Find Spot record 15483 - Seventeenth Century Find from Malpas

<1> Portable Antiquities Scheme, Various, Portable Antiquities Data Import, LANCUM-1C3FE2 (Digital Archive). SCH5212.

Cast copper alloy strap tag dating from the early post-medieval period, that is seventeenth century. It is of rough make and casting and incomplete: the upper end and suspension loop are missing. The reverse is plain and on the obverse it is decorated with moulded lettering whilst the very tip appears to be decorated with a moulded veiled lady holding/feeding a baby. The inscription is in medieval French and reads: [...]:A:CHESNEBRVN/[...]:IEHAN:ENVOIS describing the maker (John Enivois) and place where it was made (Chesnebrun).

A complete strap tag of this kind is in the National Museum of Ireland (see below). Their inscription complements this one's from Cheshire:
Wexford:
FAICT:A:CHES [... ]
CES:IEHAN:EN [...]
Cheshire:
[...]:A:CHESNEBRVN
[...]:IEHAN:ENIOVIS
The Irish strap tag is discussed here (abbreviated text and image below):
https://www.museum.ie/ga-IE/Collections-Research/Collection/Documentation-Discoveries/Artefact/A-Medieval-Bronze-Strap-Tag/83e6ccc1-5c29-4684-964b-1c059723436a

An inscribed medieval strap tag made of bronze was discovered in Wexford:

Description
The museum register entry for the object reads:
"Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland - RSAI No. 170 - Piece of inscribed bronze".
The object consists of a rectangular bronze tag, perforated in one end possibly to be attached to the end of a strap. The letters "FAICT A CHES... CES IEHAN EN..." appear in relief. Unfortunately the tag appears to have been trimmed at one end and part of the original inscription may be missing as a result. Despite this it has been possible to gain an understanding of the text and propose what the object was intended for.

The text is believed to be written in Old French. The words - "FAICT A"- mean ' Made at'. The third word is probably a place name beginning with CHE and thus may be read as 'Made at Ches...' . The meaning of the word ending in "...CES" is uncertain. The next word -"IEHAN"- is the old spelling for -"John"-. The - "EN"- is either a family name beginning with EN or the preposition en possibly introducing a date. So the whole would read something like "Made at Ches...by John in..."

This object was probably a manufacturer's tag that may have been sent with goods from France during the medieval period - perhaps cloth or other textiles. Trade between Wexford and France existed at this time so French goods are commonly found on archaeological sites here.

It was common to send makers tags or seals with textiles but they were usually made of lead and circular in form. This is the case with a lead cloth seal currently on display in a case dealing with trade in the Medieval Ireland exhibition - E132:X7, from Rouen in France. If this object served a similar purpose, its form is unique in the National Museum's collection.

An old antiquarian label attached to the object provided vital find place information, it read: "Found in the ruins of Clonmines, Co. Wexford. Presented by William Graves. New Ross".

With this information the object was traced to an article in the Dublin Penny Journal from 1834 describing a bronze tag found "near the castle of Clonmines". The object was illustrated (see below) and was described as an "Ancient brass relic".

Clonmines is a deserted town that was first established by the Normans on the shores of Bannow Bay. It may once have been a port town due to its location and the finding of this object helps to further strengthen this view. The remains of an Augustinian friary, a church, two tower houses and further stone ruins are the surviving remnants of this abandoned town. It can thus be assumed the town was a hub of activity for religion and trade for a period of time. The discovery of this object in Clonmines helps to shed historical light on the town and provides evidence for the strong links with France the town may once have had.

References:
You can also read more about this object in the following:
C.H.W. (1834). Ancient Brass Relic. The Dublin Penny Journal. Vol. 3, no.119. Dublin: P.D. Hardy
Colfer, B. (1988) Wexford, Archaeology Ireland, Vol. 2, No.1. Dublin: Wordwell.
With thanks to Professor Jean-Michel Picard (University College Dublin) for confirmation of inscription translation.

Tags such as the fragments from Cheshire and Wexford are discussed in this French volume, discussing a mould for them which is dated to the 17th century: https://archive.org/stream/bulletindelasoc05finigoog/bulletindelasoc05finigoog_djvu.txt

M. Bourde de la Rogerie présente un curieux moule à couler des balles récemment trouvé à Les-trévez-en-Briec et offert au musée par M. Sider, marchand de bois à Quimper. Ce moule se compose de cinq lames de cuivre, munies de godets de différentes grandeurs, mobiles autour de quatre charnières; il porte inscription deux fois répétée :

: lESVIS : FAICT : A : CHESNEARVN.
: O: PERCHE: CES: lEHAN : ENIOVIS.

(Je suis fait à Chesnebrun-au-Perche, chez Jehan Enjouis).

Chesnebrun ou Chennebrun, commune du canton de Verneuil, arrondissement d'Evreux, appartient à une région où la ferronnerie et les industries similaires furent jadis très développées ; les ferronniers d'entre TAvre et TOrne reçurent en 1 283 des privilèges qui furent confirmés de siècle en siècle jusqu'à la Révolution française (archives de TOrne, C. 51) La forme des caractères de Tinscription du moule découvert à Briec, indique que cet objet remonte au XVII* siècle ou au commencement du XVIIP. M. du Chatellier possède un moule semblable trouvé à Kerity-Penmarch.

M. du Chatellier donne lecture d'une lettre de M. Trévédy qui signale une intéressante découverte faite à Carnoët (Côtes-du-Nord), par le R. P. Jouan, de Saint-Ilan ; « une fosse de 180 m. de long sur w 3 m. de large remplie d'ossements humains. - On « trouve assez souvent dans les champs d'alentour « des ossements semblables. » L'attention de la 8o-ciété d'Emulation des Côtes-du-Nord a été appelée sur cette trouvaille ; des fouilles seront vraisemblablement faites, les objets trouvés, armes ou monnaies, permettront de savoir si les ossements sont ceux des bretons et des cottereaux du roi d'Ansrleterre tués dans le combat livré en 1198 d'après l'opinion du R. P. Jouan, près de St-Gildas de Carnoët.

Find of note status: This is a find of note and has been designated: Include in PostMedArch
Subsequent actions: Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder

Chronology
Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Late
Period from: POST MEDIEVAL
Subperiod to: Late
Period to: POST MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1600
Date to: Circa AD 1700

Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Length: 90.1 mm
Width: 14.4 mm
Thickness: 4 mm
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Thursday 2nd October 2014

Materials and construction
Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Incomplete

<2> The British Museum, Portable Antiquities Scheme Online Database, LANCUM-1C3FE2 (Web Site). SCH5176.

<3> Folds JS, Petrie G & Otway C, 1833-6, The Dublin Penny Journal, Vol. 3 (1834), no.119 (Journal/Periodical). SCH9135.

<4> Wordwell, 1987-, Archaeology Ireland, Vol. 2, No.1 (Journal/Periodical). SCH9136.