Farmer recalls hoard surprise
A FARMER who owns the land where a metal detectorist unearthed the Staffordshire Hoard has spoken for the first time of his awe at the find.
Fred Johnson is thought to have brought the Anglo-Saxon treasures closer to the surface while ploughing a field on his farm near Lichfield.
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Fred Johnson's farm land where the Anglo-Saxon treasures were found.
Recalling the moment he was informed of the find by Terry Herbert in July, Mr Johnson said: "He came in the yard very excited and said 'I have found a Saxon hoard – it's better than winning the Lottery'. I told him not to be so bloody daft."
But Mr Johnson, aged 65, said he had been left in awe of the craftsmanship of the artefacts, which could make him a millionaire when they have been valued by experts at the British Museum.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council has joined forces with Staffordshire County Council and Birmingham City Council to showcase the Staffordshire Hoard in the county where it was found.
The three authorities intend to bid for Government grants to buy the haul of 1,500 individual items.
It is hoped many will go on display at the Potteries Museum in Hanley.
Read more about the discovery of the Staffordshire Hoard:
4 Comments
by Albert Hopkins Shirley, Melbourne Australia
Friday, October 30 2009, 12:39PM
“I will put a steak on the barbie this week end as its Melbourne cup on Tuesday and we have a long week end as a holiday, just for a horse race and it been in the mid to upper 20s these last few weeks..
I come from Staffordshire lived there for 20 years and did my trade at my cousins factory on the Shirley side called JCB Rocester.
My family have lived in the area for over 1500 years still do at a place called Alvelon-Alton also years gone by known as Camelot.
If you Adan and Eve it.
Albert .”
by John, Chesterton
Wednesday, October 28 2009, 5:54PM
“Aussi Albert
They are ours now just like the ASHES
Go put another sausage on the barby mate”
by L.J., Hartshill
Wednesday, October 28 2009, 4:46PM
“Oh deary me. The descendants of our formerly transported convicts are romanticising themselves into positions of authority again.”
by Albert Hopkins Shirley, Melbourne Australia
Wednesday, October 28 2009, 1:07PM
“As a direct ancestral Grandson of the Kings of Mercia (ref book such has Kings and Queens of Britain by David Williamson 1991) and our family tree (ref British Museum 1986 display, show of the doomsday book and records).
I say that this find must be kept and shown to the people at Litchfield and part at Tamworth Castle as found near, within the lands of the kingdom of Mercia Britain.
We have had enough of our local history taken away from the area and sent to london Birmingham and other places which really had nothing as to the said Kings.
Tamworth and Litchfield did as centers from Roman times.
Tamworth was the center of their kingdom.
Their palace and their capitol.
So must be keeped there along side other Silver and other family treasures, that are still shown their such as at St Marys along side the Lichfield market opposite Samuel Johnston home.
He who wrote the First English dictionary.
What a fitting place this find to be shown. The center of English History from the Mercian times.”