RootsChat.Com
England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Shropshire => Topic started by: Mowsehowse on Thursday 16 March 17 09:28 GMT (UK)
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The inquest into a hoard of gold items believed to be potential treasure found hidden inside a piano in Shropshire, is likely to be concluded today. [16th March 2017]
Read more at http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2017/01/12/hoard-of-gold-treasure-found-inside-old-piano-in-shropshire/#kOUkWDwcvsOqFKmB.99
The inquest at the Shirehall, in Shrewsbury, was told the piano had been donated to an establishment in the south west of the county where the discovery was made.
The find was reported by the new owners of the piano and the items were deposited at Ludlow Museum Resource Centre before Christmas. [2016]
The upright piano was made by Broadwood & Sons, of London, and sold to a music establishment in Essex in 1906. The enterprise which purchased the piano has been traced to a shop or wholesaler of musical instruments which was owned by Messrs Beavan & Mothersole of 27, West Road, Saffron Walden.
The recent history of the piano has been traced to around 1983 when it was purchased by a family in the Saffron Walden area.
John Ellery, coroner for Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin, told the inquest: “We will gather and evaluate such information that comes to us.” Mr Ellery adjourned the inquest to allow possible claimants of the items to come forward.
It is expected details of the items will be released after the inquest has been concluded.
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Fascinating and very mysterious. :)
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I heard about this on the news...some people didn't trust the banks ;D I hope the items returned to family members...I wonder if the descendants of the family knew about the gold items but not what happened to them.
Good Luck to them :D
Carol
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Wouldn't they have been found when the piano was tuned? So either recent owners didn't have it tuned or they put it there.
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Wouldn't they have been found when the piano was tuned? So either recent owners didn't have it tuned or they put it there.
Unless there is a major fault a piano tuner will usually open the top half of the piano to tune it. I'd imagine the 'treasure' must have been cleverly hidden somehow behind the strings in the bottom part i.e. below the keyboard.
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Maybe it was the brass section accompaniment ;D
Carol
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Looking forward to hearing who it all goes to in the end and hope it's a worthy cause, not the Government.
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The inquest into a hoard of gold items believed to be potential treasure found hidden inside a piano in Shropshire, is likely to be concluded today. [16th March 2017]
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The find was reported by the new owners of the piano and the items were deposited at Ludlow Museum Resource Centre before Christmas. [2016]
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Nice to see that there are a few honest people about and prepared to declare the finds.
Mark
If an Inquest is involved, it sounds like it might be treated the same as treasure dug up (land owner / finder, I think in the case of excavated old treasure).
Hopefully the owner of the items can be found, first?
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Isn't there a difference between items dropped or discarded and those deliberately hidden because there is the assumption that the owner would have intended to come back for those (but never did)?
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Latest news on this is that the gold actually consists of a quantity of full and half-sovereigns dating from 1847 to 1915.
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Thanks for the update JenB.
I am surprised they have released information regarding the actual content. ::)
The BBC news reported 7 hours ago that: "The objects will qualify as treasure and be the property of the Crown if the coroner finds they have been hidden with the intent of future recovery. However, if the original owner or their heirs can establish their title to the find, the Crown's claim will be void. The inquest will resume and conclude on 20 April".
Still time for me to rush over and try to convince them then...... ;)
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I'm so curious to know the value. :)
It is surprising that the released details - does that mean that a possible claimant has come forward?
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I'm sure if you 'sleuths' can establish enough info. you will be able to direct them to the rightful heirs just as was done with the abandoned Teddy!! ???
Annie
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I'm sure if you 'sleuths' can establish enough info. you will be able to direct them to the rightful heirs just as was done with the abandoned Teddy!! ??? Annie
Annie, that was my reason for alerting Rootschatters to the conundrum.....
Ruskie, a sovereign is likely to sell for upwards of £212 at present, so it looks like there could be several thousand pounds in the pile.
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Ruskie, a sovereign is likely to sell for upwards of £212 at present, so it looks like there could be several thousand pounds in the pile.
:o
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My Mother in Law found something lovely in her old piano( none of the family played, it was just for show) . The cat had five gorgeous kittens in the back. She had torn open the fabric which covered the back .It was hilarious to see them when they felt afraid as all ran behind and scrambled inside. My M in Law`s mother loved to watch them all playing on the hearth rug.
The mother cat would wash them all in turn and when they wriggled and squirmed she would give a swift cuff with her paw, proving to grandma that a smack never did any harm to man or beast if deserved.
I hope the rightful owner is found. Viktoria.
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Viktoria. :D
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Viktoria. :D