Bosworth Boar
For centuries knowledge of the whereabouts of the battlefield of Bosworth seems to have been tacit. At some point local knowledge disappeared. However, in 2009 an archaeological survey succeeded in determining the exact spot where King Richard III was slain. This was due to the fact that metal detectors discovered a silver gilt boar – the Bosworth Boar – lying at a spot next to a marsh, which had previously been identified as the probable spot.
Boar Badge from Yorkshire
It is known that Richard ordered 13.000 such copper boar badges for the investiture of his son in York Minster in 1483, some of which were silver-gilt. Such gilted boars were the livery badges of high-ranking nobles in the entourage of Richard III and it is believed that the one found at Bosworth was carried by one of his followers, who took part in the final wild charge, which ended in the death of the king.
In 2010 a similar boar was found in Stillingfleet in North Yorkshire. This badge is actually better preserved. It seems to differ somewhat in its form. The Yorkshire Museum is currently trying to raise the money to secure the badge for its exhibition. It is hoped that the probable owner might be identified among the Stillingfleet adherers to Richards cause and that the badge can become the centerpiece of a piece of evocative local history.
Marcella Pattyn
