453 
some time before the year 616, and that about the same year 
his uncle Edwin, also King of Northumbria (which included 
the province of Deira), as one of his earliest deeds on 
ascending the throne, conquered about the year 616 the 
little British territory of Elmet, which had existed as an 
independent state. We are also informed that at this time 
Cereticus held the sovereignty of Elmet. "Within a few 
years after this conquest, Edwin was converted to the Chris- 
tian faith by Paulinus, who afterwards preached at Dewsbury 
and throughout these parts. 
The coimtry of Loidis, which by Thoresby was assumed 
to be the same as the district of Elmet, is mentioned by the 
venerable Bede, and also the "Wood of Elmet," as here- 
after more fully stated. 
But the most curious notice of Elmet is contained in the 
fragment of an ancient MS. inserted in Camden's Britannia, 
and containing a list of the Saxon divisions of England 
during the time of the Heptarchy, when England was 
not divided into counties, but only into several partitions 
with their number of hides. In this list the number of 
hides possessed in Elmet is set down, but it is far from certain 
whether; these were all that were included in the former 
district of Elmet, or merely represented a later "partition" 
carved out of it. At this point the inquiry naturally arises 
— What, then, were the extent and bounds of the ancient 
kingdom of Elmet? The subjoined remarks are offered as 
aids in answering this inquiry: — As to its extent, from the 
ancient MS. inserted in Camden's Britannia, we find that 
Elmed Setna (that is, the inhabitants of Elmet) possessed or 
occupied 600 hides of land, and Wight-Gora (which it is 
presumed stands for the Isle of Wight) is also set down in 
the same MS. as consisting of the like number of hides ; so 
that, taking the hides to contain the same measure of land in 
both places, we obtained from the known area of the Isle of 
