The history of Hertfordshire ; describing the county and its antient monuments, particularly the Roman / With the character of those that have been the chief possessors the the lands. And an account of the most memorable occurences. By N. Salmon.

Salmon, N. (Nathanael), 1675-1742.

Date:: 1728

Credit: The history of Hertfordshire ; describing the county and its antient monuments, particularly the Roman / With the character of those that have been the chief possessors the the lands. And an account of the most memorable occurences. By N. Salmon. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$Hundred, (lands upon the Rib, hav¬ ing Braughing on the North, the Hadhams on the Ea ft,Mundane on the Weft, and Thundridge on the South. In Domefday 7tis Standone, according to antient Pronunciation and Writing both, Standon ; tak¬ ing its Name from the Stony Hill Field above Buckridge. What we pronounce Stone, the Northern People ftill call Stean. In Richard de Clare's, confirming Grant 7tis Staundone. In the Endowment of the Vicarage by the Prior of St. John of Jerujdlem in 1280. this Place is call¬ ed a Borough. , The Ermine-jlreet, as I conjefture, paffeth through this Parifh over the Stony Hill Field, as it leads from Cetfaromagum, Braughing, to Hert¬ ford. By Ford Bridge it is dire£fc behind Pucke- ridge, and palfeth over Standon Field to the Ridge of the Hill, and enters Li/lj-Lane, as fhould feem by its anfwering fo exactly to the Lane behind Puckridge. There are indeed no Traces of this Way over Standon Field, the Plough having entirely defaced it; but we are not at a Lofs for above half a Mile, before, we come to Lilly-Lane, as the Inhabitants call it. This Lane is broad and direct, and keeps its Courfe for half a Mite, almoft to Collier's End, where the prefent Northern Road falls into it; and is the fame by High Crofs and Wades-mill, where they part; the Ermine leading through Benjoo and Hertford, whilft the other goes through Ware and Roddefdon. One Proof of this Lilly-Lane being an old Road is, that at pre¬ fent it is almoft ufelefs. It ferves for a Way from Standon Lordfhip to Collier's End ; but that never could have been the Reafon of its Ere¬ ction, becaufe 7tis only the lower Part that ferves that Purpofe: Nor would it have been made to carry off Wood, becaufe the Wood might have gone off on the lower Side by the Poft Road, or on the upper by Standon Field. If I fhould imagine this Lilly-Lane to have its Name from Loliius Urbicus, I fhould have the learned Dr. Gale .to countenance me; who fpeakingof Urns, Coins, ifc. dug up in Spinal- Fields without Bifbopfgate, quotes Weaver and Stow, who fay, thefe were antiently called Lolefworth Field: And that not only Lolham Bridges in Nortbamptonfhire, but other Places, preferve the Memory of that Commander. Sane Locus ifte quern modo diximus dicebatur antiquitus Lolefworth i. e. Lollii Curia vel Ager ; et forte fait Loliius Urbicus ille Antonini Pii Legatus, qui Viam'public am mumverit vel aliud opus in proximo condiderit. Certe nomen Lollii aliis locis, et ad Viam Militarem inharere animadvert0. Antonin. Iter. pag. 28. At the Extremity of this Parifh are two large Barrows on the Brink of the Hill which overlooks Thundritch Church, between which and the Barrows is the Courfe of the Rib. This Place is called Haven End; probably laid up their Veffels, which they brought from the Thames to Ware and Hertford to carry off their Plunder. Here they were well feated, to have the Roman Road for Carriage of what they could pick up, and to drive the Cattle they Hole. And thefe Tumuli being at that Haven, which could never be ufed as fuch by any but the Danes, helps forward the Conjecture, that thefe in England are chiefly Damjb Work, fetup for Vi&ory and Terror. The other in the Pa¬ rifh of Widford might be made by the fam? Hands, when they had extended themielves to¬ wards Hadham, and had a Brufh with the Saxons thereabouts. There’s another on the Hill between Amwell and Hertford, from whence the Field is called Barrow, Field, a Spot fit for am Encampment, being on two Sides fortified by Nature. This Barrow is of a different Figure from moft others we fee. It is as large, at Bot¬ tom as the reft, but much lower. The Reafon I guefs to be, that they took the Earth out and made a Pit, which they filled with Mens Bo¬ dies; and when the Bodies were confumed, the Tumulus funk to half the Height it was of at firft. In other Places they feem to have cover¬ ed a General, or fame great Man, becaufe where they have been dug down, there has appeared upon the plain Surface the Bones only of one Man. There hath been alfo a Caftle in Thundritch Parifh, upon the Brink of the Hill, on that Side the Ware Road which is next to Sacomb. This might be built by the Danes for a Place of Arms to defend their Fleet. Henry of Huntingdon is pofitive that the Danes, who were difappointed of coming up the Lea with their Ships to the Thames, by Alfred's dividing- the Stream, built.a Fort not far from the Lea\ Anno vero fequenti Exercitus qui erat m Luye fecit jaxta idem flumen Caflrum quoddam viginti millibus a Londons! Pag. 3 51. This Point of Hiftory will not be denied, That King Alfred by this Stratagem got rid of the Pagans, who leaving their Ships behind, went over-land to Quai- bridge, that is Cambridge in Glouceflerfhire. But where this Caflrum was, we have only the Archdeacon of Huntingdon's general De- fcription. Some have a Notion that the Danes lay near Porthill, North of Hertford, which from thence bears its Name : But there are no Re¬ mains there of any Works ; and the Name leemjs to be from the military Way palling over that Hill from Hertford to Wades-mill., the Ro¬ man Agger being in many Countries called the Port-Way. 1 here are two other Places which would have ferved their Purpofe. One is Widbury Hill in Ware Parifh, hanging over the Water; But here are 00 Remains. Amwell Fii\\ hatha Bar** row in it, from whence the Field is called Bar- row Field ; and indeed above the New River Head, the Ground feems fortified by Nature to¬ wards$