Charles Bertram

British forger

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June 22, 2026

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Charles Bertram was a British forger known for creating a fraudulent account of Roman Britain attributed to the imaginary monk "Richard of Westminster." He cunningly published this work alongside genuine texts by ancient authors Gildas and Nennius. Bertram's forgery significantly influenced historians of Roman Britain for a considerable period, extending into the 20th century. The motive for such forgeries is often financial gain, with fabricated documents and autographs appearing on the market.12

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forgery
Instances of literary forgery
More fortunate was Charles Bertram, who produced an account of Roman Britain by “Richard of Westminster,” an imaginary monk. Bertram’s dupe, the eccentric antiquary Dr. William Stukeley, identified the monk with the chronicler Richard of Cirencester, known to have resided at Westminster in the 14th century. Bertram’s forgery…
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More fortunate was Charles Bertram, who produced an account of Roman Britain by “Richard of Westminster,” an imaginary monk. Bertram’s dupe, the eccentric antiquary Dr. William Stukeley, identified the monk with the chronicler Richard of Cirencester, known to have resided at Westminster in the 14th century. Bertram’s forgery…
Read More