Roman military diploma at stannnington

[broard Harry]

Fragments of a Roman military diploma were found at Stannington on the hillside above Rivelin valley road in 1761.

They were found in the same area of the farm house which was called the lawns; here is an extract from 'The hall of Waltheof ' by S O Addy 1893.

 

'Three quarters of a mile to the north of the long causey, and on the opposite side of the valley, two thin plates of copper or bronze 6inches by 5 inches were discovered in April 1761. The discovery was made by one Edward Nichols whilst ploughing a piece of common land called the lawns on the Stannington side of the Rivelin and were found near a large stone'.

 

The diploma was a cetificate of discharge for a Roman Auxillary soldier who had served 25 years in the Roman army; and in this case for the son of Albanus who was a trooper in the Ist Cohort of Sunuci who were origionally from Belgium.

As far as I know this area of land as never been built on apart from the farm house, I wonder why there as never been an Archeological survey of the area

after all the Roman could have settled down in the area Villa, farmstead? comes to mind, does anybody know anything

[algy]

If there was a building there it would most likely have been a farmstead. Very few villas have been found this far north. There's evidence of a Roman period farmstead above Fulwood, so why not Stannington?

[Rivelin6]

The Lawns was owned by the Thompson family,I'm in touch with some of their descendants and did some genealogy for them.

[dminnimouse]

Hello there Rivelin6 I've seen your comment regarding the possible Roman settlement at Rivelin and the Lawns I do believe I'm part of the family who may have owned the land you mention and would love to hear more is there any way we can contact each other

 

Many thanks Deb