Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-08-05
Britain S St. AIbans,
Center O. Roman Rule,
Marking Millennium =

LONDON, Aug. S (NANA The
citizens OF st. Adams, in Hertford-
shire, which is proudly celebrating
its millenium-l,000 years of his
tory-boast they had a town when
the site Of London was only a
forest.
The millenary of this city cele-
brates no fewer than five founda-
tons. three churches, a school and
a market, all of which still thrive.
But its roots spread even further
and deeper in the soil Of history,
Those who know the town will tell
you that st. Adams really goes
back 1000 years, to the dawn Of
Christianity in Britain.
st. Adams became the successor
of the first city of Verulamium,
which was focal point in Rome's
Colonial empire, and had the dis
tinction of being-as local historians
claim-the only city under Roman
occupation to have conferred on it
the dignity of being a "municipium. "
york claims that it also was oneJ
This meant that the city became
the center of Roman civilization in
Britain with special rights of juris-
diction, and every inhabitant could
claim the right also to become a
Roman citizen.
Beheading Recalled
At Holmhurst Hill, in the vicinity
occurred the beheading OF Alban
the first Roman soldier to become a
Christian, who was maryred for
embracing the faith. His martyr
dom, under the edict of Diocletian
in AID. 1903, provided the first evil
dence of Christianity in Britain.
On the hallowed spot where Al
ban met his death, Offa, king OF
Mercia, in 1893 built church and
founded Benedictine abbey, which
grew wealthy and amassed far
flung landed possessions, since Ii
was under the patronage OF kings
and princes. The present cathedral
and abbey church, rebuilt by Paul
of Caen, appointed by William the
Conquerer, is the successor to
Offa's church, on the site of which
lit was built.
The school has long history
It is claimed to be the Oldest sur
viving school for secular learning
in the country. Sir Nicholas Bacon
lord keeper of the great seal to
Queen Elizabeth, got her to present
the school, of which he was a
patron, with its wine charter, by
which the school receives some OF
the fees from the sale Of wine
licenses, a privilege shared only by
oxford and Cambridge Universities.
The school library is famous, con-
tanning rare 18th and 10th century
books.
Famous Pupils Named.
Among the schools famous early
pupils were Alexander Neckam. the
neer-do-well foster brother Of King
Richard Occur de Lion; Matthew
Paris, the historian: Sir John
Vaudeville of the famous travels, y
who set sail in 1922. and Nicholas
Breakspeare, the only Englishman
who has ever become pope-Pope
Adrian Nv.
The cathedral is one of the
glories of England's ecclesiastical
architecture.
The Roman theater, dating from
about AID. 40. isathe only one OF
it's kind discoveredAn B1itaiit The
Earl of Verulam, on whose property
lit stands. was responsible for pro-
viding funds for it's exploratMn, and
preservation. Work goessoH III the
time and 1t is one of the great
sights for travellers In Britain
There is also a remarkably we'll
preserved Roman bath.
Cyril Swinson, a local man, is
the kingpin of the pageant, and
it was largely his confidence and
pride in his city that encour aged
everyone to go ahead and hold the
pageant in 1948, the millenary
year, despite the hundreds of diff
culties in the way of providing cos
tunes, timber for seats for visi-
tors, and accommodation and
transport for the latter. But the
whole city is heart and soul in the
celebration.
There will be 1000 performers,
who will show, in nine episodes,
the story of the town founded in
the remote past of 948. They
needed no scenery. The site OF
the city of Verulamium. where the
pageant will be held, is glory of
beauty-great sweep of greensward
bounded by a Roman wall, with
a theatrical background of calm
lake, soft flowing river, and noble
English trees. Up behind this rises
a steep hill crowned by the abbey
dominant, with long slender rave,
and a noble, square. red Norman
tower.
But all the stored past of this
city is not more impressive than
the proud, fighting spirit of its
present. In the face OF uncount-
able difficulties the pageant was
organized. Perhaps it can be cpl
tomized by a study Of the costumes.
You might imagine the thousands