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start of Cumberland |
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Page 176:-
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AESICA. The
Grahams.
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Aesica
roman inscription
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[re]mains of an antient city, that together with the name of
the river which runs by it, lead one to suspect that here
was AESICA, where the Tribune of the first cohort of Astures
antiently kept guard against the barbarians. Here lives at
present the head of the family of the Grayhams,
distinguished by its valour among the borderers: and in the
wall of the house may be read this inscription, erected in
memory of the emperor Hadrian by the Legio II. Augusta:
IMP. CAES. TRA.
HADRIANO
AVG
LEG. II. AVVG. F.
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Liddel castle and barony.
Lidesdal.
1 R. II. Sollom moss. Battle of Sollom
moss 1542. Batable ground. Leven r.
Beucastle. Baron Strivelin.
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Liddel Strength
Solway Moss
Battle of Solway Moss
Debatable Land
Bew Castle
roman inscription
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Where the river Lidd falls into the Esk was formerly,
as I have been told, Liddel, a castle and barony of
the Estotevilles, who "held lands in Cornage which earl
Ranulph gave to Turgis Brundas," as we find in an antient
inquisition; but from Estoteville it came by inheritance to
the Wakes, and by them to the earls of Kent [q]; but
John earl of Kent, gave it to king Edward III. and king
Richard II. to John of Gaunt duke of Lancaster. Beyond this
river Esk the country for some miles is accounted part of
England, in which is Sollom-mosse, famous for the
number of Scottish nobles taken prisoners A.D. 1543, when
the Scots intending to attack Thomas Wharton, lord warden of
the Marches, no sooner found the king had transferred his
command to Oliver Sincler, in preference to them, than they
resented this affront as they supposed it, to their own
disgrace and ruin, breaking their ranks, and throwing the
whole army into confusion. The English seeing this from
higher ground immediately attacked and routed them, made
many prisoners, who flung down their arms and surrendered
themselves to the English and moss troopers on the borders
with an inconsiderable loss of men on either side; which
threw king James V. of Scotland into such despondency that
he broke his heart. The country hereabouts is called
Batable ground, because in debate between the English
and Scots. The people on both sides, like borderers, are an
active, crafty, and light sort of soldiery, and expert in
skirmishing. The Leven and other river before-mentioned,
rising in the very border of two kingdoms, passes by nothing
remarkable except Beucastle, as it is commonly
called, a royal castle in a waste tract with a garrison. In
the public records it is written Bueth-castle, whence
its name should seem to be derived from that Bueth,
who about the time of Henry I. was a sort of absolute lord
in these parts. Certain it is that in the reign of Edward
III. it was the property of John baron de Strivelin
[r], who married the daughter and coheiress of Adam de
Swinborn. In the church almost ruined lies this old
inscription, brought from some other place, and serving as a
grave-stone:
LEG. II. AVG.
FECIT.
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Bewcastle Cross
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In the church-yard is a cross near 20 feet high, of one
stone, neatly wrought, and having an inscription, but the
letters too much consumed by time to be legible. But the
cross itself being chequered like the arms of the family of
Vaulx makes it probable that it was their work.
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Gillesland barony.
Stanwicks. Scalby. Askerton.
Irthington. Castlesteeds. Brampton.
BREMETURACUM. Cohors I. Tungrori. Armaturae.
Castle steeds.
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Gilsland
Brampton
Bremeteracum
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More to the south and west inland lies the barony of
Gillesland, a small tract, so full of rivulets,
called Gilles, that I should suppose it to have taken
its name from them, had I not read in the register of
Lanercost church, that one Gill, son of Bueth, who in
a charter of Henry II. is also called Gilbert, antiently
held it, and probably left his name to it [s]. Through this
the wall or rampart of Severus, that noblest monument in
Britain, runs almost strait from Carlisle, east through the
village of Stanwicks, Scalby, formerly a castle of
the Tilliols, a family of renown in these parts, from
whom it came to the Pickerings; and from thence the
little river Cambec passes under the wall, on whose
banks the barons Dacre built the little castle of
Askerton, where the warden or land-sergeant of
Gillesland has a garrison. Below the wall it falls into the
river Irthing, where is Irthington, a
capital manor as they call it of this barony of
Gillesland, and here at Castle steed are to be seen
great ruins. Near it is Brampton, a mean market-town,
which I take for BREMETURACUM ad lineam valli, being
scarce a mile from the wall, where antiently was stationed
the 1st cohort of the Tungri from Germany, and in the
decline of the Roman empire under the Dux Britanniarum a
Cuneus Armaturarum. These were horse completely
armed, but whether these Armaturae were duplares or
simplares, Vegetius [t] leaves uncertain. The former,
according to the style of that time, was so called from
having a double, and other from having only single allowance
of provision [u]. Nor must I omit that at Brampton is a high
hill fortified at the top with a ditch and called The
Mote, commanding an extensive prospect over the country
below. Under this and at Castle steeds, q.d.
Castle place, as also at Trederman were found
these inscriptions, which the right hon. lord William
Howard of Naworth, 3d son of the most noble
Thomas duke of Norfolk, and an attentive and learned
searcher into venerable antiquity, who possesses estates
hereabouts in right of his wife, sister and coheir of the
last baron Dacre, copied for me with his own hand:
See Pl. VIII. fig.8 The following there also in an antient
hypocaust, in which the name of the Legatus Augusti and
Propraetor in Britain is unfortunately lost: See Pl. VIII.
fig.9.
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Gelt r.
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Written Rock of Gelt
roman inscription
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Near Brampton runs the little river Gelt, on whose
bank on a rock called Helbeck is this imperfect
inscription, cut by the Vexillato of the Legio II. Augusta
probably an Optio placed under the Propraetor Agricola with
others which time has robbed us of: See Pl. VIII. fig.10. On
the same rock are these words in a later character:
OFICIVM ROMANORVM. [x]
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Naworth c.
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Naworth Castle
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Here the Gelt empties itself into the river Irthing
which runs with rapidity and noise by Naworth castle,
now belonging to William Howard before-mentioned, who is
repairing it, lately the barons Dacre, the last of
whom dying a few years ago under age, his uncle Leonard who
chose rather to carry on a war with his sovereign than a
suit about the estate with his nieces, seized this castle,
and levied a body of rebels against his prince, which lord
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[q]
Of the royal blood. H.
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[r]
Sir John of Strivelin, a baron. Id.
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[s]
Of the owners of this see in Hurst Monceaux, v. I. 202.
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[t]
Veget. II. 7.
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[u]
annonas.
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[x]
Q. if not intended for opiscium Romanorum by some
monk.
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Hunsdon
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gazetteer links
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-- "Askerton Castle" -- Askerton Castle
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-- "Gillesland" -- Barony of Gilsland
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-- Battle of Solway Moss
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-- "Beucastle" -- Bew Castle
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-- Bewcastle Cross
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-- "Bramptoon" -- Brampton
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-- "Batable Ground" -- Debatable Land
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-- Hadrian's Wall
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-- "Irthing, River" -- Irthing, River
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-- "Irthington" -- Irthington
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-- "Liddel Castle" -- Liddel Strength
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-- "Lidd" -- Liddel Water
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-- "Leven, River" -- Lyne, River
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-- "Mote, The" -- Mote, The
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-- "Naworth Castle" -- Naworth Castle (?)
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-- "Castle Steeds" -- Camboglanna
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-- "Aesica" -- (roman fort, Netherby)
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-- "Scalby Cstle" -- Scaleby Castle
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-- "Sollom Mosse" -- Solway Moss
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-- St Cuthbert's Church
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-- "Helbeck" -- Written Rock of Gelt
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