MUDLARKS FIND 'PRISONER'S SHACKLESS' ON THE MUDDY BANKS OF THE THAMES SHORE

3 September 2009

Maxine Mcleary
news@southwarknews.org

A ball and chain dating back hundreds of years has been put on display, after being discovered on the Rotherhithe foreshore.

The iron shackles, dating from either the seventeenth or eighteenth century, were uncovered about a year ago next to Salt Wharf, by mudlarks Steve Brooker and Rick Jones, who thought they were looking at a more commonly found cannon ball until the chain slipped out of the mud.

Experts are now pondering whether the find came from an escaped prisoner, who would have been due to be transported, instead of serving his or her prison term in Britain.

Steve, 48, from Bexleyheath, who has been a mudlark for about twelve years, said: "There are hundreds of items down there, from bodies to ironing boards. Three weeks before, I had found at least twenty cannon balls."
The Thames, he said, was home to a large number of body building weights which metal detectors are naturally drawn to. The ball and chain was sitting on top of the weights.

Talking about the significant find, Steve said: "Because there is no comparison to it, it is extremely hard to get a date on it." The find has been dated by its barrel lock, which Roy Stephenson, Head of Archaeology at the Museum of London Docklands, says is likely to have originated from the Rhineland, now Germany.

Kate Sumnall, Finds Liaison Officer at the Museum of London Docklands, which has  put the ball and chain on display after unveiling it last week, said: "The river is the repository for so many of London's stories. 

“This extraordinary find gives us a tantalising glimpse of the human trials and tribulations of past Londoners. 
"Whether a real-life Magwitch freed himself from the 'great iron on his leg', or perished in shackles, or whether this ball and chain was simply discarded, we can never know. Visitors to Museum of London Docklands will have to decide for themselves."

The ball and chain is made from iron and weighs 8kg, with a skilfully crafted brass plate around the padlock keyhole.
Museum experts believe it would have been used to shackle prisoners during transport, but as it was uncovered with the lock fastened and no key, it raises the possibility a prisoner may have escaped from custody. From the eighteenth century prisoners were transported to Australia, turned into a penal colony by the British, instead of serving their terms in England.

Steve told the ‘News’ that the reason the Thames was so good for mudlarking, was because it was anaerobic and there was no oxygen in the mud.

The foreshore has large areas of thick black mud, which preserves objects that would corrode or rot away in other conditions. Steve, who has a licence which allows him to carry out searches on the Thames foreshore, allowing only mudlarks to dig, added: "There are two items coming up that will blow away the ball and chain. It's quite special."
The ball and chain will be on display at the Museum of London Docklands for one month.

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