Historic bodkin found in Oswestry is declared as treasure

The complete but slightly distorted bodkin which dates from between 1600 and 1700 has been described as a rare surviving example of 17th Century costume.

A RARE 17th Century bodkin has been declared as treasure following an inquest.

The complete but slightly distorted bodkin was found in Oswestry and has been dated to between 1600 and 1700.

Bodkins were used for lacing up garments and, although used by both men and women, were normally associated with lacing women’s bodices.

The 14cm piece bares the initials 'AW' and is decorated with a terminal in the form of an acorn in its cup which is pierced with a circular hole for suspension.

It would have been used to thread the cord or ribbon through the bodice’s many eyelets, enabling the wearer to secure and tighten it.

Silver examples were often highly decorative and personalised with either initials or a full name. The 'AW' initial may indicate the name of the owner.

However, bodkins were often given as intimate gifts or love tokens and may have been initialled as a reminder of the giver.

The bodkin was declared as treasure by senior coroner John Ellery at an inquest held at Shropshire Coroner's Court in Shrewsbury on Thursday, January 9.

The inquest heard that the bodkin was found in September 2023 during the excavation of a garden in Oswestry.

The bodkin was found at a depth of 0.3m in a layer of dark brown sandy silt with frequent charcoal flecks.

The coroner was told that the bodkin was in a poor condition and had been bent out of shape.

It was cleaned and examined by the British Museum who said that the piece was complete but slightly distorted and was made of silver alloy.

The piece was decorated with a terminal in the form of an acorn in its cup, which was pierced with a circular hole for suspension.

The piece was dated to between 1600 and 1700 and was declared as treasure.

Shropshire Council said it now hopes the Oswestry bodkin will go on display at Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery.

"Surviving examples of seventeenth century costume are rare and we only have fragments of clothing in Shropshire Museums’ collection," a spokesperson for the council said.

"The bodkin, alongside paintings in our collection, will help to show how clothing has changed over time.

"We hope to display it at Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery alongside several contemporary dress hooks and buttons to show how the elaborate fashions of the period were worn."

The bodkin was found seven years after another silver piece was discovered near Oswestry by the Advertizer’s Oswestry Unearthed columnist Chris Langston in August 2016.

The British Museum investigated the pin which was one of just two examples in the UK and dates back to the 15th or 16th century and was made up of more than 10 per cent precious metal.