Roman Fort at Templeborough
about 54 - about 320
An important part of Rotherham history belongs to the Roman fort at Templeborough. It takes the town's people back 2000 years to the beginning of the first millennium. These are also some of the earliest known people in the country.
The fort was built about 54, on what became the northern frontier of the Roman Empire. At first it was a wooden building guarded by the IIII Cohort of Gauls. For many years it housed soldiers protecting the empire against the powerful Brigantes. These people were led by Queen Cartimandua. Later a stone fort was put up. The stones from the granary including some of the columns are in Clifton Park behind the museum.
We know the names of some of the people who lived at the time of the first fort because three tombstones have survived. These are now in the museum's collection. The three large carved stones were knocked down and used as a drain cover by later Roman soldiers, when the people commemorated on the stones had faded out of living memory.
The inscriptions from these tombs introduce us to the first people in Rotherham whose names we know. They were important in their own time because these fine memorials were put up for them. Today they are great because so little is known to us about actual people from this period.
Cintusmus
first century A.D.
Probably born in Gaul
He was a soldier in the 4th Cohort of Gauls. He died in the Roman fort at Templeborough. His tombstone is one of the earliest known for an auxiliary soldier in Britain.
Crotus
first century A.D.
Probably born in Gaul
He was a veteran of the 4th Cohort of Gauls. He died at Templeborough. His stone says he was 40 years old. He is one of the earliest known Roman auxiliaries in Britain.
Verecud Rufilia
first century A.D.
Born in the Somerset/Gloucester area she was a citizen of the Celtic Dobunni. We do not know why she came to this area. Her tombstone is a record of one of the earliest known women in Britain.
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