A magnificent and important gold finger ring, the plain hoop of rounded D-section with baluster shoulders showing diagonal raised line ornament and combed bar at junction with the broad octagonal 'pie' collet cell closed bezel, containing a polished octagonal garnet of superb quality, size and colour, with cabochon finish.

PROVENANCE:
Property of an East Yorkshire private collector; acquired Hawleys, Beverley Racecourse, 21 September 2008, lot 179; found in Kingswood area, Hull, UK, in the early 1990s; shown to Hull Museum and subsequently identified as 14th century by the British Museum circa 2006; again shown to Hull Museum in 2008; recorded with PAS, York Museum Trust, York Castle Museum under reference number E05308 and the Coroner for the City of Kingston upon Hull in 2017; deemed not to be treasure under the Treasure Act 1996; accompanied by copies of the Portable Antiquities Scheme report number YORYM-CD0BFB, York Museums Trust record form, the Hawleys auction catalogue, and geologic report No. TL005213, by geologic consultant Dr R. L. Bonewitz.

PUBLISHED:
See Portable Antiquities Scheme, reference YORYM-CD0BFB (this ring); see Hawleys Auctioneers Ltd sale catalogue, Beverley Racecourse, 21 September 2008, lot 179 (this ring; illustrated).

LITERATURE:
Cf. Oman, C. C., Victoria and Albert Museum Catalogue of Rings 1930, V&A, reprinted 1993, no.259 and others for similar rings; cf. Dalton, O. M., Catalogue of the Finger Rings, BM, 1912, no.1743 (in silver); cf. Cessford, C. and Newman, R., The Dolphin Inn Hoard, Archaeological Journal 168, 2011, p.278 for five rings of generally similar form from this hoard found 1817 in Cambridge and dated to circa 1247-1279 AD, accompanied by a copy of the academic paper.

FOOTNOTES:
Kingswood is an area of generally low-lying land close to Kingston-upon-Hull, much of it now developed in modern times for housing. In the medieval period, from 1293 AD when Edward I took possession of the settlement at Wyke (it took its present day name by Royal Charter in 1299 AD) and surrounding area, Kingswood was a place having a mixture of marsh and wooded land with habitation thinly scattered on small areas of higher ground; a mill on the riverbank was built by the monks of Meaux Abbey in the 13th century AD. With most of this land being unsuitable for agriculture, it is quite likely that, with it also not being adequately drained and subject to sea flooding (the Forthdyk/Foredike was cut in the 13th century AD), that the king might well have reserved the area for hunting. Open marshland would have provided an excellent resource and venue for falconry, hunting wild and waterfowl of all kinds; the wooded areas would have sheltered deer, wild boar and other animals. It is said (as published in the 1817 Guide to Hull, by J C Craggs) that King Edward I, in the company of a hunting party in the area, ended up at the then settlement of Wyke on the banks of the river Hull and, seeing the potential for a port both to defend against foreign invasion and to facilitate trade, soon after acquired it from Meaux Abbey.

This ring is of superb quality and would have been the property of a very eminent gentleman; certainly nobility or possibly even of Royal blood. The dating is contemporary with the likely visits to the area of Edward I and, with the reference to the king hunting locally, it could well have been lost by a companion of the king during such a hunt. The ring is also unusual in having a garnet so carefully and skilfully shaped; unlike many of the period where simple cabochon or irregular shapes are seen.