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28 Robert L Whyteheadincluding coins: Cowie in Malcolm & Bowsher2003, 198-201).Yet archaeological finds from the walled area, oroutside it, were sparse, and few were attributableto the Middle Saxon period. Vulliamy commentedthat 'the archaeological evidence of a peacefuloccupation of the site of London during the earlySaxon period is pitifully meagre, while some ofthe objects mentioned above were not foundwithin the walls of the City' (Vulliamy 1930, 233).In Wheeler's view 'archaeologically the cultureof sub-Roman Britain ... is largely negative incharacter; i.e. on non-Saxon sites known tohave been occupied in the 5th or 6th centuries,little that can be regarded as distinctive of thosecenturies has come to light'; but he countedsome thirteen relics of the period AD 400-850within the City west of the Walbrook, and threeto the east (Wheeler 1935, 104). Merrifield'slater summation of the archaeological evidencefrom the City, with the redating of earlier finds,however, left little hope of finding the Saxonemporium there (Merrifield 1983, 236-68). Anextensive search of the basement of the Museumof London caused Vince to posit the location ofMiddle Saxon London, on the basis of some 17findspots, admitting that 'the total quantity offinds ... discovered to date is very small', and alack of stray finds of sceattas such as were madeat the site of Hamwic (Saxon Southampton), yetcontrasting these with the few finds from theCity and the absence of coins there. He alsodrew on the 'Aldwych' placename (Vince 1983;1984). Biddle developed this theme, reassessingthe documentary evidence in light of the findsevidence (Biddle 1984). Thus the scene wasset for the first excavations of Lundenwic, some500 years after its location was apparently firstdescribed.Robert Fabian was born in London, dateunknown, to John and Agnes Fabian (a JohnFabyan of Coggeshall, Essex left a will dated 1477).He became a member of the Drapers' Company,and was an Alderman for Farringdon Without,and Sheriff of London 1493, but resigned asAlderman in 1502, pleading poverty, to avoid thecost of the mayoralty. He may have then retiredto his mansion, Halstedys, at Therdon Gernon inEssex, to complete his Chronicle; he died thereon 28 February 1513. He left a detailed will, hisbeneficiaries being his wife Elizabeth (who borehim 16 children) and five surviving children,four sons and a daughter.^As an Alderman of the City of London Fabianwould have had privileged access to the recordsof the Corporation, that apparently includeda 'Domysdaye' book; and also possibly othersources that may not have come down to us,such as: 'an olde regestre within the churcheof Paulis of London, wherin is conteyned manythynges concernynge the firste foundacion ofthat churche, with certain olde cronicles ofthis lande...' (Ellis 1811, 111). Fabian is said tohave been fluent in French and Latin, and forthe First Part of his Chronicle drew largely onexisting manuscript Chronicles, of the historiesof both England and France, including the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. The Second Part commencesin the reign of Richard 1, from which time hecan list the Aldermen of London for each year,and tie his history to that of the government ofLondon.''Fabian's first work, that he termed 'TheConcordance of Chronicles', was completedin manuscript in 1485, although he appearsto have made further additions up to 1512.Fabian's Chronicle was the first to be printed— by Richard Pynson in 1516, who used the 1485manuscript, and called it 'The New Chroniclesof England and France' (Kingsford 1908, 306);further editions followed — in 1533, withadditions to 1508, printed by William Rastell; athird, much edited, edition in 1542, publishedby Reynes, Bonham et al; and in 1559 a restorededition, continued to that date, by Kingston(Ellis 1811, preface; Flenley 1911, 38-40).Subsequent Chronicles drew heavily on theirpredecessors, not least Fabian's editions, thusJohn Stow, in his Annales or A Generall Chronicle ofEngland, reproduced Fabian's entry for AD 982,and the fact that most buildings stood betweenLudgate and Westminster, without comment(Stow 1631-2, 86). In his Survey of London Stownoted that Fabian had access to a Domesdayfor London (Kingsford 1908, II, 147); but inhis Chronicle he also compared William I's 'Rollof Winton' (Wilton), named Domesday, withanother 'Such a role and very like, did KingAelfred once let forth, in which he taxed all theland of England' (Stow 1631-2, 118).John Norden in his Speculum Britanniaerepeated Fabian's entry for AD 982, and impliedthat the reference to a lack of housing in thewalled city was the result of the fire destruction(Norden 1723, 28). He also mentioned an'Ancient high way to High Barnet from PortePoole, now Gray's Inn, through a lane eastof Pancras Church called "Longwich Lane"'