292 CASTERS AND CHESTERS. 



or English name does it represent ? The old English 

 settlers of the neighbourhood formed a little independent 

 principality of Hwiccas (afterwards subdued by the 

 Mercians), and some have accordingly suggested that the 

 original word may have been Hwiccwara ceaster, the 

 Chester of the Hwicca men, which would be analogous 

 to Cant-wara burh (Canterbury), the Bury of the Kent 

 men, or to Wiht-gara burh (Carisbrooke), the Bury of the 

 Wight men. Others, again, connect it with the Bran- 

 nogenium of the Eavenna geographer, and the Cair 

 Guoranegon or Guiragon of Nennius, which latter is 

 probably itself a corrupted version of the English name. 

 Altogether, it must be allowed that Worcester presents 

 a genuine difficulty, and that the facts about its early 

 forms are themselves decidedly confused, if not contra- 

 dictory. The only other notable Ceasters, are Alcester, 

 once Alneceaster, in Worcestershire, the Eoman Alauna; 

 Gloucester or Glevum, already sufficiently explained; 

 and Mancester in Staffordshire, supposed to occupy the 

 site of Manduessedum. 



Among the most corrupted forms of all, Exeter may 

 rank first. Its Latin equivalent was Isca Damnoniorum, 

 Usk of the Devonians ; Isca being the Latinised form of 

 that prevalent Celtic river name which crops up again in 

 the Usk, Esk, Exe, and Axe, besides forming the first 

 element of Uxbridge and Oxford; while the tribal 

 qualification was added to distinguish it from its name- 

 sake, Isca Silurum, Usk of the Silurians, now Caerleon- 

 upon-Usk. In the west country, to this day, ask always 

 becomes ax, or rather remains so, for that provincial 

 form was the King's English at the court of Alfred ; and 



