A gold ring and a Gunpowder Plot conspirator walked in

A 16th-century gold ring discovered by a metal detector may be linked to Gunpowder Plot conspirators.

Floral rings were popular from the late Middle Ages to the 18th century and were often given to loved ones at engagements and weddings. While most fancy rings are gifts between lovers or spouses, they are also meaningful symbols of non-romantic types of friendship and loyalty.

Their name refers to “poetry” rather than a small bouquet of flowers, as the inscription on the inner surface is a declaration of love and devotion. The inside of the ring is the part that comes into contact with the skin, so the information is hidden, conveying a special sense of intimacy.

The outer surface of a recently discovered floral ring is decorated with geometric relief that is deep enough that it may have originally been filled with enamel. The inner surface is engraved “YOVR . FRENDE . IN . DEEDE”. No inscription with this wording has ever been found before, but there are thousands of records. The separation between “in” and “deed” indicates that the giver wants the receiver to know that he will prove his loyalty with actions, not just words.

It was discovered in May 2022 beside the moat of Bushwood Hall in Lapworth, the birthplace of Gunpowder Plot leader Robert Catesby. The current half-timbered manor house was built 15 years after Catesby was killed for his role in a plot to blow up Parliament, but the moat surrounding it also surrounds the former mansion that had been in the Catesby family since the 15th century.

Robert Catesby was born there in 1572 and after the death of his Protestant wife in 1598 he reconverted to his family’s secret Catholic faith. Elizabeth I outlawed Catholicism in 1570 after being excommunicated, so Catholics were forced to attend Anglican churches or face fines, imprisonment, and persecution. Many Catholics went underground, practicing their faith secretly in hidden rooms. Those who refuse to publicly deny their faith are called “reluctant Catholics.”

When James VI of Scotland, son of Mary Queen of Scots, executed by Elizabeth, ascended the throne in 1603, English Catholics had reason to be optimistic that the new king would loosen his reins. He didn’t. He distrusted powerful Catholic families and, like Elizabeth, suppressed religion ruthlessly.

In early 1604, Catesby hatched a plan to blow up the King and House of Lords with gunpowder at the opening of Parliament on 5 November 1605, and appoint James’s nine-year-old daughter, Princess Elizabeth, as their puppet queen. He recruited other Catholics, including Guy Fawkes, a veteran of the Eighty Years’ War and the Franco-Spanish War, into the conspiracy. An anonymous letter alerted authorities to the danger, and the night before the explosion, Guy Fawkes was found guarding 36 barrels of gunpowder in a cellar beneath the Houses of Parliament. He was arrested and the other conspirators escaped. On November 8, Catesby was chased by magistrates and shot dead at Holbesh House. He is 33 years old.

At the time of the drama, Catesby was living at another family property in Ashby St Legers, on the Warwickshire/Northamptonshire border, near Rugby. But Bushwood Hall was a base for other conspirators, and Catesby used it to store weapons and supplies. It was also the home of one of the main conspirators, John Wright, who went to school in York with Guy Fawkes.

It’s also only accessible via a one-way road, so there’s no passing traffic, and any valuables lost along the way likely belong to people who live there or have dealings with them.

In summary, there is no direct, verifiable link between the ring and any of the Gunpowder Plotters, but the location, inscription and age make it a fascinating and credible hypothesis.

The poetic ring will be auctioned on November 27 with a pre-sale price of £8,000 to £12,000 ($10,550 to $15,830).