Silchester
county:
coords:
Hampshire
SU6261
otherwise: Kaleoua, 100-199?; Calleva, 300-399?; Caleba, 500-599?; Silcestre, 1086; Selechaestre, 1200; Cilcestre, 1227; Cilecestre, 1236; Cylchestre, 1294; Sylchestre, 1322; Chilchester, 1349
SILCHESTER
The ancient name of this Roman city was British 'Calleua' hypothetical Primitive Welsh 'Calliw'. This was a derivative of the word giving rise to Welsh 'celli'='grove' (less likely its direct ancestor). From this point, two theories have been propounded. Either the ancient name persists, with Old English 'ceaster'='Roman town/station' added to it; or it is an entirely English name with an unrecorded derivative of the word 'sealh'='sallow tree' as the first element. Gover inclines to the first view, Ekwall to the second. Henry Bradley suggested to Grundy (1927) that the first element was Old English 'syl'='pillar'. But in that case we would expect some 'u' spellings in Middle English. The entire problem is reviewed in Coates (1988a). The 'sallow' theory is improbable on ecological grounds (compounding the philological difficulties (i) that Ekwall invents derivatives of 'sealh' rather liberally, and (ii) that the balance of early spellings favours a one syllable first element). The 'survival' theory runs into difficulties because the expected forms in initial 'C-' do not appear till the 13th century, before which we find uniformly 'S-'. Coates slightly favours the 'survival' theory, but the matter should be left open still.
otherwise: Caleva; Galleva Atrebatum; Caleba Arbatium
Belgic coins of Eppillus soon of Commius, about AD10:-
... CALLEV ...
... REX CALLE ...
Stone inscription found at Silchester on the site of a temple:-
A CON[LEGIO PERE]GR[I]NORUM [CONSISTENTI[UM CALLEVAE
ie by the guild of peregrini dwelling at Calleva.
Ptolemy lists the 'polis' of the Atrebatii at:-
CALEVA
The Antonine Itineraries list:-
GALLEVA ATREBATUM ... CALLEVA
Listed in itinerary VII at xxii roman miles from Venta, xxii to Pontibus ie Staines (NB you must understand the system of measuring and the size of roman miles); in itineraries XIII and XIV at xv roman miles from Spinis ie Woodspeen; in itinerary XV at xv roman miles to Vindonium.
The Ravenna Cosmography lists:-
CALEBA ARBATIUM
The probable derivation is from British 'town in the woods'; Silchester is an iron age settlement succeeded by a roman town.
Listed in Domesday Book
- Holesete Hundred - Hantescire
Period - 11th century
TERRA WILLELMI DE OW ... Isd~e Will~s ten. SILCESTRE et Radulf de eo . Alestan tenuit de rege E in alodiu~ ...
Listed in Domesday Book
- Holesete Hundred - Hantescire
Period - 11th century
TERRA RADVLFI DE MORTIMER ... Ipse Rad. ten. SILCESTRE . Cheping tenuit de Heraldo in alodiu~ ...
Listed in Domesday Book
- Holesete Hundred - Hantscire
Period - 11th century
