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Mr. Denny, in the absence of the writer, John James, 
Esq., of Sheffield, read the following Paper on — 
THE LITTLE BRITISH KINGDOM OF ELMET. 
When the Roman legions had been withdrawn from our 
shores, and nearly the whole country lay at the mercy of 
the Anglo-Saxons, there existed in the heart of the West- 
Riding of Yorkshire a little state called Elmet, which main- 
tained for nearly two hundred years its independence. It 
was probably enclosed on all sides by the kingdom of 
Deira, which included the whole of the other parts of 
Yorkshire. 
This Begiuncula of Elmet, as it has been called, possesses 
for many reasons great interest both to the antiquary and 
general inquirer. 
1st. Because it probably remained, in regard to inhabitants, 
religion, and manners, much the same from the time when 
the Romans quitted this country until the year 616. 
2nd. Because in this interval it stood like an oasis hemmed 
in by the desert of Saxon paganism. From the time that 
Christianity was introduced into Yorkshire, probably in the 
latter part of the second century, its pure light, it may be 
believed, never afterwards became extinguished, nor the 
literature, arts, and civilization of Rome quite lost in this 
territory of Elmet, though the gross darkness of heathenism 
pervaded for a long period the Saxon rule in England. 
3rd. Because Leeds, now the capital of the West-Riding, 
was most likely also the capital of the kingdom of Elmet. 
The history of this interesting little state is involved in 
deep obscurity, for very few ancient notices have descended 
to us respecting it. 
Lappenberg, in his History of England under the Saxon 
Kings (translated by Mr. Thorpe), states that Herevic, grand- 
son of iElla, King of Northumbria, was poisoned in Elmet 
