A mile off Stretton, between Stamford and Grantham, between Stretton and Market Overton, is a place called the Holmes, where they find vast quantities of Roman coins. Mr. Parker, supervisor, gave me several, of the low empire: after a shower of rain, on the ploughed ground, they find them plentifully. No doubt but this was a Roman town. I viewed it with Mr. Baron Clark, of Scotland, May 30, 1733: it is a villa, or shepherd’s town, upon a delightful plain: there is an old well, which is new scoured, and the foundation of a wall that inclosed a kind of a court: it is near Thistleton.
Mr. William Annis gave me a brass Magnentius, found at Honington; reFELICITAS REIPUELICÆ.
[75] A Roman Mosaic pavement found in the fields above Denton, February 1727–8, of which I sent an account to the Royal Society.
Over the parson’s gate of Ledenham an inscription of the famous John Dee, minister here.
[77] Ninnius says, Vortimer the British prince was buried here.
[78] The castle of Lincoln was made by the Saxon kings, repaired by William the Conqueror.
[79] Captain Pownal gave me a brass Fausta, wife of Constantine, found in a barrow near Lincoln, SPES.
Mr. S. Buck gave me a Crispus Nob. C. brass, found in the rubbish of a house, reverse, BEATA TRANQUILLITAS P L C. struck at Lincoln.
Captain Pownal told me they found coins, scatteringly, as they dug up a Roman tumulus near Lincoln, anno 1727.