Extensive and Interesting Discovery of Ancient Royal Treasure
The Cuerdale Hoard
Most Interesting Discovery of Anglo-Saxon Coins at Cuerdale
Friday this week is the anniversary of the discovery of the Cuerdale Hoard, which is now 186 years ago. Between now and then, I am going to post about it on a regular basis.
MOST INTERESTING DISCOVERY OF ANGLO-SAXON COINS.
On Friday last a large collection of most valuable and interesting Anglo-Saxon coins, and other reliques of olden time, was discovered close to the river Ribble, at Cuerdale, near Preston. We understand that some workmen were employed in removing some ground on the banks of the river, which had become undermined by the action of the water, when they turned up an old leaden chest, containing about ten thousand of the coins alluded to, several silver bracelets, and a quantity of ingots or bars of silver. The coins are of silver, and weigh about twenty grains each. Mr. Assheton, of Downham Hall, near Clitheroe, is the owner of the property on which the discovery was made, and the chest and its contents have been removed to the Old Bank. Preston, until Mr. Assheton, who is now at Rome, can be communicated with and give instructions as to their disposal. Collectors are in a furor of excitement about this event.
[Friday last was 15th May 1840.]
Date: Wednesday, May 20, 1840
Publication: Blackburn Standard
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| Most Interesting Discovery of Anglo-Saxon Coins at Cuerdale |
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EXTENSIVE AND INTERESTING DISCOVERY OF ANCIENT
ROYAL TREASURE. — About six o'clock on the evening of yesterday week, a large collection of valuable and interesting Anglo-Saxon coins, and other reliques of olden time, were discovered close to the river Ribble, at Cuerdale Hall, near this town.
It appears that a number of workmen were employed in repairing the embankments of the Ribble, (which had become partially undermined by the action of the water, in order to prevent the further encroachments of the river,) when, during their operations, they were suddenly surprised and overjoyed at the discovery of the buried treasure.
It was contained in a leaden chest, which, however, had become decayed and corroded; that it broke asunder in the attempt to extricate it from its hiding place, and the enclosed valuables of course rolled out before the astonished gaze of the “bankers.”
No sooner had the pick and spade thrown the interesting, extensive, varied, and valuable mass into broad daylight, than one simultaneous shout ensued. The tenant of Cuerdale Hall hearing the noise, and thinking some accident had occurred, immediately repaired to the spot, when he found the workmen on their knees, around the treasure, in the act of a general scramble, endeavouring, no doubt, to see which could obtain the greatest booty.
The tenant, however, soon gave them to understand that they must not remove the property, upon which it was forthwith collected together and deposited in the bank of Messrs. Pedder, Fleetwood, and Pedder, on the following day, and sealed.
William Assheton, Esq. of Downham Hall, near Clitheroe, is the owner of the property where the discovery was made, and we are informed that he is now in Rome.
There are, we understand, about 10,000 coins, and the average weight is twenty grains each, which are principally of the reigns of Ethelred, Alfred, and Edward the Elder, besides which there are ingots of silver, bracelets, bridle bits, some ring money, &c., &c.
The money, we are informed, weighs about 400 ounces, and the other articles about 756 ounces, in all 1156 ounces of silver.
The probable time of the deposit of this valuable treasure was, as nearly as can be estimated, about 1000 years ago.
The prevailing opinion, from the extent of the property and other circumstances, is that it was royal treasure.
Some odd pieces of the booty have found their way into the hands of a few individuals, and are, of course, highly treasured.
Indeed, the numismatic collectors and connoisseurs are quite in a furor about the matter, and the spot where the treasure was found has, since the discovery, been more zealously scratched than any dunghill in the best populated poultry yard.
The appropriation and ownership of the property will, we apprehend, become a question between the Crown and Mr. Assheton, but, in all probability, the claim of the latter will not be interfered with.
The circumstance has created a lively sensation in this neighbourhood.
PRESTON, SATURDAY, MAY 23, 1840.
Date: Saturday, May 23, 1840
Publication: Preston Chronicle
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The Saxon Coins
THE SAXON COINS, &c. - We understand that a communication has been received from the Chancellor of the Duchy, on the subject of the Saxon coins and other articles of silver, found the week before last on the Cuerdale Hall estate, near this town, and it is to the effect that the Messrs. Pedders and Co., of the Old Bank, in whose charge they have been placed, are to take care to preserve them safely, until further official directions for their disposal shall be sent to thein. We trust Mr. Assheton will keep a sharp look out after the treasure, in order that he may be enabled to secure no small share of these precious relics of bye-gone days; for the perfect state of preservation in which the coins appear, render them very valuable, and also a matter for great astonishment, seeing that many of them (the Alfreds) must be now nearly 1000 years old.
—Ibid.
Author: Bolt. Chron.
Date: Wednesday, June 3, 1840
Publication: Blackburn Standard
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| The Saxon Coins - Blackburn Standard, 1840 |
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Inquisition On The Coins Found At Cuerdale
INQUISITION ON THE COINS FOUND AT CUERDALE.
Last Saturday, an interesting inquiry took place at the Bull Inn, Preston, before John Hargreaves, Esq., Coroner for the Blackburn Hundred, and a respectable jury of sixteen persons, "touching the finding and discovering of certain silver coins and other things, alleged to have been discovered in the township of Cuerdale." Thos. Starkie, Esq., Q. C., officiated as Assessor for Mr. Hargreaves. The inquiry was conducted under the provisions of a statute of Henry the First, which directs that when any treasure is found, the Coroner shall summon a jury to inquire into the circumstances of the find, and to ascertain whether the treasure does or does not belong to the Crown. A large degree of interest was excited on the occasion, inasmuch as it was known that the coins, &c., (which were found on the 15th of last May, and many particulars concerning which have already appeared in our columns,) were of considerable value as well of great rarity, and that two parties had put in claims to their ownership, viz., the Queen, in right of her Duchy of Lancaster, and William Assheton, Esq., of Downham Hall, near Clitheroe, as lord of the manor of Cuerdale, and owner of the land on which the discovery was made.
The claims of the respective parties were supported before the Coroner's Assessor by gentlemen of the long robe, Thomas Flower Ellis, Esq., Attorney-General of the Duchy, and John Teasdale, Esq., Solicitor-General of the Duchy, appearing on behalf of her Majesty, and John Addison, Esq., on behalf of Mr. Assheton. We attended and took copious notes of the proceedings, but as there was a great deal of very dry matter, which would be anything but interesting to the generality of readers, we think it better not to occupy our columns with the details. Suffice it, therefore, to say the learned Attorney-General contended, with great skill and eloquence, that the coins, &c., were treasure-trove, i. e. "money or coin, gold, silver, plate, or bullion, found hidden in the earth, or other private place, the owner thereof being unknown," and that, therefore, they belonged to the Crown, or rather, in the present case, to the Duchess of Lancaster as a grantee under the Crown whilst, on the other hand, Mr. Addison ingeniously contended that there was no evidence or fair grounds for the assumption that the coins had been "hidden;" that probably they had been "abandoned," or washed ashore and covered with sand at a period when the Ribble was supposed to have been navigable even so high as Ribchester; and that, as the "hiding" was essential to the establishment of the title of " treasure-trove," the crown had no claim to the property, which of right belonged to the lord of the manor.
Various authorities were quoted, and many witnesses examined as to the circumstances of the find, the encroachments of the river and alterations in the banks, &c. As we have said before, these matters would be quite unınteresting to our readers generally; but from the evidence of Mr. Joseph Kenyon, of Preston, and Mr. Thomas Glover, of Manchester, we collect a few facts concerning the treasure itself, which will not be unacceptable to some of our friends.
The articles found are all of silver they may be divided into four classes, viz., coins, large bars or ingots, small bars or ingots, and ornaments. Of the coins there are an immense number; not less it is calculated, than 6,800. Their weight is just 304 oz. troy, and they consist chiefly of Anglo-Saxon coins, with a smaller number of French, and a few Cufic or Oriental. Some of the Anglo-Saxon are of the reign of St. Edmund, from 855, to 871, but coined after his death, as is evident from the word "sanctus" upon them; some are of the reign of Alfred, from 871 to 899; the principal part of them are of the reign of Edward the Elder, from 900 to 925; and one only is of the reign of Athelstan, the natural son and successor of Edward the Elder. The French coins are chiefly of the reign of Charles the Bald, Lewis the Stammerer, and Lewis the Second besides which there are some whose dates are not known by any collector. The latest French were coined in 879. Of the Oriental coins, although they bear no dates, it is the opinion of persons learned in numismatics that they are co-temporary with those already mentioned.
There are sixteen large bars, or ingots, averaging 6 Each of oz., and weighing in the aggregate 132 oz. these has a cross upon it, and they are said to be marks, being of the value of 160 of the smaller coins, and of course used in the payment of large sums as we now use paper. Of the smaller ingots there is a large number: they weigh altogether 725 oz., and are supposed to be parts of a mark, some of these being so small as to represent only three of the coins: these are said to be the Anglo-Saxon coin called "thrimsa." The ornaments consist of rings, bracelets, chains, &c., which appear to have been crushed up together, as though crammed into a box in the hurry of hiding: they weigh 1034 oz. The total weight of the silver is 1265 oz., which at the rate of 4s. 6d. per ounce, is worth £284 12s. 6d., though of course its value in the "antiquarian market" is considerably more.
The reader is already aware that this large and interesting treasure was discovered close by Cuerdale Hall, on the 15th of last May, by some workmen who were making alterations, to prevent further encroachments, on the banks of the Ribble. It was about a yard from the surface in the then existing state of the ground, and perhaps 50 yards from the present bank of the river, and seems to have been enclosed either in a leaden box, or a wooden box with a leaden lining. It is conjectured it was deposited in the place wherein it was found in the early part of the reign of Athelstan, and the ground upon which this conjecture is founded is, that there are numbers of coins of the reigns of Athelstan's immediate predecessors, while there is only one of his own reign, although Athelstan's coins are exceedingly common, and to be found in the possession of every collector. It is also further conjectured that, as a great battle was fought near Brunsbury in Northumbria, which was then subject to the Danes, in the beginning of Athelstan's reign, the treasure was hidden by some person going to join Anlať, who was defeated by Athelstan, and being killed came not back to claim it.
As to the inquiry into the ownership of these interesting relics of former ages, after a long investigation the jury retired to consider their verdict, and upon returning into court, having been absent about ten minutes, the foreman said, " we find the articles are the property of her Majesty, in right of her Duchy of Lancaster's, as treasure-trove."
INQUISITION ON THE COINS FOUND AT CUERDALE.
Date: Wednesday, Aug. 19, 1840
Publication: Blackburn Standard
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The Treasure Found at Cuerdale
THE TREASURE FOUND AT CUERDALE. - The Gentleman's Magazine for November says, that "the objects found near Preston, consisting of between 6,000 and 8,000 coins of Alfred, fibulæ, cufri, coins, ingots, &c. have, we believe, been sent to the British Museum, from the office of the Duchy of Lancaster, for examination."
PRESTON, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1840.
Date: Saturday, Nov. 14, 1840
Publication: Preston Chronicle
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| The Treasure Found at Cuerdale. Preston Chronicle, November, 1840 |
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Site of Cuerdale Hoard
The rural area of Cuerdale is contained in the ecclesiastical parish of Walton-le-Dale, lying due east from that village; the site of the rich discovery was on the south bank of the river Ribble, about two miles distant from the Ribble Bridge at Walton and within twenty yards from the river bank. A willow sapling from the adjacent wood was planted at the time of the discovery to mark the spot, but owing to the ravages of time the tree has long since disappeared. In the month of October, 1948, a few local historical enthusiasts were instrumental in having a more permanent memorial erected to replace the tree, and which takes the form of an erected stone bearing the words: "SITE OF CUERDALE HOARD, MAY, 1840."
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