Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 4.djvu/231

 ON THE CITY OF ANDERIDA, OR ANDREDESCEASTER. 213 Normaiidy was so frequent, that a great siiuilarity with regard to architecture would be likely to prevail in both countries, more especially in the parts most contiguous to each other. There is farther evidence that the walls of Pevcnsey were in ruins at the Norman invasion, in the facts that there is no record of Pevensey castle as a defensible fortress at the time, nor of any opposition offered to the invading army from thence, though it is expressly declared to have disembarked on the neighbouring shore. Against the notion now contended for, that Pevensey re- presents Andredesceaster, there are two objections, which we must endeavour to obviate. And first with regard to the modern name ; which certainly bears no resemblance to that which we would appropriate to the vicinity. Wheresoever the ancient city stood, it is clear, that both name and remem- brance arc most completely lost. Nor need this circum- stance greatly surprise us, when we recollect the utter and long-continued desolation which is stated to have over- whelmed the place. Our supposition, that the old walls now called Pevensey are those which encu'cled Andredesceaster, is by no means contradicted by the fact it involves, that when, in process of time, the adjoininc/ valuable, though possibly quite deserted, land was taken possession of, as undoubtedly it would be, the new occupant must have imposed a new ap- pellation, even though all memory of the old one might not have vanished. And that such was really the case seems the meaning of Henry of Huntingdon's expression, " locus tamen odcnditiir desolatus ; the site in ijointed oat desolate :" as if the situation of the ruined city was known and noticed, long after the present town of Pevensey is recorded to have existed under that title. The name Pevensey is considered, perhaps correctly, to be of Saxon origin, and if so, it must have been attributed after the destruction of Anderida ; in confirmation of which idea it may be mentioned, that the earliest occur- rence of the name, which I have been able to discover, is in the Saxon Chronicle at the- year 1046'; only twenty years, be it observed, before the arrival of the Normans. It is however the opinion of Archbishop Usher, as quoted by Sonnier", that Pevensey is the " Caer Pensavelcoit" of the t Gibson's eililion, p. KiO. " Romiu Ports ami Forts, &t'., p. 101-. VOL. IV. 1 t