In 1757, the Englishman Charles Bertram published, in Copenhagen, a text and map of supposed medieval origins, which showed new information on the extent of Roman Britain, particularly in Scotland. This text, and particularly the map, introduced a previously unknown Roman province which covered large parts of southern Scotland, as well as roads and stations extending into this area. It was, of course, not genuine.
Nevertheless, this new information was eagerly embraced by many antiquaries and historians. In the aftermath of the Jacobite risings, any evidence that the union of Scotland and England had ancient origins was welcome, as it implied that this union was, in a sense, natural, and had existed in a warmly admired Roman era, on which the emerging British Empire was keen to model itself.
The text comprises many aspects of international medievalism and intentional misuse of a medieval past. This paper discusses how the forgery engages the relationship between England and Scotland after the Union, but also the position of Bertram as an Englishman in exile and his desire for a nostalgically remembered England.
2019.
International Medievalisms Conference, Maynooth University, Kildare, Ireland, June 27-28, 2019