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This work is a literal translation of an early Saxon chronicle, produced by an unnamed “Lady in the Country” who relied solely on printed texts. She completed most of her manuscript before learning that Rev. Mr. Ingram would soon issue a more comprehensive, collated edition with translation and notes. Consequently, this limited impression was circulated privately, arranged for easy reference. The opening passages set the stage with a sweeping geography of the island, 800 miles long, 200 miles wide, and a roster of its peoples: English, Britons (Welsh), Scots, Picts, and Romans. It then narrates the mythic origins of those groups, from the Britons’ Armenian roots to the Picts’ Scythian arrival, and proceeds through a rapid succession of legendary invasions, Roman campaigns, and early Christian events, before moving into the era of Hengist, Horsa, and the Saxon kingdoms.
The voice is that of a 19th‑century antiquarian, dense with genealogical detail and a chronicle‑like cadence that mirrors medieval annals. Its style is factual yet interwoven with legendary material, reflecting the period’s fascination with national origins and biblical chronology. Readers who enjoy primary‑source style histories, genealogists tracing early English royal lines, or anyone interested in how Victorian scholars compiled and presented medieval narratives will find this text rewarding.
The opening · free to read
The island Britain is 800 miles long, and 200 broad, and there are in this island five nations, English, Britons or Welch, Scots, Picts, and Romans. The Britons were the first inhabitants of the land; they came from Armenia, and first settled in the south of Britain; afterwards it fell out that the Picts came from the south of Scythia, with long ships, but not many, and they first landed in the north of Ireland, and they entreated the Scots that they might abide there, and they would not permit them; but the Scots said to them, We may nevertheless give you counsel; we know another island eastward of this, there you may live if you will, and if any withstand you, we will aid you that you may conquer it. Then the Picts departed, and came to the northern part of this land, for southward the Britons possessed it, as we said before. And the Picts took wives of the Scots, on condition that they should always choose their Royal lineage on the woman’s side, and they observed this custom long after. And it happened, in the course of years, that a division of the Scots passed from Ireland into Britain, and conquered some part of this land, and their leader was called Reoda; from him they are named the Dælreodi. Sixty years before Christ was born, Caius Julius, the Roman Emperor, came to Britain with 80 ships. He was at first overcome in a terrible battle, and lost great part of his army, and he left the remainder of his forces to abide with the Scots, and went into Gaul, and there he collected 600 ships, with which he returned to Britain, and at the first onset Cæsar’s lieutenant, named Labienus, was slain. Then the Britons took large and sharp stakes, and drove them into the fording place of a certain river, under the water; this river was called the Thames. When the Romans discovered this, they would not go over the ford: then the Britons fled to the wood fastnesses, and the Emperor conquered very many of their chief towns by great battles, and he passed again into Gaul.
1.
Octavianus reigned 56 years, and in the 42d year of his reign Christ was born: then astrologers came from the Eastern parts that they might worship Christ, and the children of Bethlehem were slain in Herod’s search after him.
3.
This year Herod died, having stabbed himself, and his son Archelaus succeeded to the kingdom. And the child Christ was brought again out of Egypt.
6.
From the beginning of the world until this year, five thousand two hundred years were gone by.
11.
This year Herod, the son of Antipater, received the government of Judea.
12.
Philip and Herod divided Judea into Tetrarchies.
16.
This year Tiberius succeeded to the empire.
26.
This year Pilate received the procuratorship over the Jews.
30.
This year Christ was baptized, and Peter and Andrew were converted, and James, and John, and Philip, and the twelve Apostles.
33.
This year Christ was crucified, being about 5226 years from the beginning of the world.
34.
This year St. Paul was converted, and St. Stephen was stoned.
35.
This year the blessed Apostle Peter established a bishop’s see in the city of Antioch.
37.
This year Pilate slew himself with his own hands.
39.
This year Caius[A] succeeded to the empire.
44.
This year the blessed Apostle Peter established a bishop’s see at Rome. This year James, the brother of John, was slain by Herod.
45.
This year died Herod, he who slew James one year before his own death.
46.
This year Claudius, second of the Roman Emperors, came to the land of Britain, and brought under his power the greater part of this island, he also subjected the Orkney islands to the Roman Empire. This was in the 4th year of his reign, and the same year was the great famine in Syria, which is spoken of by Luke, in the book of the Acts of the Apostles. Then Nero succeeded to the Empire after Claudius: he was near losing Britain by his inactivity.
47.
The Evangelist Mark began to write his gospel in Egypt.
50.
This year Paul was sent bound to Rome.
62.
This year James, the brother of Christ, suffered martyrdom.
63.
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