On Roman Remains Discovered at Rochester

194 ROMAN REMAINS EOUND IN ROCHESTER. ALBANI (B?)RAVCL—M (NV) MIDI MARTIALIS. OIROMNI SEVIRI. M DOCCI. M.A' I have also to record two other recent discoveries of Roman Remains within the city of Rochester. The first was communicated to me by Mr. Banks, the City Surveyor. He had been so obliging as to take accurate measurements of the foundations of the city wall, where it was cut through, near the Common, by the works of the South-Eastern Railway in the early part of the year 1889*. The workmanship and the mortar were mediaeval, and all the remains down to the very foundation were clearly of that age; but Mr. Banks then called attention to a fragment of the wall, near St. Clement's Lane, which he had preserved when the wall was cut through during some drainage works in 1887. The mortar in this instance is undoubtedly Roman, and goes to support the theory that, to some extent at least, at this point, the city wall occupies the site, or rests up oil the foundations of the Roman work. In Pisher's History of Rochester, p. 3, the writer states that there is reason to think that a great part of the present wall of the city is on its original foundation, and that this place was first fortified by the Romans. It is, he adds, particularly in the portion towards the west end of the North Wall that Roman bricks have been used, and are conspicuous. ' I t was close to this point that the mortar and fragments of wall were obtained by Mr. Banks. A second discovery took place on the l l th May 1889, when one of the sons of Mr. Frederick Wingent found, near Epple Lane, at the foot of the Castle Hill, Rochester, a coin of the Empress Helena, wife of Constantine. It was in excellent preservation, of the kind known as third brass. On the reverse is " Pax Puhlica," with a female figure holding an olive-branch, and the hasta. I am the more glad to be able to record these few dis*