More information : A letter from Mr. West dated "Lancaster Feb.1st.
1776 read to the Soc. of ants. on May 9th. 1776 reads:- "On sinking
the cellars of a large house in Church street. Lancaster (formerly
called the JUDGES' LODGINGS) for Mr. DANIEL WILSON there was
discovered a supposed ROMAN burying place 6 ft. below the surface.
Finds included burnt wood, bones and ashes, broken paterae, urns,
ROMAN bricks, gutter tiles, coins, horns of animals etc and two
portions of thick walls 5 yards apart. Within the walls, which may
have been part of a vault, were fd. pieces of urns, and earthen
sepulchral lamp, a human skull and ROMAN coins: at the north end
was a well filled with hewn stones. There is a descent of c. 70-80
yards from the back of the house, which has been levelled a great
many yards; here from 3 ft. to 6ft. deep similar finds were made-the
stratum of ashes and bones was from a foot to about 6ft.thick.In
digging a drain on the opp.side of CHURCH STREET to the west of
Mr WILSON'S house a similar stratum was found including a small
brazen head like a dogs, the pedestal and feet of a small image,
though to have been a LAR, with an inscription, and the bottom of a
patera inscribed CADGATEMA. The vessels are of a fine brown colour,
the urns like oil jars [?AMPHORAE] and two coins were of MARCUS
AURELIUS and FAUSTINA his wife. The burial place is to the east of theROMAN fort"
In a letter dated 4.7.1776 Whitaker says to Mr West:- .......the
inscription on your mutilated figure seems to be SERVIVS. VALERIUS.
CENTURIO ......... (b)
This inscription is now lost. (1)
[Area centred SD47556191]. Dr. Wilson's garden [T.I.]
[Area of house and garden measures 80.0 metres N-S AND 25.0M E-W] (2)
Area centred SD 47546190. The house known as Dr. Wilson's house
in Auth 2 is probably the same house described in Auth 1 as Mr Daniel
Wilson's house. It is now occupied by the COUNTY CLUB and the steward
in charge informed me that he did not know if it were previously
called the JUDGES LODGINGS - the present JUDGES LODGINGS are at
SD 47476187.
Enquiries at the COUNTY CLUB failed to reveal any knowledge of any
finds in the attached garden.
The area shown includes the opposite side of CHURCH ST. to the
west of the house (Auth 1) where further Roman finds have been made.
Present location of all finds not discovered during recording
and field investigation. (3)
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