Edward I Hammered Pennies

It occurred to me recently whilst looking through some of my finds that I have been fortunate to unearth over the last four years of metal detecting that I have a fair few pennies of Edward 1st, ( 12 in total) all found mainly on different permissions that I have and all of different classes and mints.

Of all the varied hammered coinage I have found, Edward seems to be one of the more common coins that keep popping up which made me wonder why this might be. My initial thought was that maybe it was just coincidence, as surely it would be more likely to find coins of the later periods than coins of some 700 plus years ago.

Prior to the 13th and 14th centuries it is possible that "coins" were more likely to be found in the hands of the wealthy and important and therefore less likely to be mislaid. Commoners person and peasants of the world would have relied on trading with a barter system, which incidentally, goes back as far as 6000BC and was introduced by Mesopotamia tribes. Goods and services would have been exchanged for all manner of things such as food, drink, weaponry etc..

The development of coinage shows the progressive change from an agricultural society to one which enjoyed more mobility and a well developed a taste for 'consumer products'. Having said that bartering would have still continued but would have become more organised with the introduction of coinage.

Talking to Rod Blunt of the UKDFD he mentioned that "The monetary economy developed rapidly in the 13th and 14th centuries. A high proportion of the medieval fairs (where currency was essential) were established during the reign of Henry III (1216-72), and many of these survived for several hundred years. Pilgrimages (for many participants the equivalent of modern-day summer vacations as missions for the truly devout ) also started to become popular at around the same time, inns providing sustenance and souvenirs ( bought and paid for in cash) were essential elements of the journey"

I wondered what kind of quantity of hammered pennies would have been in circulation at the time and my initial guess was maybe around a million or so? This seemed a fair amount of coins given how long ago we are talking? Looking in to this more closely I came across an article and I was astounded at how far out I was in my guess-timation!

The article claimed that in the re-coinage of 1279/1281 over 100 million coins were struck and in the years soon after another 60-80 million were also issued. The 1279 recoinage was largely from melting down previous short cross coinage and the 1300 coinage from melting down coins from the 1279 period that had become worn and clipped added to all the continental imitations in circulation.

There were also 4 million silver hammered farthings made but this came to an end soon after due to the coins being too small and continually being lost.


The above figures are quite staggering really when you consider this is only for the period of Edward 1st. There were allegedly over 50 million Saxon coins struck and one can only imagine how many coins were produced during the reign of all future kings and queens..

One thing this does bring to mind is that on any future detecting days out it is good to remember these figures especially when the finds may be getting a bit sparse.

Below are a few examples of the early Edwardian pennies I have found..

Cheques & Balances

 

Roy Aldington's account of the finding and journey of a modest, nay, humble, Tudor button through the intricacies of the Treasure Act, Portable Antiquities Scheme and Coroner's Jurisdiction, to its new, permanent home in the Chester Grosvenor Museum.

Is it just me or have you too noticed an unprecedented surge in interest in our own “beautiful game” - metal detecting? It seems to me that in recent times the most unlikely characters have taken a keen interest and embraced all things remotely rural; the stunning unfamiliar vistas, breathtaking unfamiliar exercise and retching unfamiliar farmyard smells. As if demonstrating a firm commitment to their new-found hobby many have invested heavily in state-of-the-art machines that they have yet to fathom and without having given a single thought as to where they will swing them.

  

I suppose it's not that surprising really, what with pots of gold and Viking silver being unearthed all over the place with increasing regularity, often in unheard-of places; likely by novice of remarkably little experience but who seems to be miraculously gifted in the art of standing in the right place, with their investment uncannily and precisely tuned-in. 

There have, of course, been other influences leading to this sudden interest in all things buried. BBC Four's recent television series 'Detectorists' starring Mackenzie Crook and Toby Jones will have sparked an interest in many casual viewers, especially the scenes of the goings-on at club meetings, the powerful bonding camaraderie and, well, sheer lust.

Strewth. It's almost unbelievable but even as I write there is news of the finding of yet another magnificent hoard, this time in a farmer's field near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire; “An amateur treasure hunter, Paul Coleman,

could be in line to receive part of a £1 million pound windfall after unearthing a hoard of rare Anglo Saxon coins in a Christmas dig” (The Telegraph)....Oh, Happy Dayz!

This newly kindled interest can be simply put down to the dream, inherent in most of us I suppose, of one-day stumbling across a buried hoard, striking it rich, winning the jackpot and eventually being on the receiving end of a big fat cheque. But steady-on now, where there are cheques there has to be balances; well, to balance things-up, as it were. So what about more modest finds, those artefacts that any one of us might unearth, maybe something of significant local historical interest, yet of little commercial value but still coming within the stipulations of the Treasure Act, 1996?.

In its short existence our small team, dubbed 'Finders–Sharers', has had the good fortune to find a small number of modest precious metal artefacts that have been subject to the Act and have followed “due process”. This then, is the story of one such object, a small post-Medieval silver button. Plain but stunningly attractive, beautifully crafted, intact and worth, well – not very much actually.

It was May-Day, the sun was shining brightly and we had been let-loose in the charming garden of the old farmhouse that had its roots in the Middle-Ages and owned by the family of one of our farmer-partners. We had been relegated to the garden area because most of the fields were in crop and in the warm, humid conditions you could fairly 'hear' the plants growing.

It's true, we had real expectations for this location surrounding the ancient farm buildings, situated at what was once the busy crossroads of civilization in those darker-ages. Reality eventually set-in though when all that was forthcoming was the familiar small coinage of Victoria, Edward and the Georges; the usual domestic kitchen bric-a-brac of spoons, ladle handles and brass fittings; a few military bits and pieces from both world wars, including the best part of a Cheshire Regiment shoulder flash, minus its crest....and a well played with 'Matchbox' car of the Morris-Cowley variety.

And then, quite unexpectedly, from close to the base of the hawthorn boundary hedgerow, out popped the tiny silver button soon to be destined to the custody of our Finds Liaison Officer (FLO) for Cheshire, Merseyside and Manchester and the jurisdiction of the West Cheshire Coroner.

The Portable Antiquities Scheme FLO, Vanessa Oakden, immediately recognised that the button must be dealt with in accordance with the stipulations of the Treasure Act, 1996, so diligently recorded the find: Portable Antiquities Scheme Treasure case 2014 T302 (LVPL-1EC484), notified the Cheshire Coroner and delivered the item to the relevant curator at the British Museum in London for assessment. Of course, a detailed written receipt containing full details of the find was provided.

In her report to the Coroner, Vanessa was careful to protect the exact location of the find-site. Due to the nature of the find and the potential conservation risk (such as illicit metal detecting) she advised that publication of the find-spot should be limited in all subsequent dealings and correspondence. The Coroner,

Mr Nicholas Rheinberg, opened an Inquest to deal with circumstances of the find and adjourned it to a later date.

 

Meanwhile our humble find was assessed by the Museum's experts and Vanessa Oakden's academically stylized report for HM Coroner reads:

"A silver composite button. The object is hemispherical with a domed top which has been soldered onto a convex back-plate. On the back-plate there are two blow-holes, one on either side of a centrally placed attachment loop. Inserted into the centre of the back-plate and secured by solder is a silver strip, bent to form an attachment loop. The strip is D-shaped in cross-section. Above the attachment loop the object has been stamped with the maker's mark PP within a rectangular border.”

 

The report goes on to say that the item is not uncommon but is over 300 years old and composed of more than 10% precious metal and therefore should be considered Treasure under the terms of the Treasure Act 1996. Whoo-Hoo!

So it was that, respectfully attired, on a magnificent Autumnal October morning I attended as summoned, the Coroner's Court to be held in the West Annexe of the magnificent Warrington Town Hall, to give evidence before Mr Rheinberg, Her Majesty's Coroner for Cheshire, at the Inquest into the finding of our “little treasure”.

HM Coroner's Inquests are always formal affairs but in cases like this mostly relaxed, matter-of-fact and low-key. The circumstances of the find were simply outlined, the expert assessment noted and the outcome considered. The Coroner pronounced that the button will be deemed treasure under terms of the Treasure Act 1996 and recorded the Inquest verdict accordingly.

With business concluded, Mr Rheinberg noted that the local press were absent and this might be a good opportunity to have an informal chat about metal detecting in general and notable finds in particular, of which he is 'clued-up' and keenly interested. If, of course, I could spare the time!. 

I looked across at my wife, who sat there, still in astonished disbelief about how such incredible fuss could be made about an old lost button; given that she had previously endured endless hours of my 'riveting' metal detecting reminiscences. She smiled. The preplanned follow-on trip to Ikea and the likely-hood of Swedish style meat balls was slowly beginning to fade!.

So we had an 'off-the-record' chat and I had listed a few 'treasure' items that my buddy and me had found, when I proffered that it wasn't always valuable things that turned out to be the most interesting. I mentioned that I had recently found a couple of unusual bullet heads and subsequent research had revealed that they were specifically made for a pistol used in British Colonial escapades, the Boer War, Zulu Wars and the War of American independence. “The Tranter”, Mr Reinberg said unhesitatingly, “The Tranter, ah, the Rolls-Royce of all pistols ever made”, and he went on to display a remarkable in-depth knowledge about these things! I digress.

Throughout the treasure process the FLO and British Museum staff naturally demonstrated a high standard of administrative skills, meticulously documenting the processes and ensuring that both finder and landowner were kept up to date regarding the progress of their assessment and passage through the intricacies of the Treasure Act. From an early stage in the process they were quick to point out that the finder and landowner were at liberty to waive claim to any reward and 'gift' the find to the museum; a course of action we were reminded of at regular intervals.

The landowners are modern enlightened farmers who share our interest in the preservation of local history. When we disclosed the find to them they unhesitatingly agreed with us that the button would be donated free of charge to the Chester Grosvenor Museum. So we were well pleased to learn later that the museum wished to acquire the button at a 'fair market value'.

With this and other finds we have always found it a bit strange that the museum seeks title of the find, sometimes even before the thing has been properly assessed, identified, and given a realistic value. Still, it is understandable that the public purse should be protected and that gifts in the museum's favour should be established at the earliest opportunity, to avoid unnecessary waste of time and resources. Not that it mattered in this particular case because our decision had already been made.

Following the Inquest finding the Independent Treasure Valuation Committee commissioned an independent valuer who declared the worth of the button to be just twenty-pounds; a figure that we collectively considered significantly under par and which he, the valuer himself, hoped, “may not come as too much of a disappointment to the finder”.

No matter, because the Valuation Committee were scheduled to convene just before Christmas and our newly declared 'treasure-item' was on their list of seventy-five or so items for their expert consideration. As the 'Grosvenor' had declared an interest in acquiring the button for their display at the Chester museum, the conclave would recommend a value for purchase by the Secretary of State. They duly met, considered and, not surprisingly, agreed with the lowly valuation of twenty-quid. For our part, we magnanimously honoured our agreement to the Grosvenor Museum.

The finder of “Treasure” and equally the owner of land on which it was found, can ensure by waiving any share of reward, that such true public spirited gesture will be recognised by the Department for Minister for Culture, Media and Sport, with a signed certificate as a token of the Nation's gratitude. This sort of award definitely looks cool on the finder's and landowner's credentials but more importantly perhaps, the Treasury's meagre budget provision is spared for the public good.

 So there you have it. That is how our little 'gem' of a find was transparently and properly dealt with under due process and stipulations of the Treasure Act. Our certificates, proclaiming the fact that we have 'generously waived our claim to a reward', signed by Ed Vaizey MP, Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy, have been delivered and mine is framed and proudly displayed above the mantle-piece (no, I'm kidding, we don't have a mantle-piece).

At last, our little bit of local history is safely out of the ground, where it had lain undisturbed for more than four centuries, properly recorded for posterity and now rightly on display in its new home, Chester Grosvenor Museum, where future generations can enjoy the simple beauty of the Post-Medieval artisan’s work. By the way, can anyone out there identify the Maker's Mark PP and resolve the final conundrum?

 

 

Best of July's Roundup..

If you are like me i'm sure that July has come and you are excitedly anticipating the start of the new season.. Roy and myself have had a few months of limited detectable ground and reliant on some of the pasture fields we have which have not yeilded many great finds, mainly due to the hot weather we have had and the ground being baked hard as concrete..

This month some of our favourite fields have just started to have the potatoes taken off which is good due to the fact that spuds predominantly have had a good deep plough to raise the humps of earth for the seeding. 

So on to the finds for July..

I managed to start the proceedings off on our last day on pasture with a very unexpected find of a hammered short cross penny of King John. The coin is a Class 5c and struck at the Canterbury Mint with the moneyer being Samuel. Mass dates the class 5c range for this coin is 1207-1210. Unfortunately its has seen better days and is quite worn with a crack through the coin. We have had several visits to this field in the past and it has only produced a few copper coins of the late Georgian and early Victorian era so as you can imagine this was a welcome find.

Hammered Short Cross Penny of King John

Moneyer Samuel - Mint Canterbury

 Next up was our first day back out on freshly harvested potato fields, the ground was perfect, rolled flat and very easy to dig which made things so much easier especially with the air temperature still being quite warm this time of year. Again we had been on this field a few times in the past and aside from a few obligatory musket balls and a few worn copper pennies nothing of any real substance has come from it.

James 1st Half Groat 1604-1619

Roy struck first just before our 11 o'clock coffee break calling over that he had had a find and walked over to present a small hammered silver half groat of James 1st. Again slightly worn with very little detail on it but another hammered coin now safe from the plough.

The coin is of James 1st Second Coinage which puts the date somewhere in the date range of 1604-1619

Needless to say Roy was very pleased to have got off the mark for the new season and what a great way to do it.

The next few hours saw some rain showers and a bit of ducking and diving back to the car for some food and a couple of coffees but after a few more hours and many buttons later my etrac gave me a nice low tone which proved to be a lovely little find.

18th Century Silver Jewelled Cufflink Button

A lovely silver jewelled cuff-link button with the link still attached unfortunatley the other button is missing probably causing the loss the the cuff-link from the wearer.

The button is circular with a convex back and a concave front, into which a faceted clear glass stone is set. The metal 'cup' is of composite sheet construction, with a circular-section simple looped wire shank soldered to it. The stone is retained by twelve claws, immediately below which there are circumferential grooves (possibly decorative, but also joints in the composite construction). The link is a cast type with an openwork design.

I do like a nice artifact and this put a great end to the day.

So on what looks set to be the last outing of July Roy has come up trumps again with another hammered coin from on of our potato fields. After several hours of searching Roy came over to show me a rather worn silver hammered coin, there wasnt a great deal of detail left on it but the outline of a shield was clearly visible. At first I had it down as being a sixpence from the reign of Elizabeth 1st but after close inspection and assisted by UKDFD it turned out be be a Groat of Queen Mary. What a great find especially as Mary's coinage seems the be very illusive.

Below is a picture of the coin found on the day followed by a picture of what it would have looked like in its glory..

Queen Mary Groat

 1553-1554

    

Below You can just make out the detail against the Mary groat shown left

Is this your ancestor?

Last year this exquisite gold armorial finger-ring, with seal-matrix bezel incorporating a quality engraving of a family coat of arms, was found on farmland near Chester, Cheshire, England.

Although part of the hoop is missing, the main body is almost pristine with its elaborate engraving sharp and intact.

* It is possible that the “rose” within the shield is a “cinquefoil”, a five-leafed flower.

The ring fragment has been dated by curators at the British Museum, heraldry experts and master engravers as post-Medieval, having been made in the 17th century, possibly before or during the English Civil War period [1642-1651].

The ring is almost certainly 22 carat solid gold, has an oval bezel measuring 21mm by 13.8mm and weighs 6.6 grams. The perimeter has a distinctive, uniformly, dotted border.

The armorial is orientated vertically and depicts a shield containing an engrailed saltire [St. Andrew's cross with scalloped edges] and with a rose (*or cinquefoil) in the upper-centre. 

The rose may be a substantive part of the design of the arms, or it may be a “mark of cadency” a small difference added to the arms of a younger son or the head of a younger line to indicate junior status. 

According to a system widely used in England since the 16th century a rose is used by a seventh son on his arms and crest.

The crest above the shield comprises a knight's helmet with closed grill, on which rests a torpe [wound rope ring] used to secure to the knight's helmet a mantle [a type of cloak]; represented here as elaborate scroll-work on both sides. In the wax seal impression the helmet visor faces left. 

The picture above has been “flipped” and digitally enhanced to indicate the intended orientation of the seal-impression, with the helmet visor now facing left.

Above the helmet, also forming part of the crest, is a vested [gauntlet-clad] forearm and hand clutching an engrailed saltire.

The ring has a practical function – to seal with molten wax important documents, leaving a clear, fixed impression of the owner's personal coat of arms and therefore his identity. 

Close inspection of the top right corner of the cross within the shield (see first photograph)

reveals what is believed to be a minute particle of original sealing wax in-situ.

The composition of the coat of arms, in particular the distinctive elements making-up the crest, is crucially important to establishing the identity of the original gentleman-owner of this fine piece of history.

The provenance of the ring is not yet established but it is certain that the original owner would have been a person of considerable substance, learning and wealth. Heraldic records show that there are a several families that are known to use elements of the armorial in their coat of arms.

For Example:

Family members of Clan Colquhoun [or Cahoon] use the engrailed saltire in their family armorial.

Perhaps significantly, William Colquhoun of Kenmuir, who in the 17th century inherited the Stirling Estates, had the rose 'gules' [red] 'in chief [top centre] of his shield. 

The arms of Stirling of Law comprise both the Kenmuir arms and the Stirling family arms.



Several branches of the distinguished Middleton family have the engrailed saltire as a main element within the shield of their coat of arms. This long-established family have ancestry deeply embedded in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland and the engrailed saltire is a common feature. 

The Middleton's have roots in Sussex and a number counties bordering Cheshire and North Wales.

Intriguingly, branches of the Irish Patrick family, who also have Scottish ancestral links, have in their armorial the saltire as a prominent feature and importantly, in their crest, a 'cubit' arm and hand grasping a second, smaller saltire.

This short-list of candidates for ownership of the arms is by no means exhaustive and there will be other families who have used the key elements. Is your ancestor a candidate? Our small trusted team of metal detecting enthusiasts, dubbed “Finders-Sharers” is dedicated to the search, discovery and preservation of buried local history. 

We are determined to solve this mystery by identifying the original owner of the ring, through the distinctive coat of arms – and the powerful combination of the internet and social media platforms.

Do you recognize this family coat of arms, in particular the crest?. Maybe it once belonged to one of your ancestors and you have a picture of the original? If so, we would very much like to hear from you.

Further information about the find can be viewed at:

British Museum - Portable Antiquities Scheme
http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/609482

United Kingdom Detector Finds Database ( UKDFD )
http://www.ukdfd.co.uk/ Item 46647

Stephen Plowman's excellent Heraldry website blog
http://www.heraldry-online.org.uk/blog.html

Facebook page of William “Roy” Aldington

Or alternatively please leave a comment in the comments box below. 

Thank you for having interest in solving this conundrum and for taking the time to view the detail.

Giving something back...

My detecting pal and good friend had a call from one of the farmers wives the other day where we have a permission to detect with a plea of assistance.

It turns out that some expensive pieces of tagging equipment from 2 of their more mischievous Holstein Frisian calves had been lost in a few feet of bedding straw. Numerous efforts from staff with pitchforks had led to no avail so Roy was called in to the rescue with his trusty T2.

The collars in question are made from a very tough webbing material and have expensive microchips inside them, fortunately they are also fitted with a metallic D ring which is about the only thing on them liable to be picked up by the detector.

Roy said that surrounding the 2 dozen or so inquisitive young calves was also a metal fence and metal water trough not to mention the reinforcement that was also in the concrete floor.. Not the best environment from detecting you might wonder.

Despite the disheartening surroundings Roy gladly agreed to give the challenge a determined go and with boots and equipment suitably disinfected to mitigate cross­infection, the arena was entered, in the style of a seriously novice matador.  Amazingly, the first collar was detected and recovered with impressive efficiency, the metallic 'D' ring giving­off a quiet but distinctive note. The second one though, lay stubbornly hidden beneath the luxuriously deep straw bedding, effectively shrouded by the steel infrastructure around and below.  But the collar eventually succumbed to the dogged determination that all metal detector enthusiasts seem to have in abundance, together with a liberal dose of unrealistic optimism.

It's a great feeling to be able to give something back to the landowner who has given his trust to you to spend hours digging up his land and or as Roy puts it "It's nice to be of some tangible use to them and their business".

Who knows, the word might now spread throughout the farming community of Cheshire and our services may get called on again and if nothing else it will certainly help in continuing a good reputation with our current landowners..

Incidentally if you should be local and reading this and have the need to the recovery of any kind of metallic object please drop me a line as we would be only too happy to come and try to reunite you with it..

Enjoy the pictures below.

Below Roy seeking out the illusive collars

Below: One of the missing micro chipped collars...

The Boscawen Ring....

Some time back towards the end of the year I was struggling to find a field on some of the land i detect that was dry enough to walk on.. we had had so much rain most of the fields I could use were completely waterlogged.

I went to a field I had been on more times than I could remember but knew it was on highish ground and that there might be a chance some of it was fairly dry.. I had named this particular field the "cow tube graveyard" as there were literally hundreds of the things all of which as you probably know give an tremendous signal and you just have to dig in case its something good!

I set up the machine in the same spot as always usually where I start and most certainly always finish any outing and literally 3 forward steps I recieved a pretty good signal. Fisrt thoughts were " here we go, another cow tube " however i was nicely surprised to see a glint of gold. Closer inspection showed that it was a ring which had an inscription which later turned out to read "MARY ANNE BOSCAWEN OB 21st SEPT 1821 ET 44"

The OB related to the word "Obitus" which means Died and ET sometimes written as AET meaning AETA (Aged)

It looked like a clear example of a mouring ring. From chatting with several people its clear that it would probably had black enamelling around the ring at some point and that it had been made in 2 parts. The first being the band with the inscription and this then being pushed inside the roped outer piece. The corrosion which is shown on the ring is due to the solder that was used to meld the 2 pieces together which over time has eaten its way on to quite a bit of the ring.

The Hall mark is 1821 and from a goldsmith by the name of Samuel Golbeherne of London. My first thought after talking to the landowner was to see if we could trace the family and see if there was a living relative still alive today and this is where the story became quite interesting with a royalty connection.

A lady by the name of Susan Green has been amazing in the help of putting the following information together and her insight and knowledge of geneaology is breathtaking..

Mary Ann Boscawen

Mary Ann Boscawen was born Mary Ann Hughes in 1777. At this stage it is too hard to discover who her parents were until more doccumentation surfaces. Mary Ann Hughes married on 17 July 1805 William Augustus Spencer Boscawen Esq. Son of Major Gen. Hon John Boscawen 1714 - 1767. From records gathered she had three children before she was officially married. From this one could presume numerous scenarios, but will leave it to your imagination.unable to find a will for her but she was loved as the expensive mourning ring was made in her honor.

William Augustus Spencer Boscawen can trace his line back to a long line of Barons Lords and Earls. He was the son of Major Gen. Hugh John Boscawen and Thomasine Surnman 1719 -1750 the daughter of Goldsmith and Banker Robert Surnman.

Robert Surman

Robert Surman was registered as the owner of Valentines at the Manor Court on 16th April 1724, having recently suffered the disgrace of having all his property "sold by Auction to the best Bidder in the Hall of the South-Sea House". Surman was born around 1693 and he was apprenticed to Stephen Ramm, Citizen and Goldsmith, on 20 January 1708. He completed his seven-year apprenticeship but he did not take up his freedom with the Goldsmiths' Company until much later. In the eighteenth century the term 'goldsmith' was interchangeable with 'banker' and it was in the world of finance that he made a living.

In 1718 Surman was appointed assistant to the Chief Cashier of the South Sea Company, Robert Knight, his uncle, and played a central part in the scheme which led to the "South Sea Bubble". The sale of property owned by all the Directors and key officers was part of the attempt to recover some money to assist the vast numbers who had lost their fortune. Robert Surman pleaded his junior status and while forfeiting all his property, he was granted £5,000 which was approximately what he owned in 1718. Settling down at Valentines with his wife and two small daughters was the first stage in rebuilding his life.

Surman was a minor player in the South Sea Bubble team, but it was his knowledge of banking which had been an asset to the South Sea Company. Once the dust had settled on the "Bubble" it was Martin's Bank which enabled him to pick up the pieces and get on with his life. By 1731 the partners in the bank were listed as James Martin, Robert Surman, James Leaver and Richard Stone and Surman continued as a partner for about twenty years.
The property called Valentines and purchased by Surman in 1724 comprised the house and eight acres of land. Pencilled dates on the wall of one of the first floor rooms show that he wasted no time in redecorating at least part of the house. Surman's improvements probably included the addition of a new main staircase with the Palladian window and he may have added the two bays to the front of the building.

Soon after 1726 Surman bought the adjoining property of about 120 acres, also called Valentines but sometimes later referred to as Middlefield Farm, from John Lethieullier and his son, Smart Lethieullier. It seems Surman soon set about rebuilding the gardens as there is a record of workmen digging in a field behind Mr.Surnam's gardens at Valentines in October 1724. The formal gardens and the canal behind the house could well have been constructed at this time.

Robert Surman probably had a house in the City but it is likely that his wife and daughters spent most of their time at Valentines. We can imagine him enjoying the newly created garden walks, arm-in-arm with Thomasin, watching his daughters Thomasina (born in 1719) and Sarah (born in 1721) running across the grass and playing hide and seek among the shrubs. His disgrace must have become a thing of the past when in 1730 the Parish Vestry appointed Robert Surman Overseer of Great Ilford Ward.
Sadly, the happy family life at Valentines lasted just ten years. A stone on the floor of St.Margaret's church at Barking (recorded in around 1908 but now hidden under the organ platform) says: Here lyeth interr'd the body of Thomasin Surman, late wife of Robert Surman of Valentine House in this parish, Gent., who departed this life the 26th day of November Anno Dom. 1734 aged 41 years. Robert and his two daughters, now in their early teens, must have had a sad journey back to Valentines after the funeral. It would be nice to think that Robert's mother stayed to comfort them over the cold weeks of December and January. She had lost her husband in 1722 and from the wording used when she put her own affairs in order around 1736 it is clear that she regarded her son with great affection. She died in November 1744.

Robert was by now about fifty years of age and with considerable standing in the community. His mother had been a wealthy woman and about five years after her death Robert Surman decided to branch out and establish a bank of his own. It was known as Surman, Dinely and Cliffe, the partners being Thomas Dinely a colleague at Martin's Bank, and Surman's nephew, Robert Cliffe, co-executor of his mother's will.

Just before this, in December 1748, Robert's daughter, Thomasina, married Colonel John Boscawen, son of Hugh Boscawen, 1st Viscount Falmouth. Her husband later became Master of the Horse, and one of the Grooms of the Bedchamber to the Duke of Cumberland, and M. P. for Truro. Their son William was born 7 January 1750, but sadly Thomasina died about three weeks later, aged 30 years. She was buried with her mother at Barking.

By now Robert Surman and his daughter Sarah were accepted in the best circles. Some glimpses of their social life can be gleaned from letters which were exchanged between Earl Tylney of Wanstead and his brother-in-law, Sir Robert Long, and the Earl's sisters Emma and Dorothy. For instance, they joined Earl Tylney and eleven other guests to a supper party at Bleak Hall. This included Lord Londonderry who was staying with Earl Tylney at that time. The letters refer to Miss Surman as Sally. She would have been twenty-nine at the time, three or four years younger than Dorothy Child.
In the 1750s Robert Surman was described as "of Lombard Street, London goldsmith" in property deals with Joseph Cruttenden of Gracechurch Street, London, gent. (his nephew), Robert Cliffe of Lombard Street, London banker (also his nephew) Thomas Dineley of Tower Hill, London esq. and others. We do not know why Robert Surman decided to sell Valentines but in October 1754 it was acquired by Charles Raymond. It seems likely the two men became acquainted through business with the East India Company.

The Gentleman's Magazine reported the death of Robert Surman of Glocester Street, Esq on 14 June 1759. Did he died happy, or did fate have more shocks in store for his last five years?

So we go back to the Boscawen family..


1. Lt.-Col. William Augustus Spencer Boscawen 1750 -1828

Lt.-Col. William Augustus Spencer Boscawen was born on 7 January 1750. He was the son of Maj Gen Hon John Boscawen and Thomasine Surman. He died in 1828. He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.). He gained the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the service of the Foot Guards.

Children of Lt.-Col. William Augustus Spencer Boscawen
Heirs of William And Mary Ann Boscawen.

• Mary Boscawen

• Elizabeth Spencer Boscawen

• George Boscawen b. 1802, d. 1832

• Evelyn Spencer Boscawen b. 1803, d. 1845

Father of Lt.-Col. William Augustus Spencer Boscawen

2. Maj.-Gen. Hon. John Boscawen

was born in January 1714. He was the son of Hugh Boscawen, 1st Viscount Falmouth and Charlotte Godfrey. He married Thomasine Surnman, daughter of Robert Surnam, in December 1748. He died in 1767.

Children of Maj.-Gen. Hon. John Boscawen and Thomasine Surnman

• Hugh Boscawen d. 1795 (There is no record or proof of the existance of this child the Hugh that died in that year was of another family)

•  Lt.-Col. William Augustus Spencer Boscawen b. 7 Jan 1750, d. 1828

3. Hugh Boscawen, 1st Viscount Falmouth

was the son of Edward Boscawen and Jael Godolphin. He married Charlotte Godfrey, daughter of Colonel Charles Godfrey and Arabella Churchill, on 23 April 1700.
He died on 25 October 1734.and held the office of Captain of St. Mawes Castle between 1696 and 1710. He was Groom of the Bedchamber to the Duke of Gloucester between 1698 and 1700. He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) (Whig) for Tregony between 1702 and 1705. He held the office of Groom of the Bedchamber to Prince George of Denmark between 1702 and 1708. He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) (Whig) for Cornwall between 1705 and 1710. He held the office of Warden of the Stannaries between 1708 and 1710. He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) (Whig) for Penryn between 1713 and 1720. He held the office of Comptroller of the Household between 1714 and 1720.
He held the office of Captain of St. Mawes Castle between 1714 and 1734. He held the office of Warden of the Stannaries between 1714 and 1734. He held the office of Joint Vice-Treasurer of Ireland between 1717 and 1734. He was created 1st Viscount Falmouth, co. Cornwall [Great Britain] on 9 June 1720. He was created 1st Baron of Boscawen Rose, co. Cornwall [Great Britain] on 9 June 1720. He has an extensive biographical entry in the Dictionary of National Biography.

4. Edward Boscawen,
Born. 21 November 1628, Died. between 28 July 1685 and 3 May 1686
Edward Boscawen was baptised on 21 November 1628. He was the son of Hugh Boscawen and Margaet Rolle. He married Jael Godolphin, daughter of Sir Francis Godolphin and Dorothy Berkley, on 5 January 1665. He died between 28 July 1685 and 3 May 1686. He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) for Truro between 1660 and 1681.

Children of Edward Boscawen and Jael Godolphin

• Hugh Boscawen 1st Viscount Falmouth d. 25 Oct 1734
• Dorothy Boscawen
• Ann Boscawen d. Jan 1751

5. Hugh Boscawen
Born 28 April 1578, Died. circa January 1641
Hugh Boscawen was baptised on 28 April 1578.He was the son of Nicholas Boscawen and Alice Trevantin. He married Margaret Rolle, daughter of Robert Rolle, on 22 June 1622. He died circa January 1641. He was buried on 9 January 1641. He held the office of Member of Parliament (M.P.) for Cornwall. He held the office of Recorder of Truro. He lived at Tregothnan, Cornwall, England. He held the office of Recorder of Truro.

Children of Hugh Boscawen and Margaret Rolle

• Hugh Boscawen b. 21 Aug 1625, d. c Jun 1701

• Edward Boscawen b. 21 Nov 1628, d. bt 28 Jul 1685 - 3 May 1686

The continuation of the Boscawens can be traced back to 1357 through father to son.



So we go back now to Many Anne and William.


William Augustus Spencer Boscawen and Mary Ann had the following family.

Elizabeth Spencer Boscawen 1805 - 1891, Evelyn Spencer Hughes Boscawen , George Boscawen 1802 - 1832, Mary Boscawen.

Sons And Heirs of William Augustus Spencer and Mary Ann Boscawen

George Boscawen was born 10 May 1802 and died September 19, 1832 Lurgan, Craigavon, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. He died Unmarried and no heirs.
source Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes. Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003.

He gained the rank of Captain in the service of the Royal Engineers

Evelyn Spencer Hughes Boscawen
Born July 28, 1803 and died prior to July 1845. He died unmarried with no heirs. Note error in transcription of christening stating he was a female not a male.

England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 about Evelyn Spencer Hughes Boscawen

Name: Evelyn Spencer Hughes Boscawen
Gender: Female
Birth Date: 28 Jul 1803
Baptism Date: 25 Aug 1803
Baptism Place: Saint Mary-St Marylebone Road,St Marylebone,London,England
Father: Wm. Augs. Spencer Boscawen
Mother: Mary Hughes
FHL Film Number: 580907

Will of Evelyn Spencer Boscawen, late Major in the British Army of Cheltenham , Gloucestershire
Date: 29 April 1845
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Legal status: Public Record
Boscawen, Evelyn Spencer
Rank: Lieutenant
Unit: 17th Foot & Biography: Commissioned as Lieutenant 2.9.1824. Was still serving with 17th Foot as at 1826.
Period of Service: 1820s


Mary Boscawen
was born 3.November 1800 and died 1881. She married twice 1st to Captain William Henry Foy died 1838 and secondly to William Newman.

Captain William Henry Foy and Mary Boscawen had 1 child. Louisa Elizabeth Foy b 1828.
Below the marriage of Mary to William Newman. They had no children.
London, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1921
Name: Mary Foy
Spouse Name: William Newnham
Record Type: Marriage
Event Date: 17 Dec 1840
Parish: Twickenham St Mary the Virgin
Borough: Richmond Upon Thames
Father Name: William Augustus Spencer Boscawen
Spouse Father: Thomas Newnham

Louisa Elizabeth Foy
Born 1828 Ostend, West Flanders, Flanders, Belgium and married Nathaniel John Newman
England, Select Marriages, 1538–1973

about Louisa Elizabeth Foy
Name: Louisa Elizabeth Foy
Gender: Female
Marriage Date: 15 Jun 1852
Marriage Place: Egham,Surrey,England
Father: William Henry Foy
Spouse: Nathaniel John Newnham
FHL Film Number: 994419

Nathaniel John Newnham and Louisa Elizabeth Foy had 1 child.

Mary Louisa Newnham

Born 1857 Egham, Surrey, England, United Kingdom
died 1931 aged 74 leaving no heirs.
Mary Louisa Newnham married Rev. George Menzies Lambrick
England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966 about Mary Louisa Lambrick
Name: Mary Louisa Lambrick
Probate Date: 13 Oct 1931
Death Date: 26 Apr 1931
Death Place: Somerset, England
Registry: London, England

The Last Daugther

Elizabeth Spence Boscawen

Born 5 November 1805 (Note only child born after they were married) died 28 June 1891. She married John Foy on 13 July 1829 St Marylebone. They had 4 daughters
England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975
Name: Elizth. Spencer Boscawen
Gender: Female
Birth Date: 5 Nov 1805
Baptism Date: 6 Dec 1805
Baptism Place: Saint Mary-St Marylebone Road,St Marylebone,London,England
Father: Wm. Augustus Spencer Boscawen
Mother: Mary Anne
FHL Film Number:580907

London and Surrey, England, Marriage Bonds and Allegations, 1597-1921
Name: Elizabeth Spencer Boscawen
Age: 21
Birth Year: abt 1808
Event Date:13 Jul 1829
Parish: St Marylebone
Spouse's Name: John Foy
Spouse's Age: 21
Spouse's Parish: St Marylebone
Spouse's County: Middlesex
Event Type: Allegation

The four daughters listed below all died without issue

Florence Matilda Louisa Foy 1846 - 1922
FOY Florence Louisa Matilda of Brightlands Southborough, Kent. Spinster, Died 27th October 1922 Probate London 29th March to Charles Yate Lee Solicitor. Effects: £15,357 3s 11d
 
Rosamund Harriet Foy 1843 - 1925
FOY Rosamund Harriet Brightlands Southborough, Kent. Spinster, Died 16th March 1925. Probate London to Charles Yate Lee Esquire. Effects: £27,182 7s 3d

Helen Elizabeth Foy 1832 - 1899 
FOY Helen Elizabeth of Brightlands Southborough, Kent. Spinster, Died 14th August 1899 Probate London 31st October to Rosamund Harriet Foy Spinster and Thomas Dolling Bolton Esquire. Effects: £7920 10s 1d


Mary (Mercy) Sibella Foy 1840-1917
FOY Mercey Sibella of Brightlands Southborough, Kent. Spinster, Died 19th December 1917 Administration ( With Will ) London 5th March to Rosamund Harriet Foy Spinster. Efects: £8654 18s 11d . Resworn £7310 10s 3d


So that is where the history stops.

Its quite saddening re readng all of this, to consider that once there was a family with such high public status, misxing in the right circles and related to royalty that has lead to the demise of this family with 4 daughters all passing this world as spinsters. You might wonder why they all died this way and maybe assumption my lead you to believe that they were wealthy women who at the time had no need for the dependency and security that a man would normally offer in those times. Or maybe it was that they didnt want to share any of their wealth and prefered to enjoy it in their own way.


Im pleased though that by chance that day I was able to discover the ring and for a moment in time the legacy of such a great family is being spoken about once more and that by writing this blog and with the information sought out by Sue above this fantastic piece of social history can be read by many.

I have recently donated this ring and the history behind it including all copies of birth, death and marriage certificates to Chester Museum where hopefully people will be able to read and remember the family Boscawen.

Club Dig in Bedford.. Definately a Roman Day

I managed to get a midweek club dig in this week in Bedfordshire. I couldnt resist really as that part of the country has a huge amount of history and always a good chance of saving something good from the ground.

Up until now in all the time I have been detecting I have found 3 Roman coins ( Yes I know its hard to believe living in Chester ) Until now..

Arrived at the dig location to find that the field we were due to go on had only been rough ploughed and that it hadnt been rolled. The organiser said not to worry as he would relocate us to a nearby location which has produced some fantastic history. In the meantime a few of us had a quick half hour wandering on the rough plough to which one chap found a stunning Penny of William I.. I imagine he was gutted to have to leave!

We headed off to the next location. I followed a car that was following a car who we thought knew where we were going.. after a few miles it turned out he was also following someone he thought was with us but it turned out to be an elderly couple going to a funeral! A few phone calls and a rough location sat nav got us to where we needed to be ( Thankfully! )

Gorgeous 40 or so acres of rolled ploughed land..

I use the Etrac on Conduct in Multitones and today had open screen, there were lots of high pitched iron squeals but once you get used to that and zone it out the etrac dosnt miss the lows grunts or mid tone which are usually roman coins or hammered coins.. Silver still gives a nice high tone but its a lot softer than the iron squeal so fairly easy to pick out.

First decent signal turned out to be a fragment of a Roman Belt Buckle, i didnt realsie exactly what it was at the time but somone identified it a bit later. The usual few buttons and bits of lead came up and then I had a nice tone which turned out to be a Roman Coin of ................  It still maintained a nice bit of detail on it.. Following that though the day I ended up with a toal of 9 roman coins, mostely minims and only 3 have some detail left..

Later in the afternoon I was passing an area where a few people had been congregating and had a very iffy but deep tone about a 14-21 but not 2 way, I thought id dig it though and so glad I did, at about 8 inches on edge was a lovely enamelled plate brooch, not in the greatest shape but after nearly 2000 years thats hardly surprising.. It still has traces of the blue enamel on it and is slightly bent but I love it. surreal to think I am the first person to pick that up in so long..

I heard that throughout the day about 10 hammered including a penny of Stephen were found along with about 50 roman grots in total, 2 brooches and 5 silver denarius. Not a bad day in all and very pleasing for me :) enjoy the pictures below !

( Above ) SOL INVICTO COMITI Follis of Constantine I struck at Trier in Germany

(Above ) AE3 of Valens with Victory Advancing Left 364-378 AD

(Above ) AE4 of Helena with "PAX PUBLICA" Reverse Pax Holding Olive Branch and Scepter

( Above ) Roman Enamelled Plate Brooch 2-3rd Century AD