460 



THE EOMANS AT TAMAE MOUTH. 



By R. N. worth, F.G.S., Cor. Member. 



The paucity and scattered character of traces of the Eomans 

 in Devon and Cornwall, west of Exeter, gives special interest to 

 new discoveries in this direction. This must be my apology for 

 ei]||.eavouring to bring into one focus all that seems to be known 

 of the presence of the conquerors of the world at the mouth of 

 the Tamar, on the shores of what we now call Plymouth 

 Sound. 



Until the present year I do not think we have had any 

 evidence west of Exeter of more than casual or individual 

 Roman occupation, or rather presence. The forgery attributed 

 to E.ichard of Cirencester is primarily responsible for the baseless 

 fiction of the existence of Roman stations in South Devon and 

 Cornwall ; nor do I think that in this latter county, at any rate, 

 we have proof of the existence of Roman roads, the St. Hilary 

 stone notwithstanding.* Still, the presence of that stone ; the 

 discovery of hoards of coins, as at Helford Haven and near 

 Grorran and at Pennance ; and the not unfrequent occurrence 

 elsewhere of casual examples of Roman money ; show clearly 

 that the Romans not only visited the county, but that there was 

 some amount of occupation by them, probably in the form of 

 trading posts. And I think it very likely that the vestiges of 

 their intercourse and presence would be far more numerous than 

 they are, had more attention been paid to bringing them to light, 

 and preserving them. 



I am the more strengthened in this belief by my own 

 experience in the Plymouth district, where, within the past few 

 years, discovery has followed discovery, until I am able to lay 

 before the Institution a body of evidence that I myself was 

 probably the last to suspect. Indeed, before the present year 



* And, I may add, the Tintagel stone, discovered since this paper was read, by 

 the Eev. W. lago. There were British trackways, which the Eomans who came 

 west naturally followed. 



