Bath under West Saxon Dominion. 33; 



of the two parishes of St. Michael Outwich, and St. Swithun.. 



One of the effects of the Danish ravages of the ninth cen- 

 tury was to estabhsh the value of boroughs. During this, 

 century, although Bath does not figure actively in history, 

 yet the mention of a Reeve is enough to show that it had 

 reached a certain pitch of consideration. The Reeve of 

 Bath was a man of the same name as the King, Alfred. This, 

 officer, who was ordinarily set to guard the fiscal interests,, 

 may very well at this juncture represent a fostering care on 

 the part of a King who made it a policy to strengthen his. 

 boroughs. 



The growing importance of Bath is further illustrated by 

 the possession of a Mint. From the time of Athelstan 

 (925-941) there is extant a fairly continuous series of coins- 

 struck in Bath, down to the Norman Conquest. The 

 obverse of a Saxon coin bore the King's head and name ;; 

 the reverse had the place of coining and the moneyer's- 

 name. Thus on one coin we read .^Elfric on Bathan,, 

 i.e., ^Ifric at Bath. 



Eadgar's Of the importance which Bath had attained' 

 Coronation. in the loth and iith centuries we have sub- 

 stantial evidence. In 973, at Whitsuntide, the coronation, 

 of King Eadgar was celebrated in Bath, " anciently called. 

 Akemanceaster," with extraordinary pomp. The exact mean- 

 ing of this ceremonial in relation to the personal career of 

 the King is a matter of uncertainty ; but its significance as. 

 regards Bath is plain enough. We may without rashness, 

 assume that the selection of Bath as the scene of this high 

 festival stamps our city as being at that time the representa- 

 tive city of the West. Early in the next century another- 

 signal event contributes its testimony to the same effect. 



But, before we reach the much-apprehended tale of looO' 



