323 



WICK. 



Sliockerwick— G. Sgot, a village, oir, border, Wick stream — 

 The village on the border of the stream. 



* Wadswick — K. Gward, a Guard, or proper name — Waddys 

 wick. 



Had King Alfred a Residence at Wedmoi-e ? with some Notes on the 



Manors of Mudsley and JVedmore. By Emanuel Green. 



(Read 12th January, 1881 J 



There is extant an early manuscript recording events of 

 Saxon times, and known to us as the " Saxon Chronicle." The 

 earliest of seven copies and consequently the most authentic is 

 that now in Corpus College, Cambridge, the first part of which, 

 in one handwriting ends with the year 891, but of course it does 

 not follow that it was written in that year. It is however a very 

 early document. 



There is another Chronicle, supposed to be also contemporary, 

 called " The Annals of King Alfred." It is attributed to one 

 Asser, a bishop of the time, but doubts have been expressed on 

 this point, as it bears internal evidence of having been written at 

 a later date.* 



There are other Chronicles, which will be noticed, but for the 

 present purpose a few lines only from either are pertinent. 



Under date A.D. 878, it is recorded that Gutlirum, a Danish 

 King, coming suddenly from Gloucester in midwinter, after 

 twelfth night, was terribly victorious at Chippenham over Alfred 

 our Saxon King. The people in panic fled ; Alfred also fled, and 

 was lost even to his friends. After a wandering, uncertain, and 

 restless life in the woods of Somerset,t he came unexpectedly 

 to the Isle of Athelney, a place described as in the extreme 



* Wright. Biographia Literaria. Archseologia Vol. 29. 

 t Book of Hyde, 



