EARLY HISTORY OF WIRKSWORTH AND ITS LEAD MINING, 65 
These inscriptions will be better interpreted by some of the 
archeologists present at this meeting. I will simply remark that 
Pegge makes out the first to mean—“ The sixth legion inscribes 
this in memory of the Emperor Hadrian ;” and the second—‘‘ The 
property of Lucius Aruconus Verecundus, lead merchant of 
London.” Now it is not at all likely that the sixth legion would 
use a pig of lead as a memorial to an Emperor, and therefore the 
explanation given by Lysons* as to the meaning of the letters 
“LVT ” in these inscriptions forms a more ready solution of the 
difficulty. He believes these letters to refer to ‘‘ Lutudarum,” the 
Roman station next to Derwentio, and which is believed to have 
been the site of the town of Chesterfield.t The inscription on 
pig of lead No. 1 would therefore mean “the pig was cast from 
works belonging to the Emperor Czesar Hadrian Augustus, from 
the metallic district of Lutudarum;” on pig No. 2, “ Lucius 
Aruconus Verecondus, from the metallic district of Lutudarum ;” 
and on pig No. 3, ‘‘A Tribute to Tiberius Claudius from the 
Mines in the British Lutudarum.” Be this explanation accurate 
or not, the lettering on these pigs of lead found in the latter part 
of the last century, and just 100 years ago, in different parts of the 
Wapentake of Wirksworth, affords conclusive evidence of the great 
antiquity of lead mining in this part of Derbyshire, and of the 
absolute certainty that it was pursued here during the Roman 
occuption of Great Britain, and probably before the Christian 
era ; indeed, Derbyshire is said by some authorities to be referred 
to by Pliny when he wrote, ‘‘ In Britain, on the surface of the 
ground, lead is dug up in such plenty, that a law was passed to 
stint them to a set quantity.” ¢ 
That the lead mines were energetically worked during the Saxon 
period we are assured by the following circumstances :— 
1. From the fact that a mine near to Castleton is called Odin, 
after one of their gods. 2. Eadburga, Abbess of Repton (to 
* Magn. Brit., vol. v., p. ccvii. 
+ Mr. Watkins, in another paper of this volume of the Transactions, argues 
for the identity of Lutudarum with Wirksworth. 
+ Camden. 
8 
