Talk about striking gold! Amateur metal detectorist discovers an 18th-century ring in a field in Norfolk - and it's linked to a member of the British nobility
An amateur metal detectorist has found a stunning 18th-century ring in a field in Norfolk that has links to the British nobility.
Malcom Weale, 53, unearthed the gold jewellery in a field near Thetford, Norfolk, after searching the area for 18 months.
The detectorist was 'shaking' when he saw the ring glinting in the sunlight.
Mr Weale told the BBC: 'I knew this was something very special and I did a bit of a dance.'
'There it was, a glint of pure gold, shiny as the day it was dropped, six inches down in the mud.
'It's very rare to put a name to anything you find.'
The treasure was crafted about 300 years ago to commemorate a member of the British nobility, called Sir Bassingbourne Gawdry.
A hollowed-out part of the ring's exterior depicts what's thought to be a skull, while an inscription on the interior records his death date.
The oval depression on the exterior contains jewellery enamel – a material made by fusing powdered glass or ceramic at high temperatures.
Against the grayish background, black spots and lines have been used to create the squashed-looking skull, Live Science reports.
Mr Weale made the find on August 9 last year, but it has only just been declared treasure having being studied through the Portable Antiquities Scheme by experts at the British Museum.
It pays tribute to Sir Bassingbourne Gawdry, the 3rd Baronet of Harling, who died in a hunting accident in 1723, aged 56.
He is described as a 'notable sportsman' who liked 'rackety exploits'.
The name and date of death of the baronet are inscribed on the inside of the ring.
The inscription reads 'B.G. Bart. ob: 10. Oct: 1723. aet: 56,' which means 'B.G. Baronet, died 10th October 1723, aged 56', according to historian Helen Geake.
Sir Bassingbourne Gawdry likely left orders for several of these 'mourning rings' to be made when he died, but only one has been found by Mr Weale.
Who was Sir Bassingbourne Gawdry?
Sir Bassingbourne Gawdy (1667-1723), 3rd Baronet of Harling, was a member of the British nobility.
He was son of Norfolk painter Sir John Gawdy, who was deaf all his life and an early pioneer of sign language.
Bassingbourne died in a hunting accident in 1723, aged 56. Records suggest he died unmarried and that his hereditary title went extinct.
But who exactly owned this particular ring 300 years ago is still something of a mystery.
Records suggest Sir Bassingbourne Gawdy was unmarried and without children – so perhaps it was owned by a close friend or associate.
Sir Bassingbourne Gawdry was the son of famous painter Sir John Gawdy (1639-1699) who, along with his brother Framlingham, was born deaf and mute.
The brothers hold the distinction of being the first known British born deaf persons to be educated and taught to read and write through sign language.
John is recorded as a handsome and intelligent man with a notable talent for painting, for which he 'attained no small degree of celebrity', according to one record.
But Bassingbourne (his son) remained unmarried and upon his death from his accident on October 10, 1723 the baronetcy became extinct.
Both John and Bassingbourne were part of a successful and influential family of lawyers who flourished in Norfolk and Suffolk in the 16th and 17th century.
The Gawdy family is said to have descended from Sir Brews Gawdey, a French knight who was captured during the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453).
After being taken prisoner in 1352, it appears Sir Brews Gawdey was naturalised and settled in Suffolk, although the Gawdy Hall estate in Norfolk was built by the family in the 1500s.
Queen Elizabeth I is thought to have stayed in Gawdy Hall in 1578.
Mr Weale, who has been a detectorist since he was seven years old, said discovery of the historic ring 'turned out to be one of my best days'.
'Over the years I've found all sorts of treasures including a hoard of late Roman coins, gold rings and jewellery,' he told the BBC.
'Last year was a particularly good year for detecting as, thanks to the rainfall, the moisture levels in the ground were very high.
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