The Oxwich Brooch

In 1968, workmen performing maintenance at Oxwich Castle on the Gower Peninsula in Wales discovered a gold brooch or cloak clasp.  Set with three large rubies and three cameos, it was dated to 1220-1240.  Experts who examined the brooch believe it was originally set with sapphires instead of cameos.  Speculation exists that the brooch might have belonged to Edward II. 

Edward II did spend times in Wales in the 1220's, most notably when he was fleeing from his wife and her lover who had landed on the coast of England in 1226, bent on replacing him with his 13-year-old son and heir.  When he left London for Carphilly and later fled Wales seeking to find refuge in Ireland, it would've been plausible for him to take some valuables with him.  In Medieval times, jewels (which meant pieces of jewelry as well as individual gemstones), could be sold or pawned to pay for troops or supplies.  Plate such as altar pieces, goblets, salt cellars and the like could be used for the same purpose.  For this reason, it's rare to find gems or objets d'art from this era.  Most of them would have been scrapped for the metal and the jewels put to some other use. 

There's no way of knowing for sure whether this jewel did belong to Edward.  The current Oxwich Castle dates from the 1560's.  It's possible the piece was an heirloom of the family that owned the Castle.  Still, its date to the 1220-1240's makes it possible that, even if this exact piece didn't belong to Edward, it's very like something he could have worn.  Seeing bits of memorabilia such as this bring the era closer to our experience and make it easier to see what life would've been like for the Plantagenets and their more wealthy courtiers and subjects. 

The jewel resides today in the National Museum in Cardiff.  The picture below is a replica of the brooch or cloak clasp as originally set with sapphires.