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Wakefield Museums and Castles
About the Ackworth Hoard
What is the Ackworth Hoard?
A hoard is a collection of valuable objects that has been deliberately buried or hidden, usually for safekeeping. The owner would have intended to come back to recover it. However, for whatever reason, they never did.
The Ackworth Hoard was found by chance. It was discovered in a back garden in Ackworth in 2011. It contained 539 silver coins, 52 gold coins and a gold ring. These objects were all buried in a dark-glazed ceramic pot.
Part of the hoard is on display at Pontefract Museum.
The Ackworth Hoard
How old is the Ackworth Hoard?
Hoards were usually buried to keep valuables safe at a time when the future seemed dangerous. They are particularly common during times of war.
Historic coins can be dated quite accurately. This is often done by looking at the monarch (or emperor) on the 'heads' side of the coin.
The burial of the Ackworth Hoard has been dated to the mid-1640s.
The 1640s were a very uncertain and dangerous time in Britain. It was the middle of the English Civil Wars. The Ackworth Hoard was probably buried between the end of 1645 and the beginning of 1646. This is when the war arrived in Ackworth.
The siege of Pontefract Castle began on Christmas Day, 1645. Troops from the besieging army were billeted (placed) in Ackworth.
Part of the remains of Pontefract Castle
What was the Ackworth Hoard worth?
The total value of the hoard in 1645 was £85 and 12 shillings. This was a lot of money in 1645. It would be around the equivalent of £9,000 today.
A common foot soldier fighting in the Civil Wars earned eight to 10 pence a day. This means the Ackworth Hoard was worth over five years’ pay.
The Ackworth Hoard was declared as treasure by the West Yorkshire coroner in 2012.
Why is the Ackworth Hoard important?
The Ackworth Hoard is unusual because it contains both gold and silver coins. English Civil Wars hoards normally have only one type of coin. For example, the Middleham Hoard had over 5,000 coins, and they were all silver.
The ring is also unusual. Only one other hoard yet discovered included anything other than coins. This was the Breckenbrough Hoard. However, those 'other' items were two receipts for cheese!
The Ackworth Hoard is also the only known hoard from the Wakefield district.
The Ackworth Hoard on display at Pontefract Museum
Who did the Ackworth Hoard belong to?
The Ackworth Hoard was most likely buried by a Royalist supporter.
Most of the wealthier people in Pontefract were supporters of the King. The Rector of Ackworth, Thomas Bradley, had been a personal chaplain to the king. He joined the garrison in Pontefract Castle as a chaplain when the fighting arrived.
The hoard was buried around the time that Parliamentary troops arrived in Ackworth. Royalists in Parliamentary areas were subject to fines and seizures. So, it seems likely the hoard was buried to hide the wealth away.
The coins also have more Royalist connections than Parliamentary ones. Many of the coins were minted at Royalist mints such as York and Oxford. There are also foreign coins connected to the Royalists like the ducatons from the Spanish Netherlands.
There are fewer examples of the latest Parliamentary coins in the hoard. These had a 'sun' mark on them. We would expect to see more of these in the hoard if the owner was linked to the Parliamentarians.
The discovery of the Ackworth Hoard in 2011
Why was the Ackworth Hoard never recovered?
The person who buried the hoard never came back to reclaim it. Presumably this was initially because the Parliamentary troops were still around. By the time the Parliamentarians left in 1649 the owner was unable to retrieve the hoard for some reason. Perhaps they had moved. Maybe they couldn't find where they had buried it.
Potentially, they had died. War was always accompanied by disease.
The Civil Wars brought plague to Ackworth. Plague killed 153 Ackworth residents in 1645. It didn't discriminate between the rich and the poor. Was the owner of the hoard one of the plague victims?
Discover more at Pontefract Museum
See the Ackworth Hoard for yourself at Pontefract Museum! The museum is free entry and open year round.