Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

17thc hoard of gold coins fd. AD 1788

Monument Types

• FINDSPOT (Post Medieval - 1600 AD to 1700 AD)

Associated Finds

• COIN HOARD (Post Medieval - 1627 AD? to 1649 AD?)

Full description

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At a little distance from "The Ruins" [of the Cromer Mansion: TQ 86 SE 24] is a small coppice, where in January 1738, several hundred broad pieces of gold were dug up. A boy, Thomas Love, saw three or four pieces lying on the ground, and Daniel Wood a farmer, making a later, closer search, found the rest, but not being able to keep the secret of the find, was obliged to refund 624 of the broad pieces for the use of the Crown, though Sir John Hales claimed the whole, it being thought that his ancestor had concealed them during the civil wars. (1) [Report similar in detail to 1, then - ] Hasted, writing in 1782, says "Mrs Tyso, wife of the Rev. Mr Tysoe, Vicar of Bredgar, well remembered the hiding of pieces of gold in a wood on the other side from the ruins of the old mansion of the Cromers, immediately after the defeat at Maidstone in 1648", she being then visiting Sir John Hale's house. She said, too, that a large quantity of jewels was deposited at the same time in the wood, then called Gascoigne Walk, but though these have been sought for, it has hitherto been without success. (2) At TQ 9115 6155, 1200.0 metres due east of the Cromer Mansion site, and at TQ 9180 6240, 2100.0 metres N.E. of it, are tracts of woodland known by the name "Golden Wood". Both are "on the other side from the ruins of the old mansion" (Authority 2) as seen from Bredgar. Both are "at a little distance from the Ruins" (Authority 1). (Possible sites.) (3) [TQ 89 61] Coin hoard from Tunstall, Kent, listed. The hoard, deposited sometime between 1625 and 1649, consisted of over 614 gold coins. It was found in 1737. (4)

<1> Bib Topo Brit 1 1780-90 Hist and Antiqs of Tunstall 33 (Anon) (OS Card Reference). SKE37642.

<2> A Saunter through Kent 24 1930 62 (C Igglesden) (OS Card Reference). SKE32880.

<3> F1 ASP 24-JUL-59 (OS Card Reference). SKE42261.

<4> Coins Hoards of Great Britain and Ireland 1500-1967 1971 32 (I D Brown and M Dolley) (OS Card Reference). SKE39057.

<5> Field report for monument TQ 86 SE 25 - July, 1959 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4608.

Sources and further reading