Huddersfield In Print - Page 2 of 4
Notes and Queries Vol. 9 3rd S. (210) Jan 6 1866 Page 12
CAMBODUNUM: “COH . IIII .BRE.” – The
Huddersfield Archaeological and Topographical Association (of which
I am Honorary Secretary) have made some interesting discoveries
of late at Slack, in the ancient parish of Huddersfield. The foundation
walls of a Roman quadrangular building, measuring 68 feet by 64
feet, have been laid bare. There is the outer wall; the paved court,
quite complete; the janitor lodge; the middle wall of partition,
dividing the house from the outer court; and the centre hall and
suite of rooms, perfectly defined by party walls.
Five distinct hypocausts have also been dug out, and others are
supposed to be near; and they lie all together at what is supposed
to be the extreme south-eastern boundary of the camp – showing
that they were the Public Thermae. Some valuable coins and ornaments
have been found amongst the debris. Tiles also of various shapes
and devices have been thrown up in huge quantities; but the most
remarkable one is the flanged tile, stamped “COH . IIII .
BRE.” The type stands out in bold relief in some tiles; but
not all of the same mould, as they vary.
This inscription has become a vexata question with antiquaries;
and I will feel obliged if you will be good enough to ventilate
the subject through “N.& Q.;” so as to get the opinions
of your archaeological correspondents. Does “BRE” stand
for Bremetonacae (Overborough), the place where the tiles are said
to be made (and which is also a disputed point)? Or has it ever
stood for BRI? Was BRE and BRI at any time convertible?
Let me mention, that the coins we have found are fourteen in number.
Two of silver, one of copper, and the rest brass. Two are Trajans;
three, Nerva; one, Domitian; three, Vespasian. The others we cannot
yet trace.
GEORGE LLOYD.
Thurstonland.
Notes and Queries Vol.
9 3rd S. (213) Jan 27 1866 Page 87
CAMBODUNUM: “COH. IIII. BRE.” (3rd S. ix. 12.)
Your readers will be much interested in the communication from the
Honorary Secretary of the Archaeological, Association of the discoveries
lately made in the ancient parish of Huddersfield.
The description of “the Roman quadrangular building,”
with a hall, and other separate apartments connected with the centre
hall – the outer court, the divers hypocausts, and the tiles
of various shapes and devices, exactly corresponds with several
other Roman Villas which I have had an opportunity of investigating
in different counties in England, and therefore needs no comment.
But it may, perhaps, assist MR. LLOYD if I give him my reading
of “the flanged tile, stamped COH. IIII. BRE,” i.e.
“Cohors Quarta Bre-ucorum.” The Breuci were a Sclavonic
nation, dwelling in the south of Panonia, on the left bank of the
river Savus, or Saus.
The Romans we know from passages in Tacitus and other historians,
brought troops (cohorts) from their distant provinces into Britain,
or any other nation which they held under military subjection; the
object being twofold, to check insubordination in their old quarters
(frequently alluded to in Tacitus); and to place them among entire
strangers, and with fresh occupation in a new station.
The coins of Nerva and Trajan, found in the district where this
tile was dug up, confirm my reading of the legend on it. The cohorts
serving under Trajan fought in Dacia, north of the Danube; while
the Breuci were situated north of the Danube, between that river
and the Savus or Saus. The vexata question of the antiquaries may,
I think, be satisfactorily settled by this simple solution of their
difficulty.
Mr Thomas Wright, the well-known antiquary, in his Guide to the
Ruins of Uriconium at Wroxeter, says: -
“In the towns which were the head-quarters of a legion, as
at Caerleon, Chester, and York, or which had been occupied for some
length of time by legionary detachments, we often find the name
and number of the legion stamped on the roof tiles.”
QUEENS GARDENS.
Notes and Queries Vol.
9 3rd S. (215) Feb 10 1866 Pages 122/123
Cambodunum: "COH. IIII. BRE. (Reply)The cohort (No
4) on the tiles was that of the Bremecenses or Bremenenses, who
are recorded in the Notitia Imperii, as also the station in which
they were in garrison; foreign levies from what is now the Dutchy
of Lower Saxony, situated between the Elbe and Weser, like the Tungri
of Liege or the "Equitum Dalmatarum sub dispositione Ducis
Britanniarium," &c, and a great number of other foreign
auxiliaries from all parts of the empire - all recorded in the Notitia
I. Provinciarum of the successors of Theodosius. Bremetonacae is
supposed to have been Overborough or Ribchester, placed by others
at Coccium, but has no reference to the tiles in question.
Cambodunum Ptolemaei (perperam) Camolodunum, and also in Bede,
diviso vocabulo, Campodunum, not far from the Calder's right bank,
near Almondbury, sited on a tolerably lofty eminence, with a triple
row of bulwarks, is supposed to be the Antoninian station of the
name, judging by the distances given from Mancunium (Manchester)
and Clacaria (Tadcaster. It is noticed that in Camden's Brit. The
Itinerary of Antoninus (Caracalla?) alsorecords: Bremenium, a city
of the Otadeni (Northumberland and Durham). Qy Rutchester?
In that valuable but sadly heterogeneous jumble of geographical
names and denominations, the compilation or chorography of the anonymous
Ravennas of the seventh century, whose work was evidently transcribed
from a very defective Greek MS. and translated by a very second-rate
Greek scholar, whoever he was (book v. s. 31), occurs among a host
of old stations in Britain (several of which are repeated over again,
in a new guise sometimes), the garbled euphuism of "Brestenati
Veteranorum, "evidently meant for Bremetenacum, preceded by
"Olerica" if not Olicana, old Carlisle or Elenoro' (Olenacum),
or perhaps Ilkley; Derventione (station on Derwent) Ravonia, probably
Ravenglass in Cumberland, on Esk, or some other place; and also
by Pampocalia (also Calcaria), Tadcaster; succeeded by Valtaris
(evidently Verteris); Brough, Bereda (Voreda); Penrith, Lugubalum
(Carlisle); all in a charming incoherent jumble. But what could
be expected from a MS. which transforms Durobrivis into Durobisin
(Rochester); Uriconium Cornaviorum into Utriconion Cornoninorum
(Wroxeter); Tripontium into Trimuntium (Rugby); Isca Danmoniorum
into Scadum Namorum, and Scadomorum (Exeter); Petuaria on the Humber
into Decuaria (Brough); which gives Medio Nemeton for Nemetotenacum
(Launceston) and yet Credigone for Crediton?
The British levies in the Roman armies were generally denominated
Brittones; e.g. at Schlossau in the Odenwald-Baden, on an altar
(v. Knapp's Romische Denkmaler des Odenwaldes) - "Fortunae
sacrum Brittones Triputienses," &c., sub cura Titi Manitii.
So, also at Amorbach, Nymphis, N. (numerus), Britton. Triputien.,
sub cura M. Ulpi Malchi. (Malchius being in charge of the detachment
or company in the absence of the officer in command, as Manitius
of the other.) Triputium was meant for Tripontum, Rugby, Warwickshire.
Camden gives a similar one, and the Notitia notices a "Cohors
Britonum in Egypto." Bre and Bri are not convertible, although
in Greek Bperdvvoi occurs continually. Let us not forget the prowess
of the British legions, recorded in Herodian's third book of Hist.
Rom. Imp., treating of the career of the Emperor Severus, wherein,
speaking of the British levies who fought under the standard of
Albinus, he highly lauds their valour, and says that they were not
at all inferior to the Illyrians in courage and bloodthirsty spirit;
that they sung warlike chaunts and carols. And all we can regret
is that Severus, receiving a reinforcement, gained the battle against
his rival, who lost his head as well as his purple; and that Lugudunum
(or Lyons), near which the action was fought, was sacked and burned
by the victors. Alas! for the birth-place of Augustus, and the reminiscenses
of M. Plancus! &c.
Apropos of Bremenium, turn we to the altar found at Lowther, Westmorland,
to the Dere Matres long ago, which ought to read "Deabus Matribus
Bramae Vex (illatio) Germa (norum) P. V. R. D. (pro voto reddito),
Pro Salute, R. fus. L. M." (lubens merito).
Then the Bremeners are again recorded. Brama was properly their
town; had been erroneously read Tramai by Schedius, also Tanarus;
and the learned John Selden, a few piches of whose sacred dust -
of him who wrote antiquities and laws, and was a supporter for the
policy of Cromwell, distinguished for patriotism, for Hebraic and
oriental literature - were lately dug up in the Temple Cemtery,
found the subject of their altar so knotty that he dismisses it
with - "Quid sibi vellet Tramai, ne hariolari quidem ausus
sim."
Probably the Bremen auxiliary troops founded our Bremenium actually,
and assigned their own appellation to the new colony among the conquered
Ottadeni of Britain, at Rutchester.
Brevis - Heidelberg.
Notes and Queries Vol. 9 3rd S. (220) Mar 17 1866 Page
225
CAMBODUNUM : “COII. IIII. BRE.”
(3RD s. IX. 12, 87, 122.)
In the last century, before the invention of gas, when everybody
used snuffers to keep their lights burning, an Etonian, who had
snuffed out his candle in attempting to shorten the wick, wittily
quoted Horace’s apothegm: -
“. . . Brevis esse laboro, Obscurus fio.”
The same fate has happened to your correspondent at Heidelberg
– Brevis. In trying to enlighten the puzzled antiquaries at
Huddersfield on the franged tile inscribed BRE, he has, I fear,
left them more entirely in the dark. They are groping about “in
that valuable but sadly heterogeneous jumble of geographical names
and denominations, the compilation or chorography of the anonymous
Ravennas of the seventh century,” with no more chance of finding
the station in Britain they are hunting for, than the needle in
the bundle of hay.
I should envy BREVIS for his learning and research – the
characteristics of a real antiquary – if they had produced
a clear explanation of the mystic BRE. But after a careful enumeration
of the divers classical itineraries(and they are legion), from Ptolomy
to Camden, bearing on the knotty question, he only comes to this
conclusion – that CAMBODUNUM may be Bremen, in the Duchy of
Lower Saxony; or, probably the Bremen auxiliary troops founded our
name to the new colony in Britain.”
What a waste of learning and research, to come at last only to
a probability! Bremenium, according to Camden, was not Rutchester,
but Brampton in Cumberland. And the Romans only gave a sort of surname
to their own legions (not auxiliary troops), from the name of the
district which any particular legion or cohort had subdued. “COH.
IIII. BRE” (ucorum), means, therefore, the fourth cohort of
a certain legion which conquered the Breuci, as explained in my
former note.
If the Secretary of the Huddersfield Association will turn to “
De Notis Romanorum Compendiaris” at the end of Ainsworth’s
quarto dictionary (1796). Edited and revised by Thomas Morell, D.D.,
&c., he will find a clear and satisfactory solution of the puzzle
BRE.
QUEENS GARDENS.
Notes and Queries Vol.
9 3rd S. (221) Mar 24 1866 Page 247
MEDIEVAL CHURCHES WITHIN THE BOUNDARY OF ROMAN CAMPS (3rd
S. v. 173, 329, 441; vi, 37; viii. 57.) – Bede (chap. Xiv.
A.D. 627) says: -
“Paulinus built a church in Campodunum, which afterwards the
Pagans, by whom King Edwin was slain, burnt, together with all the
town.”
Although it is not clear where this Campodunum was situated, yet
it is remarkable that the people of Slack (now claimed as Cambodunum)
in a tradition that a church once was built there on the ruins of
the old Roman camp. An old man lately pointed out to a certain part
of the field, where it is said “a christening stone”
was once placed. He told me that the stone was removed by the proprietor
of the soil many years ago, and he had heard that some one had traced
it to “the college in Manchester.”
As Chetham College is eminently the college of Manchester, perhaps
some of your correspondents in that quarter will kindly make some
inquiries about it. It may only be the “baseless fabric of
a vision” of my old friend and informant at Cambodunum, but
it may have some foundation in fact.
GEORGE LLOYD.
Notes and Queries Vol.
10 3rd S. (243) Aug 25 1866 Page 149
THE NEEDLE-GUN – Who may I ask, was the inventor of this formidable
weapon? I have heard that the honour belongs to Ireland; and moreover,
that it is no new contrivance, being more than forty years old.
ABHBA
(The merit of the original invention of the Zundnadel gewehr, or
needle-gun, is a disputed point. The Builder says: - “It has
been stated that the principle of firing a gun by means of a needle
suddenly penetrating an explosive substance fixed in the cartridge
was invented by Mr. John Hanson of Folley Hall Leadworks, Huddersfield,
who completed his invention by constructing a breech-loader for
his own amusement and service in rook-shooting.
Mr. Hanson had a friend, a gunsmith – Mr. Golden of Huddersfield
to whom, it is said, he gave his invention, which was patented by
him in 1843, in the names of Golden and Hanson – five years
before it was made public by the Prussian Government. Mr. Golden,
at the request of the King of Prussia, forwarded two of Mr. Hanson’s
guns to him so far back as 1846, two years before it became public.”
The Dublin Daily Express claims the honour of the invention of
the “Prussian” needle-gun and its peculiar cartridge
for Ireland. The original inventor, it states, was Captain James
Whitely, of the 9th foot, who, in 1823, had a breech-loading needle-gun
constructed by Messrs. Trulock, of that city, and took the preliminary
steps to secure a patent for it. He submitted his invention to Government,
but was treated with such coldness and indifference that he became
disheartened, and allowed his invention to remain in obscurity.
The principle of placing and igniting the charge in front of the
projectile by means of a needle, was patented in England by Abraham
Mosar on the 15th of December, 1831, his musket was submitted to
the Board of Ordnance for trial in 1834, but the method of loading,
namely, at the muzzle, was very complicated, and the inventor not
having pecuniary means sufficient to improve and carry out his invention,
it was not tested.
While efforts were being made in France to augment the power and
accuracy of small arms, loaded at the Muzzle, M. Dreyse, of Somerda,
in Thuringia, about the year 1835, was led to try whether the inconvenience
of ramming down and flattening the shot might not be got rid of
by loading the barrel at the breech – an old project; and
he suggested a plan for this purpose, which has since been adopted,
with some improvements by Klein, in the Prussian army. (Douglas’s
Naval Gunnery, edit. 1860.)
Recently Dreyse has been decorated by the King of Prussia, and elevated
to the rank of Baron, in recognition of the important services rendered
by him in the invention of this weapon.)
Notes and Queries Vol.
10 3rd S. (255) Nov 17 1866 Page 389
BROOKE FAMILY – In the parish churchyard of this
town are several very curious gravestones belonging to a family
named Brook, formerly residing at Newhouse – a fine old place
about two miles from here. They appear to have been keen churchmen
and loyal subjects. I enclose a copy of one of the inscriptions
for the readers of “N.&Q.”
Around the border of the stone are the words:
“Here resteth the Bodie of Thomas Brook of Newhowse,
Gentleman, who was buried Ao. Dm. 1638.”
Within the border:
“In the church
Myllitant I fout
So unshaken
That to the
Church tryump
Hant I am taken
I am the oth
Church still.
Greve not frends
To know me ad
Vansed higher
Whilst I stayed
I prayed and now
I sing in the qvier
Aet. Suae 87.”
Below this, the arms of the Brooks: “…on a hawk’s
lure…..”
There are allusions to this family in Whitaker’s History of
Leeds as having intermarried with the Smyths of Heath, near Wakefield.
They are also mentioned in Hunter’s South Yorkshire.
G. W. Tomlinson.
Huddersfield.
Notes and Queries Vol.
11 3rd S. (267) Feb 8th 1867 Page 116
Roman Taxation Levied Per Tiles and Roofs of Houses - In
a paper which was read by Dr. J. K. Walker before the members of
the Huddersfield Archaeological and Topographical Association at
Slack on April 13, 1866, on the discoveries which had been made
at that place, the supposed Cambodunum of the Romans, the following
statement occurs ;-
"We are told that when war was declared against Antony, the
Senators were taxed, not according to their property, or by the
number of their windows, but at the rate of so much per tile on
their houses. When, however, in order to evade the tax, larger tiles
were introduced, they rated by the roof."
Dr. Walker affirmed that the substance of this statement appeared
in some periodical published in 1834, the title of which he could
not recollect; that its accuracy was not questioned at the time,
and its soundness has passed current since.
Will some archaeologist who may recollect it supply the title of
the periodical in which the forgoing statement appeared, and also
mention the original authority on which it was founded.
Llallawg.
Notes and Queries Vol.
11 3rd S. (280) May 11th 1867 Page 391
Armitage - There is a hamlet in the parish of Almondbury,
about 2 miles from Huddersfield, called Armitage Bridge, which appears
to be the place referred to by Hunter in his notice of the Armitages
of Doncaster, "Lords of the Foliot, manor of Barnby."
(Vide S. Yorks., Hund. of Doncaster, vol. i. p. 210.) He says :-
"The connection of this family of Armitage with the family
seated at Kirklees is not known, nor can they be connected with
the Armitages of Armitage, the Hermitage, in the township of Crosland,
the original it may be presumed of all the branches of that ancient
family."
In Ormerod's Cheshire, vol. iii. p. 74, is a pedigree of "Ermitage
of Hermitage." Kirklees Park is only a few miles from Armitage
Bridge.
Henry W. S. Taylor
Notes and Queries Vol.
3 4th S. (58) Feb 6 1869 Page 124
HUDDERSFIELD LIST OF VOTERS – In looking over the
official list of voters for the borough of Huddersfield, I have
been struck with the predominance of several names which appear
to be rather peculiar to this neighbourhood. I venture to send you
ten of the most numerous, with the numbers of each: -
Brook . . 246
Shaw . . 230
Sykes . . 230
Haigh . . 207
Dyson . . 183
Beaumont . . 177
Hirst . . 157
Armytage . . 144
Kaye . . 126
Smith . . 123
Total number of the register 11026
G.W. TOMLINSON.
Huddersfield.
SOURCES
- ILEJ, Notes and Queries, a 19th century journal.
- ILEJ, Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine , a
19th century journal.
CREDIT
- Marion B Harper, Geneologist
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