpon Hengist, and the English Sax∣ons, whom being disrayed, and not able to abide a second charge, he put all to flight; so as they had beene vtterly defeited for euer, but that Hengist, skilfull and prouident to preuent, and diuert danger, withdrew himselfe in∣to the Isle of Tenet, vntill that the inuincible vigour and heate of the Bri∣tanes was allayed, and fresh supplies came to his succour out of Germany. In this battell were slaine the Generalls of both sides, Catigern the Britaine, and Horsa the Saxon, of whom the one buried at Horsted,* 1.6 not farre from hence, gaue name to the place: and Catigern honoured with a stately and so∣lemne funerall, is thought to haue beene interred neare vnto Ailisford, where vnder the side of an hill,* 1.7 I saw foure huge, rude, hard stones erected, two for the sides, one transuersall in the middest betweene them; and the hugest of all piled and layed ouer them, in manner of the British Monu∣ment, which is called Stonehenge, but not so artificially with Mortis and tenents. Verily the vnskilfull common people call it at this day, of the same Catigern, Keiths or Kits, Coty house. The like Monument was of Horsa at Horsted, which stormes and time haue now deuoured. This battell was smitten in the yeare of Grace 457.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The ••••iery.
• * 1.2

  Com. in ••en••.
• * 1.3

  The Almes∣house o•• Hos∣pitall.
• * 1.4

  Catigern and Horsa.
• * 1.5

  The battell of Ailesford.
• * 1.6

  Horsted.
• * 1.7

  Catigern his se∣pulchre.