1825.] Mr. URBAN, THE Account of Camberwell, Surrey. Oct. 29, 1824. HE Village of Camberwell is situate South of London, "at such equal distances from the three bridges, that were as many radii to meet in a focus at three miles distance, this happy spot would be pointed out." Mr. Salmon says, "it seems to be named from some mineral water which was anciently in it:" and which he supposes came afterwards into a quagmire or was forgott. There is certainly some plausibility in this idea, for I have heard an old saw,' "All the maydes in Camber-well Can dance in an egg-shell :" and find, on reference to Mr. Bray, that he has recorded it, together with an answer equally witty : "All the maydes in Camberwell towne Cannot dance on an acre of ground‡.” But whether the well which gives this distich what little point it has, be the identical spring rising on Grovehill, I leave for "time and the curious to construe." The name has undergone but little change during a course of near 800 years which it has been on record. In the Conqueror's survey it is called Ca'brewelle, (and two hundred years afterwards by its present name§. In records of this date, and for subsequent centuries however, it is most usually termed Camerwelle, and sometimes Cammerwell. And these, for the sake of brevity, have been contracted into Camb'well, Camwell, and Kamwell T. "Village Society," by Dr. Lettsom. + History of Surrey, by N. Salmon, 8vo. 1736, pp. 20, 21. Vol. iii. 404, note. This proverb, which lays some claim to antiquity, shows Camberwell to have been a place of no little note in "olden tyme." Few notices of houses or buildings occur previous to the 14th century, though the land here given by Nicholas Pointz to Halliwell Priory at an earlier period is described as extending "de doma nostra usque ad horreum monachorum sancti salvatoris." In 1807 a capital messuage and a windmill, the former valued at 65. 8d. and the latter at 10s. per ana, are noticed. In 1315 and 1329 mention is made of tenements here. One called Rodershull in Camberwell, is said to belong to R. Barnard in 1408. And these, with a few others, and the respective manor-houses, were all that once existed of this increasing neighbourhood. Esch. 13 Edw. I. || Esch. passim. 297 Camberwell consisted but of one manor at the time of compiling Domesday-book. It afterwards branched out into several; Mr. Bray enumerates eleven, but of these, Peckham aud Hatcham, which do not strictly belong to the district, are separately noticed in the record alluded to. In Pat. 31 Hen. VI. No. 31, mention is made of Stockwell, Knolls, and Lenehirst manors, in parochiis de Camerwell et Lambhith"-this last has, I think, passed unnoticed by Mr. Bray. The village is pleasantly situate, and from its proximity to the Metropolis, it enjoys many advantages. Dr. Lettsom celebrates it for "salubrity of air," and Mr. Lysons remarks, "it has the reputation of being healthy." If longevity be any criterion, I might notice the extreme age attained by many of its inhabitants. The place is daily increasing in importance. In 1789 the number of inhabitants was 3763*. A table of the population returns will be found in the note +. The census of 1801 is exclusive of Hatcham hamlet. Harrison, who published his " History of London" in 1776, says, "it is rather of a straggling form, but there are many good buildings in it inhabited by the gentry and citizens of London f." Dr. Lettsom, in the tract before quoted, speaks of its inhabitants in similar terms: "they chiefly consist of respectable merchants and tradesmen, and of those holding eligible situations in the public offices." The old Church is dedicated to St. Giles, and is in the diocese of Winchester and deanery of Southwark, The present structure, with the exception of the South side, is built of flintstones and chalk, plastered over and rough cast. It is situate on the road leading to Peckham and Deptford, and is approached by a covered way and low porch, the front of which was formerly, says Mr. Bray, ornamented with "bunches of grapes and vine-leaves." It appears from Domesday-book, that there was a Church here at the time of making that survey. In 1154 William Earl of Glocester gave " to God, and the Monks of St. Lysons, vol. I. Families. Males. Females. Total. † 1801 1299 3084 3975 7059 1811 2166 4854 6455 11309 1821 3053 7504 P. 558. 10872 17876 Saviour, 298 Cumberwell Church, Surrey, described. Saviour, Bermondsey," the Church of Cambyrwell," and though this donation was confirmed in 1159 by Henry II. the Earl's descendants disputed the Abbey's claim till a final agreement between Richard de Clare Earl of Gloucester, and Ymberton prior of Bermondsey, took place in 1247, the Earl levying a fine, and releasing his claim to the said Prior and Convent for ever§. In 1370 they are said to have the Church to their own proper use ||. From the style of its interior, Mr. Lysons refers the erection of this Church to the time of Henry VIII. Previous to the enlargements now in progress, it was capable of containing 1300 persons. The nave is separated from the ailes by clustered columns and pointed arches. Over the crown of one, stretching from the range on either side, across the body of the Church, are the Royal arms. From the spring of this arch depend the banners of the Camberwell volunteer corps: the one bears the motto "Concordia victrix," and the other, the cypher "C. A." The Church has undergone numerous repairs; the most material were those which took place in 1786 and 1799. In the former, the South wall was in part pulled down and thrown back, in order to make room for the increased population: the new erection is shewn to the left-hand of the annexed view: (see Plate I.) in the centre, is the part now in progress, standing partly on the site of "our Lady's Chapel," and partly on ground encroached from the Churchyard. To the right is seen the old Chancel. In the other repair alluded to, the tower was pulled down and rebuilt, "the cupola of wood, with one bell and a weathercock," substituted by an elegant turret, the windows new glazed and enlarged, and the whole beautified at the expence of the parish. The Chancel has been more than once noticed for its singular form, which is the section of a hexagon or rather of an octagon: a mitre and crosier staff through it," in stained glass, between the letters . . formerly ornamented its East window **. The initials are most probably those of * Dugd. Monast. I. 640. + Ibid. I. 641. § Dugdale, I. 641. + Bray, III. Bray, III. Bray, Lysons; from the information of the late Parish Clerk, &c. ** Strype. [April, some Bishop of Winchester, who either set up, or repaired this window, or was otherwise a benefactor to the Church. In its South wall are what Mr. Lysons calls "two stone stalls and a piscina of elegant Gothic architecture,"-till within a few weeks they have been partly hidden by the wains cot, set up in 1715, but are now exposed. They are noticed in the will of Sir Edmond Bowyer," the place where the holy water formerly stood ↑." The altar-piece is of brown oak, divided into three compartments by coupled pilasters. On the North side of the chancel is an inscription, by which we learn that it was railed in, the area paved, and the altar-piece set up at the sole expence of Mrs. Catherine Bowyer, widow, A. D. 1715.”. The communion table, recently removed, had the words "Lift up your hearts" inlaid on the front, and in its upper surface, surrounded by a glory, a triple triangle emblematical of Trinity in unity. Sir Edmond Bowyer gave for the service of the Church two gilt chalices with covers, weighing together 44 oz. 13 dwts. In 1674" the Lady Marsh a gave silver dish for the Offertory, weighing 17 oz. 4 dwts. A silver patten gilt, was given by Mr. Theodore Cock; and two silver Haggons weighing together 137 oz. were the donation of Mr. John Byne in 1691. The sacred utensils, with other property, were stolen some years since from this Church; in consequence of which, the present are now secured under lock and key. In June last, the Church was again sacrilegiously entered, and several articles of little value stolen. The tower is now furnished with a ring of eight bells: an inscription in the belfry states, that on Sunday Jan. 28, 1798, "the junior society of Cumberland youths rang in this steeple (sic) a full and compleat peal of grandsire tripples, consisting of 5040 changes, in two hours and thirty-seven minutes." In the East window of the North aisle, which was of "four lights above, and three below," were several figures and arms in stained glass, an account of which would occupy at present too * A description of a curious Monument brought to light by the late repairs, has already appeared in p. 122. + Bray, III. 409 note. much 1825.] History of the Church and Priory of Swine. much room in your valuable Miscel- We cannot insert the preceding account of Camberwell, without adding, that GROVE HILL in this parish was for many years the place of retirement, but the short intervals of professional avocations, of our late valued Correspondent, the benevolent Dr. LETTSOM. The beauty of the spot had in early life attracted his attention, and he then resolved to become master of it, should his circumstances ever become sufficiently prosperous. His wishes were gratified; and the natural beauties of the situation were improved, and brought to the utmost perfection by his taste and care. Two eminent poets, the Rev. W. Maurice and John Scott of Amwell, have celebrated the beauties of Grove Hill, and paid just tributes to the character of Dr. Lettsom. A particular account of Grove Hill was published in Edwards's Survey of the Roads from London to Brighton; which was afterwards reprinted in 4to, under the title of "Grove Hill, an Horticultural Sketch, London, 1794," accompanied by five plates. Grove Hill is now the residence of Charles Baldwin, esq.EDIT. Mr. URBAN, Cottingham Castle, near Hull, Feb. 28. You OU will probably allow me a few pages in your valuable Magazine for some observations on the criticism of your learned reviewer, on my "History of the Church and Priory of Swine." I can, however, assure the reviewer, that I am incapable of using any language in opposition to his critique, which can excite any feeling in his mind different from the courtesy which he has expressed towards me, and that I have not the least desire to enter into any thing like controversy, otherwise than as a candid discussion of the subject in question may tend to elicit facts. I contend not against the accuracy of the description of a Roman camp, as given us by Polybius. But let it be remembered, that Polybius flourished about one hundred and fifty years before Christ, and that he could speak only of the manner of castrametation as it was known at the time in which he lived. Although a Greek, he was 299 closely attached to Scipio the Roman general; and he undoubtedly knew that the Roman camps were generally correct squares, as well as he knew that the Grecian camps were of various forms. The speculatores, or scouts of the Roman armies, were usually sent before to reconnoitre the ground on which a camp might be formed; and when the place of encampment was determined upon by the tribunes and other officers, the metatores proceeded to measure, by known rules, the distances and dimensions of each part of the camp, after the site of the General's tent was fixed; and the troops, as soon as they arrived, began to dig the fosses, and to throw up the ranparts. The camps being of the same form, each division of the army knew its place in the new camp, as well as in that which it had previously occupied; and it is evident that numerous advantages would arise from the uniformity of quadrangular camps. The description of such camps is given by Polybius with great particularity; but it has been observed, as an omission in his description, that he does not mention the names or number of the gates in a Roman camp. We however know the number of gates from other authorities, as certainly as we know from Polybius that the camps in his time were square. Josephus, whose military talents were shewn in his defence against Vespasian and Titus, confirms the account which is given by Polybius of the form of the Roman camps, and it may be concluded that he stated what he knew to be the fact. But while the accuracy of the general assertions of Polybius and Josephus is not doubted, it is by no means admitted that every part of the military system of the Romans remained the same when the people became venal and corrupt, and the soldiers contracted all the vices of the nations which they conquered. It is correctly observed by Gibbon, that the Roman legions as they are described by Polybius, in the time of the Punic wars, differed very materially from those which achieved the victories of Cæsar; and we know that in the time of Marius, the cavalry consisted not of Roman equites only, but of horsemen of the provinces; and the infantry were com 300 Mr. Thompson on Roman Camps. composed of the poorer citizens, which led to a relaxed discipline, and ultimately greatly reduced the power of the empire. In besieging a town, several camps were often formed and joined to each other by lines of circumvallation and countervallation; but when Cæsar en camped against Avaricum, the nature of the ground prevented his proceeding in this manner (Bel. Gal. lib. 7, 17); he still, however, raised a mound which he supported by artificial means, and continued the attack. When he could not choose his ground, it cannot be supposed that he would abandon a favourable situation because he could not make his camp of the exact form which he would adopt under other circumstances. Cæsar was famous, as a general, for his judgment in the choice of places of encampment, and so was Agricola, who has left proof of his talents in this respect in Britain. It is said by Tacitus, that not one of Agricola's fortified posts was taken by storm, or abandoned as indefensible, so great was his skill in castrametation (Tacitus, Vita Agric. sec. 22). Hyginus, who may be supposed to have lived in the beginning of the second century after Christ, appears to have been a measurer of camps and land in the times of Trajan and Hadrian. In the very imperfect scroll which is left us, his account of the castrametation of the Romans differs from that of Polybius, and gives us proof that the Roman camps were not always of the same form (προς παντα xangor na TOTOY) in every time and place. Hyginus says, that every camp, as often as circumstances will permit, should be one half the breadth longer than it is broad, or its length to its breadth in the proportion of three to two. Such a camp he calls Castra tertiala. When the camp was longer than in this proportion, it was called Castra classica, because a general sounding of all the martial instruments together became necessary, in order that the sound might be heard in the distant parts of the camp.-Castra, in quantum fieri potuerit, tertiata esse debebunt; ut flatus aurâ æstus exercitus leniat. Hoc dixi tertiata,ut puta longum p.' cccc. latum p. MDC. si longiora fuerint classica dicentur, ne buccinum in tumultum ad portam Decimandam facile potuerit exaudiri." (Hygini Gro [April, maticus, ed. a Petro Scriverio, 1607, p. 74*). In the camp of Hyginus, the same number of troops were confined to a much smaller space than in the camp of Polybius; and the proportions in the interior divisions of the camp, as specified by Polybius, could not always be adopted, but must have varied as the camp deviated from a square. In the degree in which the original charácter of the Roman soldier was lost, and discipline was relaxed, the armies were less inclined to submit to labour and fatigue, therefore the entrenchments were reduced in dimensions, and as many men as possible were crowded into a camp of a given area. The cavalry were increased, and were exempted from working in the entrenchments. The exemption from labour was also purchased of the centurions for money, by certain parts of the infantry, and of consequence the burden on the munifices, or those who were obliged to work, became intolerable. These circumstances would, no doubt, lead to many alterations in the form of the ancient camps, and induce the Roman generals, in their encampments, the more readily to take advantage of the bank of a river, or the borders of a morass, or the ascent of a rock or hill, although these adventitious conveniences were neither in circular or right lines. In Britain, the Roman armies would very frequently save much labour by taking possession of ancient British encampments, even in cases where they might think it necessary to make considerable improvements in them. The irregular figures of camps on Trajan's pillar are in direct opposition to Polybius's statement, taken in its universal sense; and Am. Marcellinus, who attended the Emperor Julian in his Persian expedition in the fourth century, informs us that Julian's camp was of a circular form, and adds that, in the situation in which the army was placed, that form was the most defensible. We now come to Vegetius's account of the Roman camps, the accuracy of which has been disputed, but which the reader may think has been in some |