Sir Ralph Felmingham: courtier

You can read the words RAF and FEL and MIGAM on the object. This is probably the name of its owner, Sir Ralph Felmingham.

Sir Ralph was a Sergeant-at-Arms at the Court of King Henry VIII. His duties included arresting prisoners of high status and escorting them to the Tower of London. When performing these duties, Sir Ralph wore full armour. He carried a silver mace as a sign of his authority.

In 1536 the Lord High Steward, the Duke of Norfolk, commanded Sir Ralph to summon 26 noblemen to judge Henry VIII's second wife, Anne Boleyn. The queen and her brother, Lord Rochford, had both been charged with treason. Sir Ralph performed this duty and was present at the trials in the Great Hall of the Tower. Both prisoners were found guilty and sentenced to death.

It is possible that this object was a gift from the king, who gave presents to his household on New Year's Day. It was found in 1989 on the Thames foreshore which suggests that it was lost. Perhaps Sir Ralph dropped it while getting into a boat.

Silver chape, 1509-27

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