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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 July 2012
Various have been the opinions respecting the site of Camulodunum, the first colony of the Romans in Britain. Camden, Gibson, Horsley, and Mr. Reynolds place it at Malden; Richard of Cirencester, Dr. Stukely, Bishop Stillingfleet, Baxter, Morant, Dr. Mason, Mr. Gough, Drake, and the Rev. Mr. Leman, with more propriety at Colchester, as the following quotations and personal observations, I hope, will sufficiently demonstrate.
page 145 note a Dr. Mason's M.S. where he wonders that Malden should ever have been thought of.
page 145 note b Mr. Gough's edit, of Camden.
page 145 note c Archaeologia, Vol. v. p. 137.
page 145 note d Gentleman's Magazine for August, 1795, page 630. This gentleman's knowledge of the Roman remains in Britain, if equalled, is perhaps not surpassed by any of his contemporaries.
page 145 note e Camden's Britannia, Vol. ii. p. 41.
page 146 note f Camden's Britannia, Vol. ii. p. 41.
page 146 note g Camden, p. 44, says after Claudius had reduced this colony, he struck money inscribed,
COL
CAMALODON
AVG.
if so, he has proved what Richard of Cirencester before observed; that, Colonia and Camulodunum were the same; but Camden's commentators are at a loss to know where he met with this coin, or more properly medal, as he gives no information.
page 146 note h Archaeologia, Vol. iv. p. 5.
page 147 note k Camden, Vol. ii. p.
page 147 note l Morant's History of Essex, p. 13.
page 147 note m In the History of Essex, mention is made of several others, p. 183.
page 148 note n Gentleman's Magazine for August, 1795, p. 630.
page 149 note a The following notices respecting this discovery are contained in a manuscript of Cromwell Mortimer, M.D. F.A.S. Secretary of the Royal Society, accompanying drawings of the pavement, now in my possession. S. L.
“Part of a Patera was found on St. Peter's sand, at the mouth of the river Black water, which runs by Maldon. I found here, at low water, several ragged pieces of free-stone, of which there is none naturally on this shore, and a great many pieces of Roman brick: upon the sea wall stands an old Roman building, now a barn, but commonly called St. Peter's Chapel. This seems to have been the place, where stood the Othona of the Romans, or Ithanchester of the Saxons, (vide Gibson's Camden, p. 411, Lond. 1J22, in folio). The fishermen told me they often drudge up pieces of broken earthen ware, and sometimes, though rarely, copper or brass money.
“On the opposite side of the river is Mersey Island, a fine high spot of ground, and in the hall-yard adjoining to the church yard of West Mersey parish, is a fine ancient Mosaick pavement; in the hall yard it is but a foot under ground; I traced it to the church-yard pales, and had a hole dug in the church-yard, about four feet deep, at about ten feet distance from the stile, and there found a continuation of the same pavement, the course of the tessellæ being parallel to those in the hall-yard, and on the same level: they lay twenty degrees to the eastward of the north, (without allowing for the variation). The minister and sexton told me, that the whole church-yard was paved at the same depth, and that most of the coffins stand on these pavements, which are east: and south-east of the church large tiles fourteen inches square; in the chancel red tessellæ one and a half square, and west of the church small tiles two or three inches square; and that once two brass coins were found here, but I could not learn whose they were, they being lost again: that the tessellæ in the chancel seem to form the rays of some large stars.
“The Mosaick work in the hall-yard forms only squares, wreaths, and a border of ivy leaves; the colours are white, black, blue, red, and yellow, disposed in shades; being black outermost, then blue, and terminating in white; and in other parts the red is outermost, then yellow, and ending in white.”