‘Prefect’s badge’ is 700 year old knight’s pendant

A HISTORIC pendant belonging to one of Scotland’s most famous noblemen has been discovered by a metal detector enthusiast in “the find of a lifetime”.

The seven centuries-old treasure is believed to have belonged to Sir John Comyn, Lord of Badenoch, who was stabbed to death by his rival to the Scottish throne, Robert the Bruce, in 1306.

The man who uncovered the harness pendant from a muddy Kinross-shire field near Loch Leven Castle assumed it was a worthless prefect’s badge dating from the 1960s, given it was in such good condition.

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However, it is thought the medieval artefact fell from the bridle of Sir John’s horse, with the history books showing the knight defeated invading English armies at the castle five years before his bloody death.

The red and gold ornament is now in the possession of Treasure Trove Scotland, the body which ensures that significant objects from the nation’s past are preserved in museums for the wider public benefit.

Sir John, also known as Red Comyn, was the son of one of the many contenders to the Scottish throne following the death of Alexander III and his grand-daughter, the Maid of Norway. After William Wallace was defeated at the Battle of Falkirk, he became a key figure in the defence of Scotland against the forces of Edward I, and he and Robert the Bruce became Guardians of Scotland.

In one of the most sensational chapters of Scottish history, he was stabbed to death before the altar of a Dumfries church by Bruce, who would be crowned king just six weeks later.

The pendant was found by John Eldridge from North Berwick, who said he had never made such a discovery in three decades of scouring fields with his metal detector. The 67-year-old made the find during an organised metal detecting outing near the castle on 3 February.

Later analysis showed that the crest on the pendant matches that of the Comyn coat of arms, with both depicting three sheaves of wheat. Mr Eldridge said the group he was with became visibly excited after he showed them what he had plucked from the soil. “It’s the find of a lifetime. I’ve been searching for historic gems for more than 30 years and found nothing like this. It was just two or three inches down in the soil.

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“It’s been in the ground for 700 years, but it was in such good condition that I thought it might be a prefect’s badge or something from the 1950s or 60s. I put it in my pocket and asked some of the others. The first person I showed it to became very excited and said, ‘This is a horse pendant’.”

The exact location of the discovery is being kept secret to prevent “nighthawks” – described by Mr Eldridge as “common thieves” from digging up the land without permission and stealing other valuable artefacts which may be in the area.

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The pendant is currently being examined by experts, and once verified, it is expected it will be allocated to a museum.

Slain by rival for Scottish throne

JOHN Comyn, a Guardian of Scotland between 1296 and 1306, was a key figure during a time of strife.

While fighting the English, he was captured at the Battle of Dunbar and imprisoned in the Tower of London. He was released on the condition he joined the English army, but deserted after hearing of William Wallace’s victory at the battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297.

After Wallace’s defeat at the Battle of Falkirk, Comyn put up the most visible resistance to Edward I, although he and Robert the Bruce assumed a powersharing role as Guardians of Scotland. The arrangement did not sit easy with either and on 10 February, 1306, Comyn was slain by his rival at Greyfriars Church in Dumfries. That led to Bruce’s excommunication by the pope, but just six weeks later he became King Robert I.

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