Witch trials judge’s ring in London sale
The memorial ring for Sir Richard Rainsford (1605-1680), MP for Northampton, Chief Justice of the Court of the King’s Bench, and a judge in some of the last witch trials to be held in England will be offered at Noonans Mayfair in a sale of Jewellery, Watches and Objects of Vertu on March 26.
The ring was discovered in Brafield-on-the-Green, just four miles outside Northampton by metal detectorist, Steve Pulley on a frosty day in January 2020 and is estimated to fetch £6,000-8,000.
Steve recalled: “I took up metal detecting more than 50 years ago because of my love of history and continue to do it to keep fit and healthy now that I have retired. On this day in January 2020, I was detecting on my own in a field that I have permission using my Minelab equinox 800. I had been searching for a couple of hours when I got a good signal, I dug into the dark soil and was excited to see the deep buttery gold of the ring revealed against the brown mud. I was surprised to see the image of a skull and crossed bones on the ring looking up at me. I suspected there was an inscription on the inside of the band, but I didn’t reveal it until I got home and gently washed it under the tap. That’s when I saw the enigmatic and wonderful script.”
He carried on: “I was intrigued to find out who it belonged to, so I consulted an internet forum that has expert members who are conversant in Latin and Latin abbreviations. They were able to interpret the inscription which revealed the rank and position of the owner “Lord Chief Justice of the Royal Bench” along with the date of his death. It was then fairly straight forward to find someone with the initial RR who held that position and died on the date shown. It was a bit of a detective hunt but as each clue was solved it was very satisfying.”
He added: “I took the ring to our local Finds Officer who liaised with museum in Northampton and the British Museum, but after it was disclaimed, it was returned to me. I will share the proceeds with the landowner and with my portion I hope to go on holiday to celebrate my 70th birthday.”
As Frances Noble, Head of the Jewellery Department at Noonans explained: “Whilst the hysteria about witchcraft of the early 17th century had passed, in 1670s the wealthy towns people of Malmesbury in Wiltshire believed there was a powerful coven of witches in their midst. Ten women and two men were charged with witchcraft – of bewitching and ‘lameing’ a boy called Thomas Webb. The local court dismissed charges against most of the accused, but Elizabeth Peacock, Judith Witchell and Ann Tilling were sent to Salisbury to be judged by Sir Richard Rainsford. Elizabeth Peacock was acquitted; however, Judith Witchell and Ann Tilling were sentenced to death and were hanged in 1672.”
She continued: “As was common practice at the time, Sir Richard Rainsford specified in his will that money be put aside to commission memorial rings for his sisters-in-law to wear in his memory. The gold band ring bears a skull and cross bones to the exterior and the initials and date of death of Sir Rainsford engraved within.”
Sir Richard Rainsford (c.1605–1680) was the second son of Robert Rainsford [Raynsford] of Staverton, Northamptonshire and his second wife Mary Kirton. He studied at Exeter College, Oxford but left without obtaining a degree; was knighted by 1622 and called to the bar in October 1632.
In 1660, Rainsford was elected MP for Northampton, became treasurer of Lincoln’s Inn and was sworn in as a serjeant-at-law. He was re-elected MP for Northampton in 1661 for the Cavalier Parliament, and in 1663 raised to the bench as Baron of the Exchequer. He presided over the commission to supervise the execution of the Act of Settlement 1662 in Ireland, and on his return to England was raised to the exchequer bench. In the same year Rainsford was part of the commission under the Fire of London Disputes Act 1666, relating to building works in London destroyed by the Great Fire. In April 1676 he was appointed Chief Justice of the King’s Bench.
Rainsford died in 1680 at Dallington Hall, his family seat. In his will, he specified: “to my cousins Mrs Wagstaffe, Mrs Barry and Mrs Barnsley forty shillings a piece to buy them rings in remembrance of me”, also, “two further remembrance rings or plates were to be made with twenty pounds set aside” for his three daughters-in-law. The ring offered for sale here is probably one of these specified rings. Rainsford’s will can be viewed at the National Archive, Kew.