Find Spot record 8430/24 - Figure of Cautopates, Possibly from Edgar's Field

A damaged figure of Cautopates (now lost) was said to have been found 'near the river' by Horsley (1), or 'by the site of the Roman warrior' (which refers to the carving in Edgar's Field) by Foote Gower who was quoting Stone's 'Miscellanea' (2), or alternately as 'under a niche of the wall between the East Gate and the river'. The figure was perhaps re-used, possibly in a Roman or later wall repair. Together with CHER 8088/30 & 8088/56 it is interpreted as evidence of a mithraeum at Chester (3). Although it was thought to have been lost, it may have been rediscovered at Upholland (Lancashire) where a figure of Cautopates, without a head, was ploughed up c1937 during deep ploughing by Mr T F Kelly of Appley Bridge, near Wigan. Because of this information, it was suggested that the figure was possibly transported from Chester by a member of the Prescott family (Horsley says it belonged to a Mr Prescot), to their ancestral home at Upholland, and was subsequently lost again (4). For comparison see (7).

<1> Horsley J, 1732, Britannia Romana, p.316 (Book). SCH449.

<2> British Library, 1756-Present, Additional Manuscripts (Addit. MS.), /11,338, p99 Foote-Gower (Paper Archive). SCH122.

<3> Harris, B.E. (ed), 1987, Victoria County History - A History of the County of Chester: Volume I, p160 (Book). SCH3556.

<4> Edwards B., 1977, A Chester Mithraic figure recovered?, p56-60 (Article in Journal). SCH5916.

<5> Thompson Watkin W. T., 1886, Roman Cheshire: A Description of Roman Remains in the County of Chester, p11 (Book). SCH2878.

<6> Peter Salway, 1981, Roman Britain (Book). SCH4888.

<7> Haverfield, F, 1900, Catalogue of the Roman Sculptured stones in the Grosvenor Museum, Nos 169, 170 (Article in Journal). SCH5530.

<8> Williams W.J., 1921, The Cult of Mithra in Deva (Article in Journal). SCH5686.

<9> David James Laverty, 2014-2015, The Search for Mithras in Roman Britain: A Reassessment of the Archaeological Evidence, p.28 (Unpublished Report). SCH8586.