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Find Spot record MDR13687 - Henry III, Edward I, Edward II medieval coin hoard, River Dove, Hatton and Tutbury

Type and Period (1)

  • (Medieval - 1300 AD to 1400 AD)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Full Description

The 1st edition 25" Ordnance Survey map of c. 1880 has the annotation '(Coins found)' immediately under the name 'Tutbury Bridge'. (1) The 2nd edition has amended to 'Ancient Coins found A.D. 1831'. (2) A huge coin hoard, apparently of some 200,000 to 300,000 coins of Henry III, Edward I, Edward II and some Scottish and foreign pieces, was found in 1831 downstream of the bridge across the River Dove at Tutbury. In 1322 Edward II led an army against Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, at Tutbury Castle. Thomas fled to Pontefract and in crossing the Dove he lost a large part of his treasure, from which these coins are believed to have come. (3) Works during the construction of an embankment for the outfall of the nearby cotton resulted in the discovery of upwards of 20,000 coins. From a study of contemporary evidence, it is certain that the treasure was moved to a nearby priory, intended to pay the troops and Scottish allies of Thomas Earl of Lancaster, (who in 1313 was recorded to have domestic expenses of totalling £7452,) during his war with Edward II. Whether the intention of the monks sympathetic to the Earl was for their own procurement or for genuine safety to hold the treasure is unknown. It seems likely that finding their own sanctuary slighted, they hid the coins in the river. (4)

Sources/Archives (4)

  • <1> Map: Ordnance Survey (OS). 1882. OS County Series, 1st edition, scale 1:2500 (c. 25" to one mile).
  • <2> Map: Ordnance Survey (OS). 1896-1900. OS County Series, 2nd edition (1st revision), scale 1:2500 (c. 25" to one mile).
  • <3> Index: Staffordshire County Council Historic Environment Record. 00703 - MST703.
  • <4> Article in serial: Ford, D. 1985. 'The Tutbury Hoard of Coins', Derbyshire Life and Countryside.

Map

Location

Grid reference SK 214 295 (point)
Civil Parish HATTON, SOUTH DERBYSHIRE, DERBYSHIRE
Civil Parish TUTBURY, EAST STAFFORDSHIRE, STAFFORDSHIRE

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

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Record last edited

Aug 30 2016 4:01PM

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