Camden's Britannia newly translated into English, with large additions and improvements ; publish'd by Edmund Gibson ...

ADDITIONS to BARKSHIRE.

[a] WHAT the original of this Coun∣ty's name may be, is much har∣der to determine; than to show that those which are common∣ly produc'd, are certainly false. The Berrock and Beroke might have something in them, if our Author's name of the Shire, Berrocscyre, were the true one. From whence he had it, I know not; nor can I be so uncharitable as to believe, he would mo∣del it so on purpose to suit that conjecture. 'Tis plain however from the most ancient Annals of the Saxons, that the old name was Bearrucscire, which according to different ages we find afterwards first written Bearrucsyre, and then Barrucscire; from which the present name is easily melted.

[b] As for the Isis, being call'd afterwards Thami∣sis; neither the true name of the river is in any an∣cient Record, Isis, (which was forg'd at first to encou∣rage that opinion of Thame and Isis;) nor is the meet∣ing of those two rivers the cause of Thamisis, it being call'd Tems all along before their joyning, as well as after. For the proof of both, it may be sufficient to refer the Reader to what is observ'd before upon this subject, in * Wiltshire.

At the south part of Oxford, there begins a great Causey, going from Frier-Bacon's study, near two miles towards Abingdon ‖; which one would imagine had been a work of the Romans, but that it appears by Record to have been made by Robert Doiley in the time of William the Conqueror.

[c] The Thames running by Oxford, goes on to Abingdon, which as it is now the Shire town for all publick business; so was it formerly eminent for Meetings about the weighty affairs of the whole King∣dom. For which reason, and it's ancient name Sheo∣vesham (written by Leland, whether from Record or by a mistake I know not, Seukesham,) I am enclin'd to think this the very place wherein two Synods were held, one in the year 742. and the other in 822. both said to be at Clofes-hoo. For tho' Mr. Cam∣den settles it in Kent, yet he expresses himself not fully convinc'd of the certainty of his opinion: and I know not of any Author that agrees with him in calling it Clives at Ho; which indeed gives the greatest colour to his opinion. But what he himself suggests, that it seems to have been in Mercia, and that that is not by any means a convenient place for a Synod or Coun∣cil, are unanswerable objections. For one may ima∣gine that Aethelbald King of the Mercians had the greatest hand in it, because the Saxon Annals men∣tion him particularly, as present; and that in Kent is too much in a corner to answer the character of Clofeshoo, mention'd only twice in the Annals, and both times expresly said to be the place of a Synod. And in a Council at Hertford, in 672. we find it de∣creed, that there should be two Synods yearly; but because there are several incidental causes might prevent them, it was unanimously agreed however that there should one meet yearly the first day of August, at the place call'd Clofeshoh. Which can never be suppos'd, unreason∣ably to point out a place so little for the convenience of most of the members; but may very rationally be meant of Abingdon, a place perhaps as eligible by all parties as could well be thought of. At present this town is particularly honour'd by affording to the right honourable James Bertie the title of Earl.

[d] From hence we come to White-horse-hill, the head of the river Ock; above which, by Ashbury-park,

is a Camp, of a figure as near round as square, the diameter above an hundred paces, and the works single; which seems to prove it Danish. But the works are now almost quite spoil'd and defac'd by digging for the Sarsden-stones (as they call them) to build my Lord Craven's house in the park.

Above the same hill, there is another Camp with single works, but very large; and at about two fur∣longs distance, is a barrow call'd Dragon-hill: but whether from hence one should conclude this to be the tumulus of Uther Pendragon, since the conjecture is not warranted by any direct testimony from history, I leave to others to determine. As also, whether the White horse on the hill-side was made by Hen∣gist, since the Horse was the Arms or figure in Hen∣gist's standard.

About a mile from the hill, there are a great ma∣ny large stones, which tho' very confus'd, must yet have been laid there on purpose. Some of them are plac'd edge-wise; but the rest are so disorderly, that one would imagine they had been tumbl'd out of a cart.

[e] Next is Pusey, which (as our Author ob∣serves) the Puseys hold by a Horn granted them by Canutus. But whether his authority be the private Records of the Estate, or the Inscription of an horn still in the possession of that family, and implying what he affirms; I cannot be certain. The latter is more probable, and if so, liable to this Exception, that both the character and stile are modern; many hun∣dreds of years after the Conquest: so that of what antiquity soever the Horn it self may be, the Inscri∣ption must have been added long after the age of Ca∣nutus. Not but the tradition of Canutus's giving it may be very true, since there are so many instances of this kind in many parts of England; and Ingul∣phus has expresly told us, that in those days it was common (among other things) to make Grants of Lands by Horns.

[f] A mile above Wantage, east from Ashbury, there is a very large Camp on the brow of a hill, of a quadrangular form and single-work'd; from which it appears to be Roman.

East from hence is Cuckamsley hill, call'd in Saxon Cƿichelmes-hleaƿe, and by Florence of Worcester Cuiccelmeslawe; from whence, by degrees, the present name is melted, and the word hill added by a tauto∣logy, for want of knowing that hleaƿe in the Saxon implies so much. Over this it was that the Danes pass'd in their Depredations, after they had destroy'd Wallingford, in the year of our Lord 1006.

[g] The Thames passing from Abingdon through Sunning, goes to Wallingford, which appears to have been formerly a town of very great note, as from our Author's description, so also from† Leland's observa∣tion, that it had once 14 Parish-Churches, and that there were in his time several persons living, who could shew the places where they all stood, and the Church yards that belong'd to them. Notwithstand∣ing the two great misfortunes mention'd by our Au∣thor: their Mault-trade, and the convenience of send∣ing corn and other commodities by water to London, do still support it; so that of late years 'tis very much encreas'd both in buildings and number of inhabi∣tants. It is a Corporation govern'd by a Mayor and six Aldermen, who are Justices of the Peace within the Burrough; and there is a Free-school, and a Mar∣ket-house wherein the Mayor and Justices keep the Quarter-Sessions.

[h] The Thames running from hence, receives the Kennet, upon which stands Hungerford, a town particularly famous for the best Trouts; but tho' it be situate upon a great road, yet neither are its build∣ings or market very considerable. The Constable (who is annually chosen) is Lord of the Mannour, and holds it immediately of the King; so that our Author seems to express it in terms too general, when he says, that all the Hungerford's Lands were restor'd to the Children of Walter Lord Hungerford; who was executed for a crime not fit to be mention'd. They have in this town a Horn, holding about a quart; the Inscription whereof affirms it to have been given by John of Gaunt along with the Rial-fishing (so 'tis there express'd,) in a certain part of the river.

[i] From thence the Kennet runs to Newbury, fa∣mous for the Engagements there between his Majesty King Charles 1. and the Parliament-Army, in the late Civil Wars.

[k] And then to Reading, in Saxon (as our Au∣thor observes) Rheadyge, tho' the Saxon Annals call it Reading, Raeding, and Reding. Where the Castle stood,‖ Leland says he could not exactly discover; but imagines it might stand at the west-end of Castle-street. It is probable, that some part of the Abbey was built out of the ruins of it, and it might perhaps be upon the very spot where the Abbey was. Now, there is not so much as a tradition of any Castle that ever was there: only the precincts of the Abbey are some signs of Fortifications; but those they affirm to have been cast up no longer since than the last Civil Wars; and the tracks also of the two Bastions are ac∣cording to the modern way of fortifying. However, the Coins found there are an evidence of the Anti∣quity of the place; one particularly of gold, and ano∣ther of brass: but of what People I have not learn'd. The great support of the town (as our Author hints, and Leland expresly tells us) was Cloathing; but the convenience of the river giving great encouragement to the Mault-trade, they now apply themselves espe∣cially to that, and find it turn to so good account, that their employment about Cloath is in a great mea∣sure laid aside. For whereas they have had formerly sevenscore Clothiers, now their number is but very small.

[l] Next, the Thames goes to Windsor, call'd in Saxon Windlesoure, Windlesora, and also Windles∣ofra, from the winding banks, ofre in that language signifying a bank or shore. The Kings of England have all along had a great affection for this place upon the account of it's situation; but none more than King Charles 2. who at great expences very much beauti∣fied the Lodgings both by curious Paintings and other improvements.

Notes

• ••••e name Bark∣••••.
• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the ••'s ••••e.
• ••age 99.
• ••br. Mon. ••an.
• ••gdon.
• White-horse-hill.
• Aubr. Monum. MS.
• Pusey.
• Cuckams∣ley-hill.
• Chron. Sax. An. 1006.
• Walling∣ford.
• †

  Itinerar. MS.
• Hunger∣ford.
• Newbury.
• Reading.
• ‖

  Itinerar. MS.