The scite of the ancient ANDERIDA has given rise to a variety of conjectures and ingenious surmises, but the greater body of argument is certainly in favour of this place: among the principal opposers of this conclusion are Mr. Somner and Archbishop Usher, but opposed to them, are Camden, Henry of Huntingdon, Selden, Lambarde and Drs. Plott and Harris,

then very lofty; and he was informed by an ancient and sober countryman, who had often ploughed upon this hill, that both the mounts or tumuli, and the valla were then at least four feet lower, than when he first knew the place; and therefore no wonder if I found them much lower yet, when I visited this place.” Dr. Harris, history of Kent, p. 215.

When Constantine new modelled his empire for its better government he divided it into four large prefectures, viz. Italy, Gaul, the East, and Illyria including fourteen great provinces; Britain one of these was made subject to the prefectus pretorio or prefect of Gaul, and was governed by a vicar or deputy stiled spectabilis. Previous to this arrangement, Britain was divided into two provinces only, but Constantine divided it into three; the first called Britannia prima contained those parts south of the Thames; Britannia secunda, the country west of the severn to the Irish sea, now called Wales, and the third distinguished by the name of Maxima Cæsariensis contained all the rest of the country lying northward of the Thames and eastward of the Severn. Under the prefect of Gaul were certain consular deputies and presidents who with other inferior officers had the management of all civil and criminal matters. Beside which there were subordinate to him in Britain at that time, three different courts under the direction of three principal officers, namely the Comes Britanniarum or Count of Britain; the Dur Britanniarum or the Duke of Britain, and the Comes Littoris Saxonici or Count of the Saxon shore, under whose government was ANDERIDA, at which place, a detachment of Roman Soldiery was placed, to protect this part of the coast against the piratical inroads of the Saxons,

In the year 490 it appears that ANDERIDA was besieged, taken and to tally destroyed by Ella King of Sussex and Cissa his son, who on that occasion put to death every inhabitant of the place, and razed the walls of the city to the ground: "and if afterwards" says Dr. Harris, "the castle might have been repaired or newly built here; it was probably destroyed by the Danes in the year 893, when they ravaged the country hereabouts." The destruction of ANDERIDA by ELLA and CISSA is perhaps the strongest argument against Mr. Somner's supposition, that can be brought against it.

whose opinions, have been almost invariably adopted by subsequent writers: By some it has been placed at Reding-hill, others have sought for it at Hastings, while Mr. Somner has taken much pains and exhibited an imposing but futile display of antiquarian knowledge, to establish it at Pevensey. Dr. Harris says "I think it appears plainly by the charter of King Offa, mentioned by Twine, p. 102* that Andred was in Kent.” If this conclusion of the Doctor's is correct, and there can hardly be the shadow of a reason opposed to it, there needs no other argument against the hypothesis of Mr. Somner, or of those who would place it at Hastings; as these places are not in Kent, but in Sussex. The distance of Newenden from the sea, appears the most formidable objection with Mr. Somner, though he admits the probability of the sea having reached within six or seven miles of this place; that it did once flow up as high as Newenden, no one can consider as improbable, who has the least knowledge of the country; Dr. Harris says, "we have very good reason to believe the sea did once flow up to this place," presuming principally on the following passages from Gildas and Twine, the former of whom places" Andreds Chester, in Littore Oceani ad Meridiem," and the latter (de Rebus Albionicis p. 31) "saith, that ROMNEY MARSH was once Pelagus et Mare Velivolum. The same author farther observes, that tradition hath always fixed Anderida here; that Henry of Huntingdon saith, this place used to be shewed as such, to passengers; that it is situated in the wood Andred, or the Wild; that the whole hundred bears the name of Selbrittenden :" and "that proba

bly this town had the name of Newenden from its being built

This place according to LAMBARDE'was called by the Saxons Nifeldune which he translates the low or deep valley.'. In Latin it was written Note

The Saxon FONT in this church, is perhaps the greatest piece of antiquity within the Weald.

ORLESTON

RLESTONE. The parish of Orlestone, is partly with in this district and partly within the limits of Romney marsh, lying principally on the ridge of clay hills, which bound that rich and extensive tract on the north. The CHURCH and COURT LODGE are seated on the upland, but there is no village, the few houses contained in the parish standing insulate and dispersed throughout it. The soil is for the most part a stiff clay, and the bye-roads such as may reasonably be anticipated on such a soil, and where but little pains are taken with them; but the high road through this parish into Romney marsh is very good, and much used, being one of the principal tho roughfares into the marsh. At Ham Street which lies on this road at the foot of the hill below the church, is a very tolerable house of entertainment; the approach to this little hamlet is pleasing, and the country generally between this place and Aldington, highly picturesque. The military canal runs just below Ham Street, and has been productive of considerable advantage already to this neighbourhood. On the article of coal, a saving of 16 or 18s. per chaldron, has accru

dunum, supposed (by Leland) to be derived from the Saxon Niwandune (the new hill). "But," says Hasted "it most probably took its name from its being raised on the scite of some more ancient town, perhaps built in the time of the Romans, of whom there are many vestigia in and about this place." (History of Kent, vol. VII. p. 164).

*If we except a part of HAM STREET, which lies at the foot of the hill southward, about a mile from Orlestone church, standing on the boundary of the parishes of Orlestone and Warehorne, and partly in each.

éd, and sea-beach for the roads is obtained here at the moderate price of 2s. 4 d. per ton.

The woodlands in this parish, form the most considerable part of it, and may in a great measure account for its comparative healthiness, when opposed to those, alike situated with respect to the marsh, but containing less timber and underwood; these it is well known materially tend to purify the atmosphere and check the destructive effects of marsh miasmata. *

Soon after the Norman conquest, the MANOR OF ORLESTONE, or as it is written in the record of Doomsday, Orlavestone, was among the possessions of Huge de Montfort, on the voluntary exile of whose grandson Robert, it escheated to the crown. (temp. Henry I.) It was afterwards in the possession of a family who assumed the same surname, one of whom appears on the list of those kentish gentlemen that attended RICHARD 1. at the seige of Acon, in Palestine; whose son of the same name, (William de Orlanston) held it in the reign of Henry HI. and obtained of that monarch the grant of free wurren, a weekly market, and a fair yearly for three days, viz. on holyrood day, and two days after. It appears to have been held in capite by Knights service, subject to suit to the ward of Dover castle, being part of the barony, called the constabularie. The advowson of the church of Orlestone, has been attached to the manor from very early times.

The church of Orlestone though extremely small, appears sufficiently large for the accommodation of the inhabitants; it

* For some ingenious experiments and observations on the atmosphere of marshes (by Adam Seybert, M. D.) see the transactions of the American philosophical Society, and the Repertory of Arts, &c. vol. XVI. p. 52. to 57. and 93. to 106. Among those who have written, or been practically engaged in an examination of the chemical qualities of atmospheric air, the following stand foremost, namely Franklin, Scheele, Priestley, Ingenhouz, Lavoisier, &c. The work by Ingenhouz is entitled “experiences sur les végétaux.”

is dedicated to ST. MARY, and consists of a nave and chancel, with a diminutive steeple at the west end, in which are contained three bells. Its situation is on the summit of the hill north of Ham Street, and a little removed eastward of the road from Snave to Kingsnorth.

THE ISLE OF OXNEY.

In old records written Oxene, Oxenel, and in the record of Domesday Oxenai, includes within its boundary the parishes of Stone, Wittersham, and part of Eboney. It lies at the south-west extremity of the county next to Sussex, being divided from the latter and the uplands of Kent (on the west and north-west) by the river Rother, and otherwise circumscribed by a small stream called the Breake. *

LELAND, in his Itinerary, vol. 7. p. 139, remarks as follows: "yet parte of Oxney ys in Kent and part in Southsax, sum say that yt is or hath bene al in Southsax. Sum caulle yt Forsworen Kent, by cause that were the inhabitants of yt were

Ꮓ

* So late as the year 1509, the tide of the sea flowed up to Small-hythe on the north side of the Island, and to this place the river Rother at that time appears to have been navigable, (see Dr. Willis's two letters in the Philosophical Trans. vol. XXII. No. 275 and 276). “but" as Hasted observes "for want of a sufficient force of fresh water to repel and clear this channel of the earth and mud, which the tide from time to time lodged in it, the whole of it along the north side of the island was so swerved up, that in the year 1736 it was found necessary, for the discharge of the waters of the Rother, which then, for want of it, overflowed the adjoining marsh-lands, to make a new channel through Wittersham level, for the passage of them, whereby the course of the river, for the space of five miles or more, became inverted, and instead of running from Maytham to Small-hythe and Reding eastward, on the north side, now runs from thence to Maytham westward, and thence into the new channel above-mentioned, along the southern side of this island, into the Appledore channel, and so on to the Sea at Rye."