Discovery of a thirteenth-century hoard of silver coins in the chapel of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, Sandwich

DISCOVERY OF A THIRTEENTH-CENTURY HOARD OF SILVER COINS IN THE CHAPEL OF ST. BARTHOLOMEW'S HOSPITAL, SANDWICH CHARLES A. WANOSTROCHT SUMMARY During a routine check of the contents of a small cupboard in the Sandwich Guildhall early in 1991, a small tin was found which contained forty silver coins together with a manuscript note, dated 1882, detailing the circumstances of the discovery of the hoard, unearthed during the second part of a major restoration of the chapel. On submitting these coins to the British Museum for identification they were found to date from between 1180 and 1242. INTRODUCTION The Hospital of St. Bartholomew in Sandwich was founded in 1190 to provide shelter for sixteen poor people of the town, and as a resting-place for travellers and pilgrims. In 1217, following a successful battle against the French fleet off the Goodwin Sands, a large proportion of the booty was set aside for the benefit of the hospital. As a result sixteen separate dwellings for the hospitalians, and a chapel, were subsequently erected. Although the dwellings were adequately maintained over the centuries, the chapel itself was badly neglected (at one stage being used as a shed for farm implements) until 1821, when some attempt was made to repair the fabric and return it to a place suitable for r􀁁gular worship. However, these superficial repairs did not sufficiently halt the deterioration of the building and a major restoration, under the direction of the eminent Victorian architect, Sir Gilbert 153 I-' VI JO" 1111 r,-- ---- 0 􀀉 􀀊 L􀀃􀀄- 19· O . -􀀺------- ---􀀻----- - - 23 - 7 􀀄--􀀅=􀀆􀀇 􀀈Ml=-s:-=-􀀉 􀀊 I -, I I I '-􀀃I ....; I I I : 􀀆􀀇􀀈:􀀉 -fi