Where did the treasure go?
The King was carrying around 500,000 silver coins, the crown jewels, and the spoils of war. He had significant wealth with him. Yet after his death, there is no evidence that the country suffered. There was no apparent shortage of valuables to be sold to raise funds for the Regent. Funds he required to continue the court's work and pursue war with the Barons. Had a significant portion of the nation’s wealth been lost, the impact would have been devastating to the prospects of the new King and would have been recorded.
The story of King John’s significant loss on the marshes of Lincolnshire is a myth. The treasure was not lost. It was stolen or misappropriated by the conspirators. Part 2 laid out the plot and the players behind the disappearance of the treasure. What did they do with it?
The plot against King John required three key elements to be successful:
1. John should be travelling with all of his treasure and wealth.
2. The King should be separated from the treasure.
3. His death should not be a blatant murder.
Each plot element played out precisely as planned, and the rewards, both assets and power, were distributed amongst the key players and their supporters.
Separating King John from his treasure
Both the treasure and the king are assumed to have left Lynn on the 12th of October. The legend has it that the treasure took the shorter, more dangerous direct route across the marshes to Swineshead, whilst the King travelled the longer, safer roads via Wisbech. The treasure never made it to Swineshead Abbey to be reunited with the King.
The treasure was not lost on the marshes of the Wash, as legend suggests. The separation of the King from his treasure began earlier than that fateful day. We must go back, as the process started on October 3rd, over a week before he realised what was happening.
It is suggested that at Wisbech on the 12th of October, King John engaged the services of eight shipmen to carry “goods and merchandise” to Grimsby. [e.g. King John : WL Warren as referenced in The Lost Treasure of King John: Richard Waters] I believe this comes from a misread entry in the Rotuli Litterarum Patentium, the patent rolls of King John that recorded his decisions and instructions sent as letters.
The patent rolls consist of individual parchment letters carrying the seal of the King. They are single sheets with the seal affixed at the bottom, as opposed to closed rolls, which are folded and the seal applied to the outside, thus hiding the contents of the letter. They are kept in the National Archives at Kew. As far as I know, no digital images of the documents are available on the Internet. Fortunately, Thomas Duffus Hardy transcribed the contents of the patent letters in 1835, which anyone can explore through a novel presentation of his work at neolography.com/timelines/JohnItinerary.html. In addition, the introductory commentary on the patent rolls and expansion of the itinerary of John for the whole of his reign is published separately as ‘A Description of the Patent Rolls in the Tower of London: to which is added An Itinerary of King John’, by Thomas Duffus Hardy - 1835. This work is available online at #4 - A description of the patent rolls in the tower of London; to which ... - Full View | HathiTrust Digital Library.
The patent rolls are written in medieval Latin and full of abbreviations. It is easy to misinterpret them. Much was written in a way that cannot easily translate. Simple statements are wordily written, and complex messages are abbreviated.
The patent letter from the 12th of October that we are currently interested in is transcribed as follows:
The following is my translation:
From the King. There is no news of the things I took to Grimsby that were loaded on the ship of Radulfus Walteri. It was expected for the Festival of St Dionis this year, yet no progress has been reported for the past eight days. We, therefore, command you to go to Radulfus and ensure there is no loss of the things on his ship. And I order it done. I am at Wisbech on October 12th, the 18th year of my reign.
This translation suggests that rather than arranging the shipment of goods to Grimsby on eight ships, John was concerned that a single vessel that left Grimsby eight days ago had not been heard from. How do we know this?
A single ship and its owner are named. (Rad fit Walti = Radulfus Walteri or Radulphus, son of Walteri. The bibliography of the book identifies the person as Radulfus Walteri.)
It talks of John taking things to Grimsby to be shipped. (Quas quidem duci peepim usq Grymesb = These indeed I brought to Grimsby)
The feast of St Dionis is October 9th. (festu sci Dionis. Saint Denis of Paris - Wikipedia)
We know that John was in Grimsby on October 3rd.
We know that John was in Lynn on October 9th.
Eight days after being in Grimsby, he was in Wisbech enquiring about the ship's whereabouts and the safety of the things entrusted to its captain.
Where was this ship bound?
The boat was headed to King’s Lynn to meet with John there on the 9th of October (the Feast of St Dionis). The first of three days that John was there. Had he planned to stay that long? Or was he waiting for the ship to arrive? Having not arrived as scheduled and having heard nothing for eight days since it set sail, John's concerned enquiry is easy to understand.
What were the things or goods that were on the ship?
The itinerary of John shows him making great speed up and down the length of Lincolnshire. Leaving Lincoln on the 2nd, he arrived at Grimsby on the 3rd. From there, he travelled to Louth, Boston, Spalding, and arrived in Lynn on the 9th. A distance of roughly 130 - 140 miles in seven days. During those seven days, he is recorded as having two-day stopovers at Boston (St Botulph) and Spalding. The biggest day travelling was the 40 miles from Lincoln to Grimsby. Then Louth to Boston and Spalding to Lynn, both of which are around 30-mile routes. These are long days in the saddle travelling at speed.
The Crown Jewels themselves were not massively bulky or weighty. Packhorses could carry them to keep up with the King. When he set out from Lincoln to Grimsby, he likely kept these precious artefacts close by, sending the main army and the rest of his treasures and cash directly from Lincoln to Lynn to await him. It would take the vast column seven days to reach Lynn.
Once at Grimsby, John knew he had a punishing schedule ahead. He had to travel through unfriendly Baron’s lands and cross the great ague-ridden Fens of South Lincolnshire. Without his army's protection, shipping the crown jewels safely to a secure destination would make perfect sense.
There is just one patent letter recorded from Grimsby on the 3rd of October. The letter discusses ships but not the missing ship of Radulfus. This letter is:
I presume that the …… in the middle of this letter is unreadable and was not transcribed.
My translation is:
From the King to Roberto de Dunwich, custodian of the port of Scarborough. I will send you two ships of Basse Hurgod of Norway from Grimsby. You will be able to tighten your grip securely this time for the King. Do not allow anyone to harm them nor prevent them from returning safely to their homes in any way. They assured us that they would be loyal, and as a testimony to this matter, we have made these letters and sealed them with our seal. I am at Grimsby, 3rd October, in the 18th year of my reign.
It is an interesting letter demonstrating how John managed the Baron’s War on multiple fronts simultaneously, but it has no connection to our loss of treasure in Lincolnshire.
The remaining treasure
The conspirators needed to move the treasure somewhere safe in case of trouble after the death of the King. It needed to be nearby and away from prying eyes. Temple Bruer, the largest Templar preceptory outside London, would be an obvious choice. It was close, just to the North of Sleaford. But it would also be an obvious place for anyone seeking the treasure to look, as would all other Templar properties in the area. Also, it took three or four days to travel by cart. Even pared down to the minimum, the treasure would have needed many coaches, horses and associated protection. It would have been evident as it lumbered through the countryside in whichever direction it took. They needed a way to transport the treasure without raising suspicion and a secure location nearby to store it for distribution.
Putting the treasure on a boat and sailing it out into the Wash would have been brilliant. One ship could carry all the loot and would not raise any suspicion once on its way. The vessel may have been engaged at Wisbech and sailed down the Wellspring to Walpole Cross Keys, where it met the baggage train from Lynn. The treasure was loaded aboard the ship, and it set sail. At this point, most of the soldiers and support staff were paid off and sent home. A small remaining force carried on to Swineshead to inform the awaiting King of the tragedy that had befallen his army when crossing the marshes.
The plan was inspired. The King was now stricken with two unbelievably terrible mishaps. First, he had lost the Crown Jewels at sea. Second, the other valuables he had with him at Lynn had been lost along with his army to the tides of the marshes.
John arrived at Swineshead on the evening of the 12th of October and was already concerned that there was no news of the crown jewels. Then, to top the bad news off, he would have been informed that the rest of the treasure that had left Lynn that morning was lost to the tides of the marshes. Undoubtedly, the chroniclers’ description of him being inconsolable and distraught over losing his treasure was correct. The realisation that without his wealth, he would not be able to sustain the war against the Barons would have been crushing.
Until now, no one had identified that the treasure was split. This is a revelation. It was assumed that all was lost on the marshes. Lost to the will of God and the treacherous tides was a better PR story than handing the treasure over to an untrustworthy sea captain. This cover story has enabled the cover-up of the truth for over 800 years.
Two treasures, one safe harbour
The crown jewels set sail from Grimsby on the 3rd of October. The remaining treasure was loaded on a boat, likely at Walpole Cross Keys, on the 12th of October. What were their destinations?
Once safely underway, both of the conspirators’ treasure-laden boats needed to head somewhere secluded, not obvious, and close by. By design, a perfect hiding place, a castle owned by William Marshal, lay just a short distance away on the North side of the Wash. Hidden at the head of a navigable haven lay Wrangle Castle. Here the treasure separated from John on the 12th of October, joined the Crown Jewels separated from him on the 3rd of October.
Wrangle Castle was a perfect unknown hiding place. Even today, very few people know of its existence. It was not the most accessible place to reach by land and was well off the beaten track. Yet this was a significant Motte and Bailey castle in a tiny village on the edge of the East Fen of Lincolnshire. Its size is, if not unique, highly unusual for this part of the country. Why it was built here is a mystery to those that study the history of castles. Its size was disproportionate to the importance of the location. There was nothing here to protect—just marshland on one side and fenland on the other.
Massive earth defences protected the central wooden structure of the castle. Still today, the circular ditches are two metres deep. The full extent of the fortifications has been surveyed, and the remains visible now are just a tiny part of what once was here. The haven reached from the open sea to a secluded harbour alongside the castle. Today the distance from the sea bank to the castle is 6 Km. The treasure could quickly be unloaded and placed in the castle's protection without being noticed. It was a perfect hiding place for a King’s treasure. The haven was over 1km wide and had a narrow, defensible entrance.
The coast and haven have been admirably researched and described by I. G. Simmons in his narrative landscape history Margins of the East Fen: Historic Landscape Evolution, published by Durham University. Unfortunately, the original web resource has now disappeared. Durham University has decided not to provide access to the unworthy public. However, it is still possible to access the information. The link provided to web.archive.org has the main pages stored. Also, much of what was included is available in Fen and Sea, a book by the named author. It is from this work that the figure below is borrowed:
Wrangle Haven. Its maximum extent is outlined in blue, and the final course is pink.
William Marshal had marked this site as the place for hiding the treasure well in advance. The manor house, recorded as being there before ownership changed to Marshal, was rapidly fortified and strengthened. There was no other conceivable reason for such a significant construction to have been built here.
Wrangle Castle served its purpose well. After waiting a while for the coronation of Henry III to have settled, Marshal and the Templars could have dispersed the treasure without attracting any attention. Some may have been shipped to the continent for the Pope, some to London for the Templars or the Regent’s use.
The castle has minimal recorded history. The most I have found, still very short, is that written by historian David Roffe. WRANGLE KING'S HILL A manor on the site is first recorded in Domesday of 1086 as being owned by Guy De Craon, a Norman noble. Land in Wrangle is then consolidated and changes hands. After the mid-twelfth century, at an unknown date, ownership passed to the Earl Marshal, William Marshal. After his death, the land passed to the Earl of Lincoln, Ranulf De Blondeville, a fellow conspirator introduced in the previous part of this story. Ultimately, it passed to the crown and James I.
The official name for the castle now is King’s Hill. All that remains of the Motte and Bailey are the central earthworks. These defences are still clearly visible, but the wooden structures have long gone. The haven from the open waters of the Wash to the castle has long since dried up and disappeared. Why it is called King’s Hill is unknown. The accepted story is that it was named after James the First when the property passed into his ownership. That is, though, just an assumption, and there is no record of this being the case. Kings owned huge portfolios of properties all over the country. Bits and pieces of land and buildings acquired, taken, given, or taxed out of others' hands. All of these properties are not named King’s Something. Usually, such an epithet is given when something notable happens, perhaps the King visiting or staying the night. There is no 17th-century record of James having made a journey to Wrangle. Why would he? It makes much more sense for the site to be called King’s Hill as a record of the storage of the King's treasure here.
It may or may not be a coincidence that the Fen adjoining to the East of the castle is known as Gold Fen. In the map of the extent of Wrangle Haven above, if you look in the fourth from the left, top row grid square, you can see the name Gold Fen Dike. There are suggestions that Gold is a corruption of Gull or an Ordnance Survey misspelling of old. But no one knows. My preference is that it refers to the treasure kept in the castle.
Local legend does add more weight to this theory. My 100-year-old Aunty Hilda was born and has lived in Wrangle all her life. She knows the site as King John's Treasure and says that it has consistently been named this locally. The first time Hilda recounted this fact as we drove past, I laughed and thought it funny that the locals believed John’s treasure was here when everyone knew it was lost on the marshes near modern Sutton Bridge. But it was sufficient inspiration to seek out the truth.
Summary
The events that took place in late 1216 in Lincolnshire were the most significant theft of power and wealth in the history of England. They have been hidden behind a ludicrous legend of treasure being lost on the marshes of the Wash and an unfortunate incident with peaches and the King. (It was said he overindulged in peaches, and that caused his illness) With just a little application of logic, the story falls apart. Searching for suspects, motives, and benefits reveals a more chilling, calculated story of the transfer of power and wealth. Some were undoubtedly motivated by a noble cause, others by greed or revenge. The elements of the conspiracy combine to create a circumstantial case that can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The revelations presented here are new and require further research. They are logically sound and based on facts. That the treasure was shipped to Wrangle is a far more believable story than it being lost to the tide on the marshes along with thousands of knights, horses, soldiers, and their supporters. As more information emerges, I will update the stories and add detail.
Postscript
One day when studying maps, I wondered how the position of Wrangle Castle related to other Templar and historical features. I found that drawing a straight line from Newark Castle to Wrangle Castle passes directly and precisely through the Templar round church at Temple Bruer. There is a perfect alignment of the place of John's death, the Lincolnshire Temple of the order behind his death, and the castle of the inheritor of his treasure and power. This linear arrangement is possibly a coincidence, but you must agree it is, at the very least, an intriguing coincidence.
Probably the best two commentaries on King John's Treasure are by women. One of them Shirley Charters whose in depth research brings new information to light is well worth a good read. The second was a local lady called Beryl Jackson whose husband farmed King John's Farm. She was a grammar school lass and lived at Long Suton all her life and had very entrenched views on King John and maintained the event happened at Walton Dam. She was a good friend and a lot of her research pamphlets are now in Wisbech Museum. A local schoolteacher at Holbeach Bank School, Stanley A English, used to do talks for the local Workers Education Association. His lecture notes were the basis…
If you believe this Than Pigs can fly!!! This is all folk lore stores—- show me the history in facts— show me where and how? I’ll will show the world soon — fact not fiction— with real physical evidence—soon to come!!!