Glowecestre.
"Doomsday Book."
To the long list of "cesters," the Anglicised form of the Latin "Castra"
(camp), must be added Gloucester, famous in more respects than one; the
city where Henry I. died from a surfeit of lampreys, where Henry II.
held a great council in 1175, where the coronation of Henry III. in its
abbey took place; the city which the same monarch "loved better than
London," the city extolled by Bede as one of the noblest in the land.
Prior to the Roman invasion it is held to have been of considerable
importance, and to have originated from the settlement of a tribe of
Britons, called the Dobuni. This tribe, with that of the Cornavii, also
controlled about the same time the destinies of Worcester, now renowned
for its beautiful china. By the Dobuni the city was called Coer Glou,
either out of compliment to its founder Glowi, a native, with the
meaning, "the city of Glowi," or because the same British words,
according to another interpretation and its reputation, can be rendered
"the fair city." In the year 47 this stronghold passed into the Roman
possession, under Aulus Plautius, and according to Richard of
Cirencester, a colony was established. This he styles Glebon, whilst the
"Itinerary" of Antonine and other ancient records enter it as Glevum
Colonia.
An interesting account upon the Roman classification of towns in England
discloses a very important particular. It adds considerable weight to
the description of the city by the authors just quoted. Their statements
that Gloucester was classified as a colony called Glevum seemed to be
borne out by a tombstone found at Rome. It purports to be in memory of a
citizen of Glevum. This has given rise to the supposition that "Glevum"
was the honourable title bestowed upon an English town of importance
made a "colony" by Nerva. This period would be between 96 and 98 A.D.
This date in no way combats the original one of 47 A.D. It is only
intended to show that Gloucester at the later period had become a colony
with a certain amount of self-government, forming a unit of the Great
Roman Empire.
The district to the north-east of the present city, called King's
Holme, is supposed to have been the actual site of the Roman camp. Close
to it was also the palace belonging to the Anglo-Saxon kings of Mercia,
which was called Regia Domus. Round about this spot quite a valuable
collection of Roman remains has been made, which, besides establishing
the fact of their occupation, have helped archaeologists to form a
correct estimation of the habits and customs of the Latin invaders. When
the pressing needs of Rome required the return of all her legions,
Gloucester came to be governed by Eldol, who was a British chief. He
survived the terrible massacre of the Britons by the Saxons at
Stonehenge, and in 489 revenged their memory by killing Hengist, the
Saxon chief, at the battle of Maeshill in Yorkshire.
[Illustration: GLOUCESTER