bishop quickly disposed of the island here, to the nuns and canons of the new and strict order of St. Gilbert, of Sempringham, who settled there A. D. 1139, and continued till the general dissolution, when their income was rated at 88l. 5s. 3d. per annum.-Speed. The site was granted, the thirtieth of Henry the Eighth, to Edward Lord Clinton *." The present possessor of Haverholme made numerous additions to the old remains in the year 1788, and has formed a mansion in a style corresponding with the importance of the place.

LOVEDON WAPENTAKE contains the parishes of Ancaster, Beckingham, Binnington Long, Broughton Brant, Carlton Scroope, Caythorpe with Friston, Claypole, Doddington Dry, Fenton, Foston, Fulbeck, Hough on the Hill, Hougham, Leadenham, Marston, Normanton, Stragglethorpe, Stubton, and Westborough.

ANCASTER is situated on the great Roman road, called Ermine Street, which is here denominated High Dyke. Here has evidently been a Roman station; and though Dr. Stukeley is positive as to the CAUSENNE of the Itinerary being at Great Ponton, yet the author of the Britannia Romana, from a comparison of the situation and circumstances of the two places, with much more probability fixes it here. The situation is low, and a brook flows at the north end of the village. The foss and rampart, according to Horsley, might easily be traced out +. "What was its Roman name I know not; but it has been a very strong city, entrenched, and walled about, as may be seen very plainly, for the most part, and perceived by those that are the least verst in these searches; the bowling-green behind the Red VOL. IX. 3 C Lion

*Tanner's Notitia Monastica.

+ Britannia Romana, p. 433.

Lion Inn is made in the ditch.

When they were levelling it they came to the old foundation. At this end of the town, where a dove-coat stands, is Castle Close, full of foundations appearing every where above ground; the ditch and rampire encompasses it. Here are prodigious quantities of Roman coins found. Many people in the town have traded in the sale of them these thirty years*." The coins are of various emperors. One, a denarius of Otho, found here, is in the cabinet of the Earl of Sandwich. Harrison + observes, that Mosaic pavements have been discovered at Ancaster. All which circumstances make it probable that this was the Causennæ of Antonine. It is, however, proper to observe, that the numbers, as they stand in the Itinerary, do not support this conjecture; neither will they agree with Great Ponton. However, "as it is impossible that Ancaster should be the place, if the numbers be just, so it is impossible any other place between Ancaster and Great Ponton should be it; for between these two places is nothing but bare heath, not a drop of water, not a village nearer than half a mile, no mark of a station, no coins found; but the plain, perfect, uninterrupted high ridge all the way.” CAUSENNÆ, in the fifth Iter, is placed between DUROBRIVIS and LINDUM, thirty miles from the former, and twenty-six from the latter. This creates a difficulty respecting the station, which Horsley thought was best removed by supposing, that a transposition had occurred of the numeral VI, or that XXX. and XXVI. were, through mistake, set instead of XXXVI. and XX. over against the names CAUSENNIS and LINDO. Admitting this supposition, the general distance is preserved, and the particular distances exactly answer by placing CAUSENNÆ at Ancaster.

The church, and four carucates of land, in LONG BENNINGTON being given by Ralph de Filgeriis, or Fulgeriis, to the

* Stukeley's Itin. Curios. p. 80.

abbey

+ Description of Britain, Vol. II. p. 17.

Stukeley's Letter to Horsley

abbey of Savigney, in Normany, before A. D. 1175, here was founded an alien priory of Cistertian monks, subordinate to that foreign monastery. During the wars with France, it was seized into the king's hands, and given by Richard the Second to the Carthusians of St. Anne's, near Coventry. Its revenues were then valued at 50l. per annum. But after the suppression of the order, it was given, in the ninth year of Henry the Fifth, to the priory of Mountgrace; and as parcel of the possessions of this last mentioned monastery, this manor of Long Bennington was granted to the dean and chapter of Westininster, in the thirtyfourth year of Henry the Eighth.

ASWARDHURN WAPENTAKE contains the parishes of Asgarby, Aswarby, Aunsby, Burton Pedwardine, Culverthorpe, Ewerby, Evedon, Hale Great, Hale Little, Heckington, Helpringham, Howell, Ingoldsby, Kelby, Kirkby Laythorpe, Quarrington, Scredington, Sempringham, Silk Willoughby, Sleaford Old township, South Kyme, and Swarby.

BURTON PEDWARDINE formed part of the large estates of Alan de Crean, or Craon, who was of the noble family of Anjou, and the most illustrious in France of those who came into England with William the Conqueror. Of this family Stukeley has given a genealogy, commencing with Andrew de Craon, who lived about A. D. 940. The estate, by marriage, came to Roger de Pedwardine the second, who rebuilt the church, and St. Mary's chapel on the north side; but the south aile, and St. Nicholas's chapel, were built at the expence of the parish.

At INGOLDSBY is a circular encampment, which compre

3 C 2

*Notitia Monastica,

hends

hends an area of about 500 feet in diameter. Here are some tumuli, called the Round Hills.

"

The church of ASWARBY has an elegant tower and spire; and adjoining the village is the mansion and park of Sir Christopher Whichcote, Bart.

WINNIBRIGGS AND THREO WAPENTAKE contains the parishes of Allington, Borrowby, Boothby Pagnell, Harrowby, Haydor, Honington, Humby Little hamlet, Ponton Little, Ropsley, Sedgebrook, Somerby, Spittlegate, Haughton and Walton hamlets, Stoke North hamlet, Stroxton, Syston, Welby, Wilsford, Woolsthorpe, and Wywell and Hungerton.

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3

At LITTLE PONTON various Roman remains have been discovered at different periods. In this village is a handsome modern mansion, begun by the late Lord Witherington, who built the south side. Additions were inade by Mr. Day, who bequeathed it to Mr. Prettyman; the latter gentleman erected the 'west front; and it is now the residence of his son, William Prettyman, Esq. The house, which is handsomely built of stone, though erected at different times, preserves an uniformity of plán, and is situated on a fine lawn, surrounded by plantations of luxuriant growth. About a mile from the village of

HONINGTON, is a small Roman summer camp, which was defended by a double foss and vallum. Near it vast quantities of coins, contained in urns, have been found.

ROPSLEY is famous for having been the birth-place of Richard Fox, Bishop of Winchester, who built and endowed the free school of Grantham, from which circumstance he is said, by the author of "The Magna Britannia," to have been a native of

that

that town. He received his education in the university of Cambridge, and became president of Pembroke Hall, to which seminary, on his demise, he bequeathed some curious hangings of tapestry, with a for interwoven in the pattern. Removing from college to the court, he commenced politician, and soon made a distinguished figure. He was not only instrumental in establishing the claim of King Henry the Seventh to the kingdom, but also continued to be one of his principal cabinet ministers after he was settled on the throne. For these eminent services the prince rewarded him by preferment to the valuable bishopric of Winchester. But in his exaltation he appears either to have forgotten, or purposely overlooked, his alma mater; for he bestowed a portion of his great wealth in founding Corpus Christi College in Oxford. He continued in the see twenty-seven years, and was buried in his own cathedral. At the village of

WOOLSTHORPE, near Belvoir Castle, about forty years ago, under an idea that coal might underlay this part of the country, the Duke of Rutland had the ground bored to the depth of 169 feet, where a stratum of soft coal, fourteen inches thick, was discovered. The miners bored deeper, but without further success. They again bored at Braunston, three miles to the west, to the depth of 469 feet, but no coal was found; nor did the strata appear similar to that at Woolsthorpe.

1

GRANTHAM, with the SOKE, contains the parishes of Barkstone, Braceby, Belton, Colsterworth, Denton, Easton hamlet, Grantham, Gonerby Great, Harlaxton, Londonthorpe, Manthorpe, Ponton Great, Sapperton, and Stoke South, alias Stoke Rochford.