SIIAFTESIiURY. 37 



as they are stated to be called — the hurij or hijri(j, from -which 

 Shaftesbury derives the latter portion of its name, must bo 

 correlated -with the other Celtic hill-forts with which the county 

 abounds, by whomsoever it may have been subseijuently occupied. 

 Shaftesbury also possesses a Toot-hill — a name which has often 

 vexed the antiquarian mind. The former portion of the name of 

 Shaftesbury seems to be derived from the shaft-like (sceaff, A.S., 

 shaft) projection of the promontory, on wliich the fort was made. 

 Shastou, in Latin Shastonia, is another form of the name, the 

 syllable Shas being contracted from SJiaftes. It should not be 

 written Shafton. 



There is no reason to doubt that Shaftesbury came under 

 the influence of Roman civilisation. "Within two miles to the 

 eastward ran the Rojiian way between Badbury and Ashmore, 

 and pointing to Castle Rings, near Donhead, traced not long 

 since by the accomplished President of this society. But, beyond 

 the discovery of a few coins, nothing of a tangible character, 

 so far as I am aware, can be produced as evidence of Roman 

 occupation. The real history of the place begins in Saxon times. 

 The town was one of the four royal burghs of Dorset, the others 

 being Dorchester, Bridport, and Wareham. It was situated on 

 one of the main arteries to the west, being on the direct line of 

 road from London to S. Michael's Mount. Its importance may be 

 gathered from the fact that in it was located the chief of the four 

 mints established in Dorset in the Saxon age, more coins having 

 been minted here than in tlie other three. This privilege was 

 granted Ity Athelstan (925-941) and a penny struck here in his 

 reign Avas in the cabinet of the late ]\Ir. Warne. The right of 

 coinage, maintained by Saxon, Danish, and Norman kings, con- 

 tinued here till the close of the reign of Henry III. (121G-1272) 

 though it is not possible, at present, to construct a comi)lete 

 series. At the time of Edward the Confessor there were three 

 moneyers here, each paying 13s. 4d. of annual rent to the Crown 

 and a fine of £1 on a new coinage. The Saxon age saw thu 

 rebuilding of the town by Alfred, as recorded l)y an inscriiitinn 



