of Richard Webb, of Wotton Underedge, gent. who died May 24, 1674, aged 84. His obsequious* son Richard Webb set up this monument." (Then some verses.) "And in memory of his virtuous mother Persis, daughter of Anthony Webb, who died 15 years before; viz. April 17, 1659." On a brass on a flat stone in the church-yard: "Juxta requiescit Reverendus Richardus Nelmes, A. M. C. C. C. apud Oxonienses quondam socius, theologus acutus, medicus sagacissimus, omnibus iis artibus, quæ vitam et ornant et utilissimam reddunt, excelluit. Mors tua, vir præstan tissime, ecclesiæ semper luctuosa, patriæ funesta, bonis omnibus acerba, divinâ illâ quâ enituit scientiâ, quæ, Deo juvante, jam sæpe et feliciter aliorum morbis et languoribus sanitatem restituit, sua solum fata retardare heu frustra tentavit. Medio enim cursu, morte triumphante, natura lugente, correptus, obiit. Nov. die X Anno Christi M DCC XXIII Etat. XLI. Hic etiam jacent exuvia Richardi et Catharina Nelmes, filii et filiæ Richardi Nelmes supradicti." 1800, Jan. T. D. F. XII. Origin of Winborne, and its splendid Minster. WINBORNE has many pretensions to the notice of the It has been usual to attribute to the VINDOCLADIA of the Itinerary the situation of the present Winborne. Camden's authority has sanctified this conjecture, and the opinion has passed current to the present day. However, the many corrections of his commentators prove that he was far from infallible, even where he has spoken from his own *It anciently signified "Careful of obsequies or of funeral rites." Vide Jo. and St. Sh. vi. 483. observations. It is much more probable that Vindocladia was situate at the present Badbury; which may be established on the following considerations. It will be easily granted that, where the Romans called any place by a name not significant in their own language, they must have retained the British appellation, smoothing the asperity of the word, and adding a convenient termination for the purposes of declension*. The idle guesses of Camden make the meaning of the original British word as hopeless as it is unimportant. A town among the ancient Britons was intended for purposes very different from modern towns. The petty states into which the island was divided seem not to have equalled the size of a modern countyt: and, as they were ever quarrelling, it behoved each state to have a place of security for their wives and cattle when threatened by an invasion of their neighbours. Forests were usually chosen for this purpose; but in open districts some insulated hill was fortified for a refuge. Such was Old Sarum (Sorbiodunum,) such was Badbury; and both of them were improved to Roman purposes by these conquerors. Their towns were garrisons, which collected the tribute of the neighbourhood; and as that tribute was chiefly paid in corn, many granaries must have been necessary to receive this bulky commodity. Hence an immediate appearance of a town must arise in the place to which the Britons were compelled to carry their corn. Some complaints are extant, that money was sometimes extorted by the procurators (the commissaries,) lest the natives should be compelled to carry their corn to distant garrisons instead of those in the neighbourhood. If any one expects to find the quadrangular form in all Roman earth-works, he unwarily extends the form of the legionary camp to purposes to which it is inadequate. The square was chosen only because their constant discipline thus arranged every soldier in a known place, and prevented the confusion of promiscuous encampment§. A *Thus Batavia was formed from wat-awe, wet soil; Britannia probably from brat-anac, tin-country, &c. + Cantium (Kent) was divided into four principalities; indeed, it probably included part of Sussex. It is said, that eight hundred small decked vessels were once employed to transport corn from Britain to the legions on the German frontier. § At Hod-hill, near Blandford, is a complete specimen of the legionary camp in high preservation. square is by no means adapted to permanent defence; for that a circle is much better, since nothing is weaker than an unflanked angle. Silchester and Old Sarum prove plainly enough that their town fortifications were more frequently in a circular form. Of Badbury-rings this is a brief account. The two inner rings were the repository of stores and the habitation of the garrison. The space inclosed is about three hundred yards diameter; the area of course about fourteen acres. Without the two inner rings another skirts around at the distance of forty or fifty yards; leaving a space for those of the natives who chose to live under the protection of the garrison, but who could not safely be admitted to reside within its limits. The necessities of the garrison for traders and labourers must soon attract this kind of suburb around them. The outer ring is about a mile round, and, as well as the others, rather exceeds in height and steepness the ramparts of Old Sarum, which has also an inner inclosure for the garrison. The very narrow summit of the ramparts at Badbury proves that it was never walled round; nor, perhaps, was any ancient town where the foss and ramparts are double. In the rings at Badbury are entrances, one opening on the Roman road to Old Sarum (visible in the beginning of this century*,) another towards Dorchester (Durnovaria,) of which some trace is still extant on the downs. Combined with this second entrance, in the outer ring is a third pointing towards Blandford, and in use to communicate with the stationary camps at Hod-hill and Shilleston, near that place. The evidence of these military roads, and many Roman coins dug up at Badbury, leave no doubt of its being the situation of the ancient Vindocladia of the Itinerary of Antoninus, whose routes are good and valid, though his military distances (like all other Roman numerals) are exceedingly mutilated by copyists. In Saxon times this place was called Baddan-byrig, the memorial of some chieftain there buried. So usual was this cause of altering an ancient name among the Saxons, that at last the general name of every town became Borough, because it so constantly ended in berig, or bury, a word derived from byrian or byrigean, to bury; whence also rabbit-burrows, and the monumental hillocks called Bp. Gibson, the translator of Camden, mentions this circumstance, and the coins, on the authority of a neighbouring gentleman, Mr. Anthony Ettrike. barrows. Baddan-berig is first mentioned by that name in the reign of Edward the Elder (A. D. 901,) as a post occupied by that prince against his rebellious cousin-german Ethelwold, who had fortified himself at Winborne. The Saxons have given a specimen of their constant preference of a low situation, in changing their habitation from Badbury to Winborne. Their reasons for moving were probably much the same as in after-ages influenced the people of Old Sarum to descend into the plain*. Whatever was the cause, the removal must have been very early, as in the eighth century a nunnery was founded at Winborne, which lengthened the name to Winburn-hamminster. Burn still means a rivulet in the constant language of the North, and is very applicable to the brook (the Allen) which at Winborne falls into the Stour. Ham is as certainly home or habitation. Minster is an abbre viation of monasterium, or monastery, a foundation for either male or female religious. The first syllable Win is of more dubious origin. Twin-borne, a junction of two rivers (whence Christchurch had its name Twineham ;) or from Whin, which is the Saxon for a furze-bush; or an abbreviation of Winter-burnt, a common name in this county. These are not improbable guesses; though, considering that the Saxons have often retained the first syllable of the Roman name prefixed to their own tedious appellations, we may perhaps venture to assert, that it is only the first syllable of Vindocladia. Thus Dorchester, Winchester, and Ringwood, in this neighbourhood, have their first syllable from Durnovaria, Venta, and Regnum. Previous to the year 705 (says Tanner, in his Notitia Monastica,) in the year 713 (says Camden,) Cuthburga, daughter of Kendred, sister of Ina, kings of the West Saxons, resolved to quit her husband, king of Northum bria. After a divorce, which the usual superstition of the age ascertains to have been merely on religious motives, she founded a nunnery at Winborne for her own residence in retirement. But the rude edifices of those early times * Thus says a contemporary writer on that occasion: "Est tibi defectus lymphæ, sed copia cretæ, Sævit ibi ventus, sed Philomela silet." "Plenty of chalk, but a scarcity of water; bleak winds, and no shelter for singing birds." It is not impossible that even the Romans left Vindocladia for Winborne, when the provi. ce became quite settled and peaceable. This name also suits the Allen; exactly the Xmagojos which furnishes Homer with many similies. were little calculated for duration; and time had probably destroyed the nunnery before the incursions of the Danes, in which, otherwise, it was doubtless demolished. An accident, however, in the succeeding century, probably gave to Winborne a much superior edifice, which still remains almost perfect. In the year 872 (according to the Winborne inscription, but according to history in the preceding year,) King Ethelred and his younger brother, Alfred, fought a successful battle against the Danes at Wichampton*, near Winborne. The king, however, was mortally wounded there, and, after languishing some days, died at Winborne. Alfred by his brother's demise became king of England, and, after attending the funeral, proceeded to extirpate the barbarous invaders with success. So far goes history; and we must have recourse to circumstantial proof to ascertain that the great Alfred was the architect of the church at Winborne. In his youth he had resided some time in Italy, the most polished country in Europe at that dark period. There he imbibed a taste for architecture, which induced him to appropriate a sixth part of his revenue to adorn his kingdom with useful and ornamental buildings. This enabled him in the course of his active reign almost to obliterate the traces of the destructive Danes. It is certain that Shaftsbury was erected and fortified by Alfred in the year 880+: London also, and Winchester, are recorded as objects of his improvements. Of Winborne nothing specific is recorded; but it is morally certain that, according to the superstition of the age, the burial-place of a beloved brother would be among the first essays at ornamental architecture. In that turbulent age bulwarks were necessary; we may, therefore, be sure they were the first employment of Alfred's foreign workmen. Alfred reigned from 871 to 901. He fortified Shaftsbury in 880. Between that year and his death we may fix the structure Milner, in his history of Winchester, says, that Ethelred received his wound in a battle fought at Merton. But, unless there be such a place between Winborne and Salisbury, he must be wrong; for, that there was the seat of war is evident, because the Danes rallied at Wilton, where they fought Alfred immediately after. Perhaps it might have been at Horton, which is adjoining to Wichampton. C. W. +From an inscription seen there by William of Malmesbury. ‡ Alfred founded monasteries to enlighten his subjects, by introducing learned foreigners into those foundations. In a dark age the piety and learning of the monks was conspicuous; afterwards they altered for the worse. |