2l8 ROMAN COINS IN DERBYSHIRE. 



And hereupon Roe took some of it to Nottingham, and some to 

 Mansfield, to see if it was silver or not, some said it was pure 

 silver, and others y* it was adulterated, all y e while keeping it a 

 profound secret, lest y e chief Lord should claim it as Treasure 

 Trouve, and so was willing to sell it, at any price, where secrecy 

 could be had. Whereupon they then, when it was too late, told 

 it about y e country, and Rowland Morewood, of Alfreton, Esq 1 " 

 sent to Roe, and y e different workmen, to demand it, as L d of y e 

 Manor. The right Hon ble y e Countess Dowager of Oxford (as 

 Lady Paramount of y e Hundred of Scarsdale, within which it was 

 found) sent Mr. John Dakin, of Mansfield, her steward to demand 

 it also ; but at y e same time Mr. Dakin said he would pay 10 

 shill s p. ounce for all that y f should be brought to him. So I 

 believe several, who had bought cheap bargains of y e coin, and 

 had not sold it again, or melted it down (of which many hundred 

 pieces had actually been) brought them to Mr. Dakeyne, and he 

 allowed them after 10 shillings y e ounce, for y e same. 



N.B. — Roe sold as much at one time, at Nottingham, for 3 

 shillings and 6 pence y e ounce, as came to ^10, or more as 

 Joseph Gregory, of Riddins, in y e Parish of Alfreton, told Mr. 

 Reynolds. He also sold a pound weight there of Avoirdupois 

 to one John Dean, of Alfreton, at 4s. 6d. y e ounce, and another 

 pound Avoirdupois to Joseph Boot, of Higham, and 20 oz. to 

 Mr. Mellor, of Derby, at y e same rate. 



When Dan 1 Elliot and his partner had disclosed y e matter, 

 which was on y e 30 th of Nov r ' 1748, on y e day following (being 

 y e i 5t of Dec r ' 1748), all y e neighbourhood flocked to y e place 

 where y e coins had been found, till at last there were 3 or 4 score 

 persons for a week or 10 days time, seeking for these coins, in 

 which time it was reckoned not less than 500 pieces must be 

 picked up, exclusive of those which Roe had and sold, which he 

 some years after told Mr. Reynolds, he supposed might be 15 or 

 16 hundred pieces or more. 



All y e Scotchmen (pedlars), who travelled y e country gleaned 

 them up so entirely, as they went about to y e people's houses, who 

 had picked them up, as afores d y' I (Mr. Reynolds) never had it 



