Extracts of Two Letters from Mr. Tho. Knowlton to Mr. Mark Catesby, F. R. S. concerning the Situation of the Ancient Town Delgovicia; And of Two Men of an Extraordinary Bulk and Weight

III. Extracts of Two Letters from Mr. Tho. Knowlton to Mr. Mark Catesby, F.R.S. concerning the Situation of the ancient Town Delgovicia; and of two Men of an extraordinary Bulk and Weight. I. Londisburgh, Sept. 1745. SIR, Ately we have discovered (within four Miles of this Place) many Foundations in a ploughed Field, which have lain buried for many hundred Years; and there are no Records or Tradition of it: It was discovered by one Mr. Hudson, a Farmer at Millington, as he formerly tended his Sheep on one Side of the Hill, and on the opposite Side had perceived in the Corn a Difference in Colour for some Years before; which led him this Summer to dig; and, happening on the Foundations, it encouraged him, Dr. Burton, and myself, to dig likewise in several Places; and in one Part was discovered a circular Foundation five Feet wide, and the Plan within 45 Feet Diameter; by which I imagine it was a Temple dedicated to Diana, said to have been at Goodmanham; but I could never, by many Trials, find the least Appearance of it there. The Distance from Goodmanham to Millington is about 5 Miles; and there were likewise many other Foundations which had great Quantities of Roman Pavements within them; by which I imagine, after the Dissolution Dissolution of the Temple it became a Roman Station, then called Delgovicia; which has been certainly fixed at Goodmanham, Londesbrough, Hayton, &c.: Yet not the least Remains ever appearing at any of those Places, so as to satisfy an indifferent Inquirer; but, in this just now discovered, the Ruins and Foundations are a Demonstration of the once Grandeur of the Place; and no doubt it was the above-mentioned Delgovicia. The Foundations lay about 18 Inches below the Surface, and to the Depth of 4 or 5 Feet within the Ground. N. B. It is on the Wolds Hills, within two Miles of Pocklington. Within a Mile and half of Kilham is a Place called Danes Graves, near which, it is supposed, was fought a great Battle, in which infinite Numbers fell; and so were laid in Heaps, and covered with the chalky Soil in little Tumuli, of the Quantity of two or three square Yards; in which, if opened, one may find great Quantities of human Bones: Though, at this Distance of Time, I believe there is not less than an Acre of Ground covered over with them, joining close to each other; and it is one of the greatest Curiosities of Antiquity, in my Opinion, I have ever seen: I am determined one Day to go and number them, and to measure the Quantity of Land they cover. About five Miles from thence, in Rudstone Churchyard, there stands up, on the N. E. End of the Church, a large Stone, 30 Feet above-ground, and what Depth within is not known (tho' I intend next Winter to dig and see the Depth): Neither can I tell upon what Account such a mighty Obelisk was brought brought over Land so far as it must have been; because we have no Quarries of Stone nearer than twenty Miles from the Place; all the Wolds are barren of such Materials: It is five Yards about, like the Figure in the Margin. Dr. Childerley, in his Baconica Britannica, takes no Notice of any of these Antiquities, in which I shall enter a short Memorandum of what is remarkable. These two last Articles were not seen by me till Midsummer day, when last I went to Flambroughhead, which made them in my Way. II. Feb. 28. 1745-6. In the Neighbourhood of Halifax in Yorkshire live two Brothers named Stoneclift, whose Bulk and Weight is very extraordinary: The eldest is a married Man, and has several Children; about 40 Years of Age.—He weigh'd 35 Stone, odd Pounds; at 14 Pounds to the Stone; which we may reckon near 500 Pounds Weight. His Brother weighs 34 Stone odd Ponnds; but they make between them 70 Stone, or 980 Pound Weight. — As one was mounting an Horse, the poor Creature's Back broke under him, and he died on the Spot.