Magna Britannia Antiqua & Nova: Or, a New, Exact, and Comprehenfive RVEY SU UR OF THE Ancient and Prefent STATE O F GREAT-BRITAIN. CONSISTING OF I. A Compleat and Accurate Description Hundred or Deanary they lye: Their of all the Noblemen and Gentle- The whole being more Comprehenfive and Inftructive than CAMDEN, And Illuftrated not only with General MAPPS, but alfo particular ones of each As likewife TABLES fhewing at Sight the Distances of MARKET Towns and other re- Collected and Compiled from the Antiquities and Hiftories at large of each COUNTY. With many VOL. V. LONDON, Printed for and fold by CESAR WARD and RICHARD CHANDLER. Price three Guineas bound and gilt. In SIX VOLUMES. N. B. Particular Counties may be had separate. Staffordshire. I Taffordshire, in Saxon Stafford this County, more than that for the march Sreine, contains about one third Part. ing of their. Armies and Carriages, two of of the Country, inhabited by the Britains call'd Cornavii; Bede calls the People of it, Angli Mediterranei, ie: the Midland English, because they live in the Middle of England. It is bounded on the Edft by Warwickshire and Darbyshire, on the South by Worcestershire, and on the Weft by Shropshire and Cheshire; which Jaff joining Darbyshire in the North, where it ends in an obtufe Angle, make the Northern Border. It is divided by the Trent into the North and South, or rather, into the North-Eaft and South-Weft Parts; the former of which is again divided into the Moorlands, which are the more northerly mountainous Parts lying between the Rivers Frent and Dore, from the three Shire Heads, to Draycot in the Moors; and the Woodlands, which is the more foutherly Part of the Country, from Draycot to Wichmore, &c. It is in Length forty Miles, in Breadth twenty fix, and in Circumference one hundred forty and one; in which Compafs are contain'd 810,000 Acres of Land, 18 Market-Towns, 150 Parishes, and 23,747 Houfes. Of the Britains who poffefs'd this Country, we have given the best Account we can find in Cheshire, to which we refer our Reader, tho far short of what we would. Our Histories give us no diftinct Relation of the Tranfactions of the Romans in VOLV their Highways pafs'd thro' this County, viz. Watling Street, which coming out of Warwickshire, entred into this County at Fafeley-Bridge near Tamworth, and paffeth cross the County, at a little Distance from Litchfield, into Shropshire, a little Way from Brewood, and Ikenil-ftreet, which having pafs'd thro' Darbifhire, enters this County at Streeton near Tutbury, and going by Burton upon Trent, and Litchfield, leads into Warwickshire near Handfworth, where it appears near Birmingham: By the Advantage of thefe two ancient Ways running thro' it, there are preferved to us many confiderable Remains of Roman Antiquities. The Roman Armies being recall'd, upon the Account of the Divifions of the Empire, (as is abovefaid) and the Saxons invited into the Island by the British King Voftigern, then reigning, to affift the Britains in keeping out the Picts and Scots, which defcending from the North, notably infefted them; the Saxons turn'd their Succefs in conquering the Enemies of the Britains to their own Advantage; and by Degrees having fubdu'd the Britains, call'd in others of their Countrymen, and fettled themfelves in Seven Kingdoms, of which, this Shire was part of the Mercian, the largest of the Heptarchy. The Bri tains, were driven into Wales, did not |