As another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter anti matter.
I thank Bob for sharing this, as this is something I would much rather be writing about and sharing, as it is about the last days of Joan of Arc, in Mark Twain never addressed this matter in his history, in Joan of Arc had two rings, and one of them was recovered at auction by the French Government for almost 350,000 dollars. The auction asking price was around 15,000 dollars.
History shows that everything Joan of Arc had was destroyed, especially during the later revolution. The lock of hair simply vanished and has never been noted since. That is why this ring which was stolen by the English and their stooges in France is so fantastic as this is a documented possession of Joan and it is absolutely fascinating in all it reveals.
After Joan’s arrest, her ring was taken by Bishop Pierre Cauchon, Bishop of Beauvais, chaplain to the Duke of Burgundy and ally of the English, who presided over her trial for heresy. According to the ownership history established by researchers in the 20th century, Cauchon gave the ring to Cardinal Henry Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester, who was present at the trial. It remained in his family, the Cavendish-Bentinck family (Dukes of Portland), for 500 years until the early 20th century when Lady Ottoline Morrell gave it to artist Augustus John a few years before 1914. It was through John that it first entered the auction market in 1914. The ring passed through several hands before physician James Hasson acquired it at a Sotheby’s auction in 1947 for the grand sum of £175. The current seller was Dr. Hasson’s son Robert Hasson.
If you examine the ring closely, not for markings, but for wear, you discover in it, that it was a soft precious metal with absolutely no hardening elements in this ring was worn literally in degraded.
Much has been made that Joan by her own admission never killed anyone in combat, but the wear on this ring, reveals that this young girl worked a great deal from the time her poor parents presented her with this religious ring. Consider for a moment, just how long it would take for you to wear that much metal off a ring?
Cardinal Henry Beaufort (1375-1447), a son of John of Gaunt and uncle to Henry VI, was present during the heresy trial and at the execution of Joan of Arc; he was the senior churchman present and conducted at least one interview in person with Joan.
I am so delighted for the French people in they have had returned to them one of the greatest artifacts in French or world history. Nothing survives from most of the great leaders in world history, but we have at least one ring now which was the personal possession of Joan of Arc. She wore this ring every day. If she had this while she was tending her family stock and gardening, she proved what a very hard worker she was, and she never parted with this ring in every battle, until it was stolen from her upon her capture.
Property of an Essex gentleman; inherited 1979 from Dr James Hasson of Harley Street, London; acquired Sotheby's sale, 1 April 1947, lot 37; formerly in a private collection (1929-1947); previously with the F. A. Harman Oates collection (sold Sotheby's, 20 February 1929, lot 21); earlier with Augustus John before 1914, the gift to him of Lady Ottoline Morrell; by descent, through the Cavendish-Bentinck family (Duke of Portland) from cardinal Henry Beaufort (1375-1447), who was present at the trial and execution of Joan of Arc in 1431; the ring stated by Joan at her trial to have been a gift from her parents. Supplied with a positive X-Ray Fluorescence metal analysis certificate.
Joan demanded her property be returned, but the court of condemnation was not interested in justice or fairness. This was a mock trial to prove heresy, so the English could murder Joan, and say the devil was in France, and then keep possession of the nation and genocide the French race.
See Dalton, O.M. The Franks Bequest Catalogue of Finger Rings, London, 1912, item 694 for a similar example of the type; see transcript of the Trial of Condemnation (in English translation, printout included) wherein several references are made to her two rings, including "[72] Asked if on the crowned heads there were not rings of gold or other substance, she answered: "I do not know." Asked if she herself did not have some rings, she replied to us, bishop: "You have one of mine; give it back to me." She said the Burgundians have another ring; and she asked us, if we had her ring, to show it to her. Asked who gave her the ring which the Burgundians had, she answered her father or her mother; and she thought the names Jhesus Maria were written thereon; she did not know who had them written; she did not think there was any stone in it; and she was given the ring at Domrémy. She said that her brother gave her the other ring which we had and she charged us to give it to the Church. She said she never cured any one with any of her rings" and "[130] ......Asked of what substance one of her rings was, on which the words Jhesus Maria were written, she answered that she did not properly know; and if it was of gold, it was not of fine gold; and she did not know whether it was of gold or brass; she thought there were three crosses, and to her knowledge no other signs save the words Jhesus Maria. Asked why she gladly looked at this ring when she was going to battle, she answered that it was out of pleasure, and in honour of her father and mother; and having her ring in her hand and on her finger she touched St. Catherine who appeared before her....";
I am thankful for being allowed to share this story and it's happy conclusion. I hope this ring is put in a rightful display so that the public can view it closely, and I hope that the French Government will mint rings in copy of this heirloom so the public would be able to obtain a hands on experience for such a remarkable relic.
Poor farmers in France giving their precious daughter a ring worth most of their wealth. A maiden who milked cows and petted her cats, the Savior of France raised by God. The ring she touched the Angel Margaret with before battle.
Not another ring in this world which touched an Angel.
Ring Front, the names of Jesus and Mary
Ring back, note the typical wear in normal activity.
Ring left, indicates Joan was right handed, and the ring turned in her hand while gripping hoes, forks, her battle axe etc... due to excessive wear
Ring right, lack of wear, revealing this was the protected from use by being outside the sphere of wear.
agtG
