Historic%20Yorkshire

Chapter III.
LEEDS BEFORE THE CONQUEST, AND NOTES
ON LEEDS CASTLE.
HE echoes whichroll to us down the centuries
give us of the early history of the ancient
town of Leeds but a feeble and uncertain
sound. We hear nothing at first but the
rippling murmur of a silvery stream as it
passes through thick forests of oak and beech
"zr and elm. Then the voice of nature is less
distinct, for suddenly we hear the ringing blows which
stalwart arms are raining upon the venerable trunks
with axes whose blades are of stone. Soon a little
spot is cleared, a " town " of huts is erected, and
surrounded by the huge limbs of the fallen monarchs of
the forest, and we hear nowthe lowing of cattle and the
bleating of sheep. Such brief description is all that is
needed for Leedsinits origin. What its first namewas
there is nothing to tell us. Nennius, a historian who
lived somewhere about a.d. 850, speaks of twenty-eight
cities of the Britons, one of which was Cair Luitcoith (or
Caer Loid Coit), which means " the city in the wood,"
and this is supposed to be the ancient Leeds, and
surmised by Mr. Wardell to have been on or about the
siteof the Parish Church. It has also been derived from
Lede, or Leod, the name of a British chieftain whoheld
sovereigntyoverit. ButHume says that this leader was
slain by the Saxons, which gives the name to the place
much later than if we takeNennius as our authority.
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