Ecclesfield.
_Church of St. Saviour, Canterbury._--Tradition, I believe, has uniformly
represented that an edifice more ancient, but upon the present site of St.
Martin's, Canterbury, was used by St. Augustine and his followers in the
earliest age of Christianity in this country. St. Martin's has, on that
account, been often spoken of as the mother-church of England. Lately,
however, in perusing the fourth volume of Mr. Kemble's _Codex
Diplomaticus_, p. 1. I find a charter of King Canute, of the year 1018,
which states the church of ST. SAVIOUR, _Canterbury_, to be the
mother-church of England:
"Æcclesia Salvatoris in Dorobernia sita, omnium Æcclesiarum regni
Angligeni _mater et domina_."
In none of the histories of Kent or of Canterbury can I find any mention of
a church dedicated to St. Saviour. May I beg the favour of you to insert
this among your Notes?