THE ANALYST 



HISTORICAL MEMORANDA OF WIGMORE CASTLE, 

 HEREFORDSHIRE. 



By Sib Samuel Rush Meyrick, K. H. 



That a place which has had for its owners persons of such im- 

 portance in the history of this country as Wigmore, should never 

 have engaged the pen of any antiquary, seems truly astonishing; 

 especially as materials are not wanting, though scattered far and 

 wide, for this purpose. Hoping that some one more competent 

 will throw additional light on this interesting subject, I shall 

 endeavour, through the medium of your useful periodical, to con- 

 centrate the glimmerings that are to be met with in ancient docu- 

 ments. 



Its original name we find to have been Wiginga-mere. Blount 

 says,* " This seems to be Saxon, in which language Wiggen, or 

 Wiggend, signifies rvarrior, ga, or gen, to go, an 1 mere, a pooly or 

 great water ; for it is supposed that rich ground V^low the town, 

 now called Wigmore, was heretofore held to be undrainable." 

 There is no necessity for such far-fetched etymology : Wicenga sig- 

 nifies inhabitants, " especially," says Somner, " those of towns and 

 villages," which renders it synonimous with its Domesday appella- 

 tion, Marestune, i. e. the town near the marsh. 



The earliest information respecting it is, according to Camden, 

 its being repaired by Edward the elder. This will be better com- 

 prehended by reflecting on the state of the country, which tliat king 

 found on succeeding to the throne of his justly celebrated father 



* MSS. in British Museum. 



a2 



