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32 Robert L Whyteheadbefore Fabian's Chronicle entry. Studies of theNorman Domesday show that it must have beenbased on pre-existing surveys for assessment ofgeld (Harvey 1971, 753-73), including those ofmonastic estates (Clarke 1985, 55). The practiceof recording estates, with origins in the LateRoman Empire, seems to have revived in the9th century on the Continent, possibly due tothe influence of Charlemagne (Perceval 1985,13-16). Could Alfred have been inspired tocompile such a survey through his connectionswith Charlemagne? From his description,Fabian's source appears more like a 'doom', thatis a collection of laws (such as those of Hlothereand Eadric mentioned above, or the Ordinancesof Athelstan's reign AD 924-940 (Vince 1990,104-5)). It is, however, difficult to know whattopographical information such a source mighthave contained.In retrospect, Fabian's Chronicle entry mighthave helped resolve the 'enigma' (Cowie &Whytehead 1988, 75) of Middle Saxon Londonrather sooner than it was, and points to thepotential value of combining both primary andsecondary historical material with archaeologicalevidence.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSI would like to thank the staff of the Guildhall Library,Corporation of London, and English Heritage, SavileRow, Library for their help in locating sources for thisarticle.NOTESThese excerpts are taken from Henry Ellis (ed) RobertFabyan - the New Chronicles of England and France (1811):entry for AD 982, 202; Prologue, 293. This is based onthe 1559 version with added editorial comment." Biographical details from Ellis op cit (note 1), whoalso reproduces Fabian's will (preface 3-13).^ Fabian's authorship is assessed by: C L Kingsford(ed) Chronicles of London (1905), thus: 'Robert Fabyanwas but one of the last in a long line, and built onlya little that was new on the foundations which othershad laid' (v), but: 'the first place must be given toRobert Fabyan to whose labours all knowledge of theChronicles was for three centuries chiefly due' (xxvi);A H Thomas & ID Thornley (eds) The Great Chronicle ofLondon (1938), who consider the possibility of anotherauthor, as the original manuscript was unnamed, andthat Fabian was dependent (as others) on a lost 'MainCity Chronicle'.Sir Laurence Gomme was Clerk to the LondonCounty Council.Page was General Editor of the 'Victoria Historiesof the Counties of England', and did devote onechapter to the Sokes surrounding the City.BIBLIOGRAPHYBESANT (1908), W Besant Early London Survey ofLondonBIDDLE (1976), M Biddle 'Towns' in D M Wilson(ed) The Archaeology of Anglo-Saxon England,114-16BIDDLE (1984), M Biddle 'London on the Strand'Popular Archaeology July 1984, 23-7BLACKMORE (1997), L Blackmore 'From beach toburh: new clues to entity and identity in 7*- to 9*-century London' in G de Boe & F Verhaeghe (eds)Urbanism in Medieval Europe, 127BROOKE & KEIR (1975), C N L Brooke & G KeirLondon 800-1216: The Shaping of a CityCLARKE (1985), H B Clarke 'The Domesdaysatellites' in P Sawyer (ed) Domesday Book: AReassessment, 55COWIE & WHYTEHEAD (1988), R Cowie & R LWhytehead with L Blackmore 'Two Middle Saxonoccupation sites: excavations at Jubilee Hall and21-22 Maiden Lane' Trans London MiddlesexArc/ia«o/5oc 39, 47-163DOLLEY (1960), R H M Dolley 'Coin hoards fromthe London area as evidence for the pre-eminenceof London in the later Saxon period' Trans LondonMiddlesex Archaeol Soc 20 Part 2, 37-50DYSON (1990), T Dyson 'King Alfred and the restorationof London' The London Journal 15 No. 2,99-110FADES (1966), G E Fades Historic London City ofLondon SocietyELLIS (1811), H Ellis (ed) Robert Fabyan - the NewChronicles of England and FranceFLENLEY (1911), R Flenley Six Town Chronicles ofEnglandGOMME (1912), L Gomme The Making of LondonGOMME (1914), L Gomme LondonGORDON (1903), C Gordon Old Time Aldwych,Kingsway, and NeighbourhoodCOVER e< a/ (1942), J E B Cover et al The Place-namesof Middlesex, English Place-name Society 18GREEN (1963), HJ M Green 'Evidence of Roman,Saxon and Medieval Westminster' IllustratedLondon News 242, 1004-7GRIMES (1968), WF Grimes The Excavation of Romanand Medieval LondonHARVEY (1971), S P J Harvey 'Domesday Bookand its predecessors' English Historical Review 86,753-73HASLAM (1975),J Haslam 'The Saxon pottery andthe Tudor pottery group from the cesspit' in M JHammerson 'Excavations on the site of ArundelHouse in the Strand, W.C.2, in 1972' TransLondon Middlesex Archaeol Soc 26, 209-51