Summary

Facsimile of cruciform brooch, found on shore of Moray Firth

Accession Number

X.FE 49

Other references

Original description

ORNAMENTS OF GOLD, &C. Facsimile of Cruciform or crossbow Fibula, found on shore of Moray Firth. Trevor Cowie notes, 23 March 2011: Curle 1932 refers to this as follows: '77A. Shores of the Moray Firth.—In 1851, Mr Patrick Chalmers exhibited to the Society of Antiquaries [uncertain if this refers to Scotland or London] a very fine crossbow brooch of gilded bronze 3 inches in length found on the shores of the Moray Firth, probably dating from the fourth century (fig. 36, no. 4). A replica is preserved in the National Museum'. There is a brief account of exhibition of the original brooch, in an unusually coy fashion, at a meeting of the Society of Antiquaries (of London) held on 30 May 1850 (see Proc Soc Antiq London 2 (1849-53), 84-86). The original fibula was later acquired by the British Museum following the sale of the Ashburnham Collection (it was originally in Dept of Greece & Rome (BM 1922, 0412.1), but was later transferred to PRB Department in the 1960s where it was re-registered as BM 1962,1205.1)]. Note that the object is on the BM online database (with images and references). Catherine Johns Jewellery of Roman Britain, 1996 erroneously says that the brooch was found ‘in the Moray Firth’ in 1847; Fraser Hunter (2007) notes that records in the British Museum indicate it was 'turned up by the plough' in May 1847, and was acquired in 1922 by them from a dealer; it had previously been in the Ashburnham Collection. The Patrick Chalmers referred to above will be Patrick Chalmers (1802–1854) of Aldbar in Angus (see ODNB http://www.oxforddnb.com/index/101005032/Patrick-Chalmers).Trevor Cowie notes that although there is no clear connection to Moray, Patrick Chalmers and the Earl of Ashburnham were both members of the Bannatyne Club (and possibly both also Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London?); if so, they have these affiliations in common with the well known antiquary George Chalmers (author of Caledonia) who was born at Fochabers, although as he was of an older generation and predeceased them, this Moray connection may be no more than a coincidence!

Associated person/people (e.g. excavator/former collection)

None

Discovery / field collection

Date of discovery

Not recorded

Method (e.g. excavation)

Not recorded

Place (i.e. location of discovery)

Moray Firth, North Sea, North Atlantic, Atlantic Ocean

Grid reference

Not recorded

Acquisition

Acquisition date

1851

Acquisition source (i.e. name of donor)

Patrick Chalmers

Acquisition source role (e.g. donor)

Donor

Image