Rights Holder: The Portable Antiquities Scheme
CC License:
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Unique ID: IOW-71311D
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
A complete medieval cast copper-alloy and enamelled heraldic harness stud (c. 1307-1324). The front face of the pendant carries an enamelled heraldic device comprising four transverse bands in blue enamel, with five red birds or martlets fairly evenly spaced around the plate, the silvering in between now missing due to post-depositional corrosion. However, a small fleck of decayed silver survives.
At the rear, an integral tapering spike is sub-square in cross-section and its tip is bent at an angle of 90°. The metal is drab green with tiny areas of corrosion.
Diameter: 22.3mm; thickness of plate: 2.7mm; overall thickness: 14.8mm. Weight: 5.49g.
The Arms on the pendant can be described as 'Barry of 4 argent and azure, an orle of martlets gules' and may be those of the de Valence family, Earls of Pembroke of the third creation. Wikipedia illustrates the arms of the de Valence Earls of Pembroke which are identical to those displayed on the pendant described above except for the fact that five bars are present, rather than four. Aylmer de Valence, brother of William, 1st Earl of Pembroke, was elected to the see of Winchester in 1250. The bishopric of Winchester owned the Manor of Swainston on the Isle of Wight. In 1255- 1256 Aylmer founded the new borough of Francheville alias Newtown within this manor (Beresford, M. 1959: 202-203). It is perhaps significant that the pendant described above was discovered on land that, historically, was within the Manor of Swainston. The pendant may possibly have belonged to a servant of Aylmer de Valence.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_of_Pembroke (accessed 8/12/2014).
Beresford, M. 1959. 'The Six New Towns of The Bishops of Winchester, 1200-55' in Medieval Archaeology, Vol. 3. Journal of the Society for Medieval Archaeology: London.
Notes:
Arms: Valence, de
Class: heraldic
Current location of find: Finder
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
Period from: MEDIEVAL
Period to: MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1307
Date to: Circa AD 1324
Quantity: 1
Thickness: 14.8 mm
Weight: 5.49 g
Diameter: 22.3 mm
Date(s) of discovery: Sunday 24th November 2013
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Other reference: IOW2014-1-10
Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Complete
Surface Treatment: Inlaid with enamel
Grid reference source: GPS (from the finder)
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Beresford, M. | 1960 | ‘The Six New Towns of The Bishops of Winchester, 1200-55 | London | Society for Medieval Archaeology | 202-203 |