ANGLO-SAXON REMAINS 



teries. A fragmentary specimen, however, now in the British Museum, 

 has the usual impressed ornament in panels surrounded by a peculiar 

 raised rib. 



Cremation in Surrey during the post-Roman period seems to have 

 been the exception, and beyond the instances already referred to has only 

 been traced in two localities within the county. Whether the urns in 

 question contained the remains of Romanized Britons of the fifth cen- 

 tury or of a few stray immigrants who preserved the Anglian tradition 

 has yet to be determined. But it may here be pointed out that crema- 

 tion among the Romans became less common about the middle of the 

 third century ; and even if the Croydon urns may be assigned to the 

 native population, the characteristic Anglo-Saxon ornament occurred on 

 the specimens found at Beddington and Walton-on-Thames. 



About three miles from the site already noticed, discoveries of 

 Anglo-Saxon remains have been made from time to time in the vicinity 

 of a Roman villa, at Park Farm in the parish of Beddington, north of 

 the river Wandle and not far from Hackbridge station. 1 The occurrence 

 of a silver penny of Aethelstan (925-40) may be regarded as purely 

 accidental, and is no evidence that the villa was standing, much less that 

 it was occupied, at that period. It was about 500 yards to the south 

 of the building 2 that remains of a human skeleton were found in 1871, 

 with an iron spearhead of superior manufacture, a small knife and 

 portions of the shield-boss. 



A few feet distant was found a second skeleton in a grave that had 

 been clearly cut to a depth of 18 inches. On the same spot was also 

 found a large sepulchral urn of dark ware, marked with patterns of con- 

 siderable elegance ; this was very moist and brittle but was fortunately 

 removed entire. It measured 9 inches in height as well as diameter and 

 contained fragments of bone mixed with the earth. A smaller urn fell 

 to pieces on removal, but a third was found some days later similar to 

 the first, though very much damaged ; and near it was one of smaller 

 but more graceful proportions, about 7 inches high, with encircling lines 

 and impressed ornaments. This stood upright about 1 8 inches from the 

 surface and contained a fragment of bone. Another skeleton with the 

 usual iron knife, and also another fractured urn were recovered later on ; 

 and it was observed that though the gravel, which was about an acre in 

 extent, was clearly raised above the surrounding meadows there were no 

 surface indications of the burials beneath. On subsequent occasions, 8 in 

 about half the same area, were found five cinerary urns and remains of 

 four unburnt burials, in two of which the head was seen to lie towards 

 the west. The graves contained besides an iron shield-boss of the usual 

 pattern a few spearheads and knives but a very few personal ornaments, 

 comprising a single bead of blue glass, a plain bronze bracelet and a few 



1 Society of Antiquaries, Proceedings, v. 1 5 3-5 ; J ournal of British Archttolo&cal Association, xxvii. 5 18. 

 * Plans of the villa and its surroundings, as well as illustrations of the shield-bosses and spearheads, 

 are given in Corbet Anderson's Croydon, pi. viii. and pp. 41, 87. 

 3 Surrey Arcbitological Collections, vi. 113. 



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