Verdict in His Lordships Favour

29/03/1787

Information

At the assizes of this date, before Mr Justice Butler and a special jury, was a second hearing of a case whereas Joseph Hopkins was plaintiff and the right Honourable the Earl of Peterborough and Monmouth defendant. This case had been tried at the previous lent assizes on an action brought by the plaintiff, who was trying to recover possession of an estate of about £100 per annum, held within the last few years by him and his predecessors on a lease for life granted by the late Earl of Peterborough in about the year 1728. This estate, on the lives becoming extinct, had fallen into the hands of the present earl, and due to the plaintiff not being able at that time to prove his further interest therein to the satisfaction of the court, a verdict was then given against him. In the present action the plaintiff claimed the estate, as before, by virtue of a lease for 500 years, said to have been granted by the late earl, under the title of Monmouth. after a trial of seven hours, as verdict was again given in favour of his lordship the Earl of Peterborough. (Hereford Journal)

Taken from The Peterborough Book of Days by Brian Jones, The History Press, 2014.

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Sennianus Fired a Mortarium

175-199

Information

A fabulous fragment of Roman pottery was discovered in Water Newton. It is a piece of a mortarium, which is kitchen ware used for grinding and pounding food. This piece is remarkable because of the painted text near the rim of the pottery.

The text was likely to have been painted by the potter who made the pot. His name was Sennianus and he lived in Durobrivae. We know this because he painted 'Sennianus Durobrivis Urit', which is Latin for 'Sennianus of Durobrivae fired this.' This is a very valuable piece of pottery because there are very few references to the name Durobrivae. This is the only British example of the name Sennianus, but a German funerary stela also bares the name. The stone object was discovered in Cologne in 1650, is mid third century, and can be seen in the link provided.

The height of the pottery making industry at Durobriave was in the late 2nd century (175-199AD). Pottery created around Durobrivae is known as Nene Valley Ware. The most common type of Nene Valley Ware is colour-coated ware, which has distinctive white decoration on a black coloured pot. However, the mortarium that Sennianus created was a light brown colour. It was designed to be used in the kitchen, so did not require elaborate decoration.