A ring linked to an ancestor of Gawdy Hall Estate has been declared treasure at Norfolk Coroner's Court.
The mourning ring, which was made from gold and inlaid with enamel, is thought to have been created in memory of Sir Bassingbourne Gawdy, the third baronet of Harling.
He died in a hunting accident in 1723 at the age of 56 and the baronetcy became extinct.
The inscription on the ring reads “B.G. Bart. ob: 10. Oct: 1723. aet: 56.", which historian Helen Geake, Norfolk's finds liaison officer, said means “B.G. Baronet, died 10th October 1723, aged 56.”
The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography describes him as a bachelor who was ‘a notable sportsman’ and enjoyed ‘rackety exploits’.
He was also the grandson of famous painter Sir John Gawdy who, along with his brother Framlingham, was born deaf and mute. The brothers were the first British deaf people to be educated through sign language.
Metal detectorist Malcolm Weale, 53, who took up the hobby when he was seven years old, unearthed the ring in August 2024. He said: “It gleamed in the sunshine.”
An inquest last month held under the Treasure Act heard details about the mourning ring, including its link to the Gawdys, a family of Norfolk noblemen. It will now be taken to the British Museum where it will be valued.
Malcolm has also found a silver Elizabethan hawking vervel ring, worn by birds of prey, which is thought to have belonged to Sir Robert Knowles, who also has links to the Gawdy family tree. He records all his finds with Norfolk Museum service.
He said: “Over the years I’ve found all sorts of treasures including a hoard of late Roman coins, gold rings and jewellery.
“Last year was a particularly good year for detecting as, thanks to the rainfall, the moisture levels in the ground were very high.
“I had been searching a particular field for 18 months and had found some medieval silver coins from King Steven to Henry VII, some modern coins, some vape ring pulls and shotgun caps.
“With metal detecting you can spend days, weeks or months searching or sometimes just 20 minutes and make an amazing discovery. August 9th was a hot day, I had my detector in the car, and it turned out to be one of my best days.
“It was just the second signal and 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, but I knew this was something very special and I did a bit of a dance.
“Gold memorial rings were fashionable in the early 1700’s and provisions were made for them in wills.
“As well as this ring, last year I also found a gold memorial ring, a medieval silver ring fragment, and the first and only Viking penny minted for Guthrum, a Viking warlord who became the first Viking king to convert to Christianity and ruled East Anglia in the 870s.
“It’s exciting not knowing what you’re going to find. I found so much history last year and continue to do so this year.”
The Gawdy family is believed to have been descended from Sir Brews Gawdey, a French knight who was captured during the Hundred Years War.
After being taken prisoner in 1352, it appears he was naturalised and settled in Suffolk.
Mourning jewellery was particularly popular in England during the Georgian era and pieces were made to commemorate a deceased person. Gold and enamel were often used, as well as jet and onyx.
They were typically given to family members and close friends of the deceased person and included their name or initials, age and date of death.
The Gawdy ring, which is in a very good condition, includes a depiction of a tiny skull, a symbol of mortality.
* The story made the news around the world including the Daily Mail, the USA version of the Daily Express and Archaeology News.
