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In a thrilling discovery, a metal detectorist stumbled upon a centuries-old gold mourning ring that was “gleaming in the sunshine.” Malcolm Weale, 53, found the ring in a field near Thetford, Norfolk, back in August. The intricate piece of jewelry is believed to be linked to an ancestor of Gawdy Hall Estate in Harleston and is thought to have been created in memory of Sir Bassingbourne Gawdy, the 3rd Baronet of Harling, who passed away in a hunting accident in 1723 at the age of 56.
Recalling the moment he laid eyes on the ring, Mr. Weale expressed his excitement, stating, “I knew this was something very special and I did a bit of a dance.” As an experienced detectorist for many years, Mr. Weale had been searching the area for 18 months before making this remarkable discovery. Alongside the gold mourning ring, he also found some medieval silver coins ranging from King Steven to Henry VII, modern coins, vape ring pulls, and shotgun caps.
The ring has since been declared treasure at Norfolk Coroner’s Court and will be sent to the British Museum for valuation to determine the compensation for both the finder and the landowner. Reflecting on his years of detecting, Mr. Weale mentioned finding various treasures like late Roman coins, gold rings, and jewelry. He emphasized the element of unpredictability in metal detecting, where a significant discovery can be made in a matter of minutes or after long periods of searching.
On the day of his exciting find, Mr. Weale described the moment of discovery as a glint of pure gold shining in the mud six inches down. In addition to the gold mourning ring, he also uncovered a gold memorial ring, a medieval silver ring fragment, and the first Viking penny minted for Guthrum, a Viking king who converted to Christianity and ruled East Anglia in the 870s. The Gawdy family is believed to have descended from Sir Brews Gawdey, a French knight captured during the Hundred Years War, who eventually settled in Suffolk, despite the Gawdy Hall estate’s location just north of the River Waveney in Norfolk
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