News - Medieval gold ring declared treasure (Thurcroft)

A METAL detecting enthusiast unearthed a 14th century gold ring studded with a ruby and an emerald, an inquest heard.

Metal finishing plant worker Paul McEvoy, 44, found the medieval finger ring just six inches beneath the soil surface in a field in Thurcroft, Rotherham.

Mr McEvoy, from Dinnington, told the Rotherham hearing: “I thought I had dug up a squash bottle top but it turned out to be a ring.”

He said he had been metal detecting for an hour and until then had only found modern spoons, nails and a buckle.

The find, made in July, 2009, was verified by Beverley Nenk from the British Museum.

Landowners Judith and Hedley Leaning were at the inquest and said the land which had been left fallow after growing wheat was farmed by Richard Crowe from Tickhill.

It is not yet known how valuable the ring is or where it will end up.

Assistant deputy coroner Jonathan Godfrey declared the ring treasure trove under the Treasure Act.

He said: “I am satisfied that the item that was found by Mr McEvoy was a gold finger ring with two stones, one green and one red. Having regard to its age and that it is gold it is treasure.”

The ring is being held by Retford Museum.

From: http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/at-a-glance/main-section/medieval_gold_ring_declared_treasure_1_3940821

News - Surprising ‘Finds’ in Throapham Graveyard

The Friends of Throapham Church have recently received funding from South Yorkshire Community Foundation which has enabled a group of volunteers to start clearing and cleaning up the graveyard round this Anglo-Saxon church which is run by the Churches Conservation Trust. They have also had the backing of the Parochial Church Council for the church.

 

They started work this last weekend clearing some of the brushwood and also the massive amounts of ivy which has run rampant round the graveyard. Imagine their surprise when the first thing they found was an ancient table tomb still in existence (many have been removed from graveyards). The next find was a large C18th gravestone where we didn’t expect there were any graves, it was covered by years of growth of grass over the top. The next finds were a chest tomb and even larger table tomb which is richly decorated on the ends and is very rare for our area of the county. Many people do not realise that this graveyard was where the early miners who worked (some of whom were killed) at Dinnington Mine were buried, the first one who was recorded in the register was Moses Wright aged 44 who was buried on the 9^th December 1904.

 

There are many people from Thurcroft, Laughton, Firbeck, Letwell also buried there and also one of the Athorpes who were Lords of the Manor of Dinnington, and many of the owners of the ancient Manor of Throapham. There are also three War Graves in the Cemetery, at least one from the First World War. As this was the first day at the graveyard we do not know what else we will find when we continue, we do know there is a railed tomb still to clear. The Parish Registers record the history of the local area from the C16th and the new growth at Dinnington because of the opening up of the Colliery.

 

If anyone is interested in joining the group or willing to donate to our work please contact Pam Cook 01909 732485 in the first instance. If you cannot work you could help by making tea and coffee for the workers or help in the church dusting etc. or at our open days throughout the summer.

 

By Pam Cook (Friends of Throapham Church)