Once I was a clever boy learning the arts of Oxford... is a quotation from the verses written by Bishop Richard Fleming (c.1385-1431) for his tomb in Lincoln Cathedral. Fleming, the founder of Lincoln College in Oxford, is the subject of my research for a D. Phil., and, like me, a son of the West Riding. I have remarked in the past that I have a deeply meaningful on-going relationship with a dead fifteenth century bishop... it was Fleming who, in effect, enabled me to come to Oxford and to learn its arts, and for that I am immensely grateful.


Monday, 1 February 2021

More on the Harry Crown


The Mail Online now has a much better article than the one I linked to yesterday about the discovery and identification of the statuette of King Henry VI that is thought to come from the so called Harry Crown.

The article is partly an interview with the discoverer but it also has more historical background information. In addition it offers a possible explanation for the presence of the figure where it was found in Northamptonshire. Even so that does read a bit as a historical fantasy to my mind, but truth, as we know, is often stranger than fiction.

The illustrated article can be read at Is this the crown jewel of metal detecting?

The BBC News website also now has a n article about the discovery. This adds a few details and also has a few cautionary comments about the find. It can be seen at Unearthed figurine 'could be from Henry VIII's crown'

This is clearly a discovery of great interest and importance, and will doubtless stimulate further research and discussion. One waits to see what else we can learn about it and “the King’s Imperial crown” as it was described in 1649.


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