Tregwynt Hoard
Encyclopedia
The Tregwynt Hoard was a mid 17th century hoard
of coins found near Fishguard
in Pembrokeshire
, Wales
in 1996. The hoard is now in the British Museum
in London. The treasure consisted of 33 gold coins, 467 silver coins and a gold ring. This was the first English Civil War
hoard found in Pembrokeshire.
which is in land. The retreat of the Fishguard Fencibles was halted by Lord Cawdor who persuaded Knox to advance. The Fencibles who were local volunteers saw off the force of 1200 French convicts. It was reported the local population assisted in seeing off the "last invasion of British soil". The BBC
reported that there was a local story that the guests at the dance hid their valuables and that when a hoard was discovered it was thought initially to have confirmed the tale.
was involved and in addition to the coins they also found lead sheeting which is thought to have covered the hoard and a ring with a motto inside it. The inscription reads "Better death than false of faith" (spelling updated).
The hoard was probably hidden at the time that Oliver Cromwell
came to Pembrokeshire to settle the local Royalists who were in rebellion. The value at the time was over 50 pounds and this would have been over four years wages for an average soldier. The money may have been saved by Llewellin Harries who lived at the mansion at the time with his twelve children.
. Amongst the coins were:
Hoard
In archaeology, a hoard is a collection of valuable objects or artifacts, sometimes purposely buried in the ground. This would usually be with the intention of later recovery by the hoarder; hoarders sometimes died before retrieving the hoard, and these surviving hoards may be uncovered by...
of coins found near Fishguard
Fishguard
Fishguard is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, with a population of 3,300 . The community of Fishguard and Goodwick had a population of 5043 at the 2001 census....
in Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
in 1996. The hoard is now in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
in London. The treasure consisted of 33 gold coins, 467 silver coins and a gold ring. This was the first English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
hoard found in Pembrokeshire.
Local history
This mansion had been the scene where the invasion of the French was first reported to Colonel Thomas Knox who was at a dance there on 23 February 1797. Knox, who had been appointed by his father William Knox went into a strategic withdrawal to HaverfordwestHaverfordwest
Haverfordwest is the county town of Pembrokeshire, Wales and serves as the County's principal commercial and administrative centre. Haverfordwest is the most populous urban area in Pembrokeshire, with a population of 13,367 in 2001; though its community boundaries make it the second most populous...
which is in land. The retreat of the Fishguard Fencibles was halted by Lord Cawdor who persuaded Knox to advance. The Fencibles who were local volunteers saw off the force of 1200 French convicts. It was reported the local population assisted in seeing off the "last invasion of British soil". The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
reported that there was a local story that the guests at the dance hid their valuables and that when a hoard was discovered it was thought initially to have confirmed the tale.
The hoard
The hoard can be dated from the date of the last coin that was included in the hoard and this came from 1647 or 1648. This date is at the end of English Civil War and these troubles are the probable reason for the hoard being deposited. There are over 200 hoards that date from the time of the civil war. This was the first civil war hoard found in Pembrokeshire. These goods were hidden by an outbuilding of the Tregwynt Mansion. They were discovered in 1996 as a result of building work resulting from the construction of a tennis court. Because a few coins had been found, the ground was searched by a metal detector and Roy Lewis discovered many more coins. By the end, a JCB diggerJ. C. Bamford
JCB is a global construction, demolition and agricultural equipment company headquartered in Rocester, United Kingdom. It is the world's third-largest construction equipment manufacturer. It produces over 300 types of machines, including diggers , excavators, tractors and diesel engines...
was involved and in addition to the coins they also found lead sheeting which is thought to have covered the hoard and a ring with a motto inside it. The inscription reads "Better death than false of faith" (spelling updated).
The hoard was probably hidden at the time that Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
came to Pembrokeshire to settle the local Royalists who were in rebellion. The value at the time was over 50 pounds and this would have been over four years wages for an average soldier. The money may have been saved by Llewellin Harries who lived at the mansion at the time with his twelve children.
Artefacts
The treasure consisted of 33 gold coins, 467 silver coins and a gold Posie ringPosie ring
Posie rings are finger rings with short inscriptions on their outer surfaces. More rarely the inscription is on the inner surface....
. Amongst the coins were:
- The latest coin is a 1647 or 1648 shilling bearing a sceptre
- A Scottish 1602 coin of James VI of Scotland
- A Charles I of EnglandCharles I of EnglandCharles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
one pound gold coin - A Charles I silver half-crown struck at an emergency mint in Shrewsbury in 1642