dation of Danes made a descent on the coast, and passing up the Thames wintered at Fulham; but finding Guthrum determined to foster his new alliance with Alfred, in the spring of the year they set sail with their leader, Hastings," for Flanders, and landing at Ghent, commenced their usual system of barbarity and plunder.

In the year 880° Guthrum took possession of the East Angles, divided and distributed his kingdom amongst those of his followers who had been converted to Christianity, whilst the residue of the Danes crossed the sea and joined their piratical countrymen in Flanders.

It was at this period that a Danish settlement was made at Godmanchester, as evinced by the quotation of Camden: "Gormonis a Castri nomen habit," the town from Gorman's camp first took its name; and there is to this day a place on the Belisle estate in Godmanchester, known by the name of Gorman's Pond. Thus the Durolipons of the Romans became the Gormon-castria of the Danes, and was admirably situated for one of their most important encampments; on the south and

b "Cœteri ex Danis qui Christiani esse recusassent, cum Hastingo mare transfretaurent, ubi, quæ mala fecerunt, indiginæ norunt."-Wm. Malmsb.

e The Saxon Chronicle dates their occupation of East Anglia in 879. The MS. Chronicle places it, like Asser, in 880.-Vide Cot. Lib. b. 4, p. 35. See also Turner's History of the Anglo Saxons, 4to. vol. i. p. 265.

south-east sheltered and protected by high hills, from whence rapid descents could be made in the event of molestation; on the west, north, and northwest, defended by and commanding the river Ouse, which separated it from the kingdom of Mercia; in addition to which, it here formed a key to the East Angles, this division of which was at that time almost a continued forest. Though Guthrum has been accused of corresponding with and sheltering his barbaric countrymen, and receiving them in his harbours from the German Ocean, to the annoyance of Alfred, yet the integrity of his conduct appears never to have been questioned by that

d " Huntingdonshire," says Leland, "in old time, was much more woody than it is now, and the dere resortid to the fennes : it is full long sins it was deforestid."-Itin. vol. iv. p. 48. Sir Robert Cotton refers the period of disforesting this county to the reign of Edward 1st, who, in his 29th year, confirmed the great charter granted by Henry 3d, when no more was left forest than the demesnes still retained in the king's hands.-Camden observes of this county, "the inhabitants say it was once covered with woods; and it appears to have been a forest till Henry 2d, in the beginning of his reign, disforested the whole, as set forth by an old perambulation, except Waybridge, Sapple, and Herthei, which were the lord's woods and remain forest.'"-Gough's Camden, vol. ii. p. 155.

e

Malmsbury quaintly observes of Guthrum-“ Verum quoniam non mutabit æthiops pellem suam, datas ille terras tyrannico fastu undecim annis proterans duodecimo vitam finiuit: posteris quoq: perfidiæ successionem transmittens, donec a nepote istius Elfredi Athelstano subiugati, regem unum Angliæ fieri vel inuiti concesserint sicut hic dies invenit."-De Gestis Reg. Ang. lib. 2. p. 24.

monarch, as he kept quiet possession of the EastAngles until his death, which, according to Florence of Worcester, occurred in 890, and the Saxon Chronicles, 891, after a reign of twelve years. He was buried at Hadley in Suffolk, and succeeded in his sovereignty by Eohric," who revolted and leagued with Hastings on his re-invasion of the kingdom, A. D. 893, but who was soon repulsed, and his turbulent coadjutors subdued. In consequence of this rebellion, Eohric, with the East Anglian and Northumbrian Danes, was required, in 894, to renew their oaths of fealty, and deliver hostages to Edward. The Danish occupation of the East-Angles, after the death of Guthrum, led to continual skirmishes and irruptions between them and the Mercians, whose kingdom they ultimately subdued, when doubtless Godmanchester, a frontier town, was a place of considerable importance in strength and extent; but from the time of the revolt of the East-Anglian

f Flor. Wor. p. 328.

Ingulph says the same- "Anno Regni Ælfredi 18 quæ est

Christo 890 enim obiisse dicit."

8 So also Brompton in Chronico-"Hoc anno 891, obiisse dicit;" and Hen. Hunt. " Alfredi Regis Anno 19 (i. e. 891) Godrun Rex Dacus qui fuit filiolus Alfredi Regis, et regnavit in EstAngle, luce demptu sest." lib. v.

h" Postea in Orientali Saxonia, Guthrum Rex Danus regnavit annis duodecim tempore Regis Alfredi; Guthrum habuit successorem æque Dauma nomine Eohric."-Wm. Malms. lib. 1. fol. 14. i Hume, vol. i. p. 61, 4to. 1762.

and Mercian Danes in favor of Ethelwald, and their subjection to Edward in 917, no local incidents are on record requiring our consideration, until the compilation of Domesday-book, in the reign of William the Conqueror.

57

CHAPTER IV.

RECORD OF DOMESDAY A.D. 1086.

a

N our fac-simile and illustration of the following extract from the Rowle of Winchester, we commence our series of ancient documents relative to Godmanchester.

A survey of the kingdom was taken by Alfred

about the year 900, which, though now lost, was extant at Winchester when William the Conqueror assumed the government of the empire, and that

a

Anciently so called from being kept in the church at Westminster; sometimes from the same cause-Liber domus-dei: abbreviated Domesday-book: Liber Judiciarius: Rotulus Wintoniæ: Scriptura Thesauri Regis: Liber de Wintonia: Liber Regis Censualis Angliæ: Angliæ Notitia et Lustratio, &c.

"Iste Rotulus vocatus est ROTULUS WINTONIÆ, et ab Anglicis pro sua generalitate Domesday cognominatur. Talem Rotulum ediderat quondam Alfredus qui quidem Rotulus Wintoniæ vocatus est quia deponebatur apud Wintoniam conservandus que civitas caput West Saxonici regni sibi hereditarii.