Page:History of Manchester (1771), Volume 1, by John Whitaker.djvu/50

This page needs to be proofread.

Chap* U. OF MANCHESTER. 3* CHAP. II. I. TFI E Siftuntii of Lancafhire bemg fobdued in the flimmer of 79^ Agricoki immediately refolved to eftablifli fort* and to plant garrifons in feveral- parts of rheir country'. Hef accordingly eftablifhed the forts- Ad Alaunam and Bremetonacse^iit the north, Portus Siftuntiortim in the weft, Refigoniutn and* Coccium about the center, Colanea on the eaft, and Verarinam and Mancuiuum- on the ibuth. Some fortreffes were abiblutely neceffary to the maintenance of die Roman conquefts in the county, and muft always have been regukrly crafted- by the Rb- mans as they extended their conque-ftSi Six of tliefe* iii parti- cular are mentioned by the earlieft accounts which we have of the Roman ftatkms in Lancashire, and. five df them by one ac-- count that was drawn up about fixty years only after the redu&ioni of it*; Having been< five of them originally- Brititfi fortreffes^ they were now changed into ftationary camps* And fmalP gar* jdlbns, confifbrng principally of the infirm and the raw foldierfc % were lodged in them, while Agricola with the reft attacked the* more northerly Briton* in the following fumnter> la die feleGaofci of fitee for their ftationary campd, die Romany generally pitched upon fuch* as had previously- bee& the fitee of Bjciti£b fortreflefe. The fa& is* abundantly fliewa byth* Btitifl* aanoassof the ftations in the Roman Itineraries, near riiree- fourths

  • f die. ftafcions bearing Britiih names, and' thereby evincing

themfel ves to be erected upon the fites of Britifh fbntteffes: The latter were generally planted upon fuch ground : as an* intimate* knowledge of the country recommended, and fuch therefore a# the policy of the Romans could not but approve. The latter* I have previoufly fliewn to have been generally planted upont fitch ground as the Britifti Mancenion naturally afforded,, and* lbs woody condition of Britain- particularly* required ; fuch as by* its- i