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Twin Food-vessels preserved at Aqualate Hall, Staffordshire

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 January 2012

Lily F. Chitty
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Extract

Among the heirlooms of the Boughey family at Aqualate Hall, Forton, Staffordshire (close to the eastern boundary of Shropshire), are two small bowls, originally joined as one vessel, which have been inventoried as ‘Roman Pottery’. Mrs. John Morris, who has recently inherited the property, remembers them from her childhood, and was always given to understand that they were found in draining the swamps that lie to the north of Aqualate Mere and west of Thistleyfield Coppice, in the time of her grandfather, Sir Thomas Boughey, Bart., some seventy years ago, when trenches full of bones, armour, and (reputed) Roman pottery were discovered. Most of the finds were kept in an outhouse, but the two pots were preserved in a cabinet in the Hall, together with a big dagger, the blade much corroded; Mrs. Morris thought it was of iron with a brass or bronze handle; unfortunately, it has now vanished and all the other objects are lost with the exception of the twin bowls. These Mrs. Morris most kindly allowed me to study and sketch in June 1928.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Antiquaries Journal , Volume 9 , Issue 2 , April 1929 , pp. 137 - 140
Copyright
Copyright © The Society of Antiquaries of London 1929

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References

page 137 note 1 In referring to Anx or Anc's Hill on the north side of Aqualate Mere, the Gentleman's Magazine for 1801 (pt. i, pp. 126–7, reprinted in the Topographical History of Staffordshire, p. 77) thus records certain finds in the locality: ‘It is believed that a battle has been fought near to this place, on account of arms being found and human bones having been dug out of the hill by some men who were making saw-pit many years ago; and about three or four years since some arms (sword-blades, etc.) were found very near the surface of the ground at a place called Oulton, a mile and a half distant from this hill. It has been said by some that a general of the Romans, by the name of Ancus Martius, fought a battle here…. By others it has been said that Oliver Cromwell had an engagement near to this spot, which latter appears more probable, as some bullets were found in those trees which grew on the hill, and were sawn by the afore-mentioned men….’ (see also Gent. Mag., 1812, pt. ii, pp. 602–6).

page 137 note 2 Abercromby, Bronze Age Pottery, vol. i, chapters vii–xiv, pls. xxx–lv.

page 138 note 1 The measurements in millimetres are as follows: Over-all diameter, lips 218, over lugs 230. Width, A 104, B 105. Base, A 57, B 60. Thickness, lip 16, body (minimum) 5, foot 17. Height, maximum 104. The Weight of the two pots is 2½ lb.

page 139 note 1 In one place the end of the string is visible, showing five strands.

page 139 note 2 Brooks, C. E. P., Antiquity, vol. i (1927), pp. 412 ff.CrossRefGoogle Scholar; see also his ‘Evolution of Climate’.

page 139 note 3 Victoria County History, Shropshire, vol. i (1908), p. 203; the specimen cannot now be found and its type is unknown.

page 140 note 1 Fox, C., Archaeologia Cambrensis, 1925, pp. 177–90Google Scholar, especially p. 182; Wheeler, R. E. M., Prehistoric and Roman Wales (1925), pp. 183–7Google Scholar.

page 140 note 2 Hartshorne, C. H., Salopia Antiqua (1841), p. 85Google Scholar, fig. (Larden, near Rushbury); Shropshire Archaeological Transactions, vol. viii (1885), pp. 445–9Google Scholar, figs. (Bromfield); 4th series, vol. 10, Misc. no. xvii, figs. (Ryton, Condover).