Local History

Where should the Hoard be housed?

Angela, Hanley
As the hoard was found in here in Staffordshire it should stay here. It would bring some much needed tourism and interest to the area.

dawn b
most definitely in a Staffordshire museum, too many things get spirited away to other places never to be seen again, it would be good to be local as then our children might get a chance to see our own history!

Albert Hopkins Shirley.
As this find was found near Lichfield then some of it must be shown to the British people from the city's St Marys Heritage Center opposite the market square.
This with some of the artifacts to be shown at Tamworth Castle as the main seat of the Mercian Kings.
This along side the exhibitions of the Ferrers family and the silver of the Ferrers {surname Shirley} family silver at St Marys, which has been loaned or donated by the same family which go back to their forefathers the Kings of Mercia to which their history was exhibited as the Premier Family in England at the British museum in 1986 with their family tree - which covered most of the floor space! This was held in the memory of the Doomsday book records.

This family, Ferrers Shirley, were one of the main leaders of the barons with Simon De Mountford who signed the first of the three Magna Cartas at Runney Mead with King John as the foundation of British law and Amercian law of the U-S-A, as Anglo Celtic Saxon common LAW. (Ref books Stemmata Shirleiana, Crowns of Shirley by Evelyn Phillip Shirley, Kings and Queens of Britain by David Williamson, Lines of Succession,Heraldry of the Royal Families of EuropeBy Jiri louda and Michael Maclagan, Would you Adam and Eve it by Cecilia Hill lady of Staunton Harold Published by The Daily mail London.The forgotten Monarchy of Scotland By Micheal Albany... with many other books on the family history).
So the Artifacts must be shown to the people of Britain and Mercia-Staffordshire and the surrounding area NOT London, NOT Birmingham, NOT Stoke on Trent as they were never the principal seats of the Kings of Mercia.

Christine Coggins
To have now found a Staffordshire Knot on pieces of the collection, there is only one place for it to remain - here in Staffordshire!

Catmint
The hoard was found in the area of South East Staffordshire around Lichfield. The ideal site would be in St Mary's Heritage Centre, in the Market Square which already has the necessary security. Don't let it be treated like the archaeological finds from the creation of the M6 Toll, which have disappeared up to the north of the county, never to be seen or displayed again - despite a perfectly adequate museum at Wall where they were found!

philip colbourne
In my view the hoard of Anglo-Saxon findings should be kept in the closest, largest museum to where it was found. Im not quite sure which museum that would be but it has to stay in a staffordshire museum as it was found in STAFFORDSHIRE, not london, west midlands or any other county for that matter.

Peter
Initially I believe we should be able to see the whole of the hoard in one exhibition and for me that has to be in Birmingham.So easy to get to with excellent facilities.BMAG did well to display parts of the hoard at such short notice.Following an initial exhibition parts of the hoard could be put on temporary exhibition elsewhere to be returned for display of the complete hoard occasionally.The impact of this find is that it is so large if it is split up the interst will be diluted.

Ian
Stoke-on-Trent is the repository for archaeological finds from across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Museums have a strong history of co-operating with others across the country. Stoke also has "Designated" Collection status for archaeology so to say their archaelogy section is small is actually incorrect.

Simon Glover
I think the Hoard needs to be housed in the most visted museum in Britian, a place that can deal with the security and staffing an expensive find such as this will require. The British Museum...the only viable solution!

Stuart
Am I missing something? This was found in Brownhills not Tamworth! There is too much to put in one place, split it between Brum(regional centre), Walsall(nearest town to the find) and Staffordshire(Old Mercian centres of Lichfield and Tamworth). Stoke has no reason to be involved.

Philip Beddows
The hoard should definitely be kept in Mercia - somewhere like Tamworth, Birmingham or Lichfield.Join this Facebook Group to support this:"Long live Mercia - keep the Staffordshire treasure hoard here"

Greg Coombs
Birmingham seems most suitable place, but equally there may be a case for dividing between say Birmingham and Tamworth as there is a lot of duplication in the finds.

MARY EL MENYIY -STAFFORDSHIRE RESIDENT
THE HOARD SHOULD STAY IN STAFFORDSHIRE WHERE IT WAS FOUND.

Paula Isherwood
I live in Cheshire and am convinced that the hoard should be housed in the Mercia region NOT London. They got the peat bog man from Wilmslow which was disgraceful, don't let them get their hands on this too.

Ian
If it is St Edwin's treasure and was stolen in battle, then it should return to Northumbria. York Minster would be suitable. Failing that then BMAG is central. London and the Vatican should be told to keep their thieving paws off it.

patrick tryers
Hey, Birmingham was part of Mercia too and has the facilities to deal with a hoard of this scale and importance. Stoke and Brum should share responsibility as joint custodians and be ready and willing to tour parts of it throughout this region - Lichfield, Tamworth, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Stafford. It could be a fantastic resource for the whole region, not just one museum. I'm suprised there have been no claims from East Anglia or Northumbria because the Mercians probably took it from those poor devils!

Yoni Wolf
The gold belongs in Tamworth and where better to keep it than Tamworth castle!

Keith Ryan
The find obviously has early Christian links, it should have it's own museum linked to Lichfield cathedral, which was founded to commemorate St Chad, Bishop of the Mercians from 669 to 672, in 700. The British Museum has store rooms full of undisplayed finds, I'd like to see some included to illustrate the treasure's Saxon context.

Christine Coggins
The gold should definitely stay in England, possibly touring the country to give everyone a chance to see it. Birmingham is the best place for it to be housed as it is the centre of England, and easy to get to

John
These items were found in South Staffordshire so what has it got to do with Stoke on Trent. Birmingham is much closer and more relevant to people of South Staffordshire

Ian Sweet
The hoard is of such national significance that it should go in its entirety to the British Museum in London. However it is only fair to other museums and to people who can't easily get to London that it should go on regular exhibition in other Museums around the country.

Professor Guilmain
With the Sutton Hoo treasure.

Julie Watton-Butler
The hoard should remain in Mercia.Preferably Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.It is the best location for this find to be seen close to Lichfield.

syd
why did it go to Birmingham in the first place? Distance is no object these days. It will take some prising out of the hands of Birmingham.

billy
well i think it should go to the closest place because it was were the angolo-saxons were at the time

Joanne Jeavons
A special centre should be built at Lichfield. Lichfield was crucial to the kingdom of Mercia and is the town of greatest contemporary relevance to to where the hoard was found.

Martin Key
Leave it in Birmingham, it is central, easy to get to and accessible to almost everyone.

Tony Bibb
Saw the items at Birminham today. They were found near Burntwood Staffs and although demand will mean that they will tour around countrywide museums, their home should be in Staffordshire. It should be the museum at Stoke which currently houses all previous artifacts discovered in the County.

Stephen Allport
The Hoard should be housed in a special visitors centre here in BURNTWOOD where is has lain for 1,500 years (Not Tamworth)

Metal Detectors Rule!
Stoke museum has a very small archaeology section. Is that really the right place? but better there than Birmingham

embie
This is a great opportunity for Tamworth to trade on its Mercian history. Let's make it happen for Tamworth!!!!

john
an important find, as this is, must be housed locally to the find.

Christine holmes
I think it should be housed it Birmingham museum and should not be taken out of the Midlands,London has enough.Birmingham should keep it.