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father of Weland, “ the smith; ” the ancestor in nomenclature 
of the numerous progeny of Smiths who are not unknown in 
this our England of the present day. 
There is Branton, or the town of Brand; he being another 
son of Bceldeg, and grandson of Woden. 
Surely all these different names of Saxon chieftains and 
heroes, in so many ways connected with Hengest, point out 
to us not only that it was here that that great conqueror of 
Britain fought his last fight and fell, hut that here himself 
and followers had their location and their home, and that 
Thun-castle, or Dun-castle (th — R) which all historians 
mention as the name of Yortigern’s grant, was situate in 
this district, on the hanks of this old Dun. 
There are many other points of interest which might he 
mentioned, hut it would only encumber our subject. We 
have finished; and we trust that we may have interested some 
of you in the traditions and localities of your own immediate 
neighbourhood, and that others may he led to make further 
researches in that earliest of all districts mentioned in ancient 
English story, the old Gampodunum, or Dona-felda, or 
Plain of the Dow, which has witnessed such changing scenes, 
and been alike the home and battle-field of so many and such 
various people and nations, and which has known as masters 
the Briton and the Roman, the Piet and the Saxon, the Dane 
and the Norseman, and, finally, the Norman, conquerors of 
them all. 
