KING JOHN’S JEWELS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 305, 22 November 1934, Page 2

KING JOHN’S JEWELS.

TREASURE HUNT IN THE WASH. “BAGGAGE TRAIN 10 MILES LONG.” The story of a treasure hunt in the Wash for the jewels and baggage of King John, which were lost more, than 700 years ago, was told to Mr Justice Eve in the Chancery Division, in London, recently. It arose out of a claim for damages for wrongful dismissal and breach of a service agreement brought l>y Mr E. Gaspard Ponsonby, son of Sir Frederick Ponsonby. Keeper of the Privy Purse. The defendant was Mr James R. Herbert Boone, an American. Mr Gavin Simonds, K.C. (for Mr Ponsonby) said the agreement in question was made between the parties on October G, 1932. It provided for the engagement of Mr Ponsonby for three years at £2OOO a .year, as the agent of Mr Boone, “to take care of, conduct and carry out a scheme for the discovery and recovery of the lost treasure.” It was alleged that Mr Boone wrongfully terminated the agreement and dismissed Mr Ponsonby as from September 28, 1933, leaving over two years of the agreement still to run. CROWN LICENSE FOR SEARCH. “The story,” said Mr Simonds, “begins rather more than 700 years ago when King John’s ‘train’ with his gold and other precious possessions, were overwhelmed in the waters of the Wash.”

In 1929, proceeded counsel, a license was granted by the Crown to Sir William Muirhead, an engineer; Mr Curnock, journalist, and Mr d’Avigdor—who were afterwards called the Wash Committee—authorising them to search for the treasure. Another license in identical terms was granted by the Minister of Fisheries in 1930. The first license was in respect of 420 acres of land known as the AVinland Estate, and the other related to 1100 acres of the Sutton Bridge Estate. In 1932, continued counsel, Mr Simon Elwes brought Mr Ponsonby and Mr Boone together; and Mr Ponsonby, after investigating the matter, was willing to undertake the venture. Later, Mr Boone executed a power of attorney which enabled Mr Ponsonby to spend a sum of £40.000 on the scheme. In December, 1932, the company, Fen Research, Limited, was incorporated. The directors were Mr Ponsonby, Mr Elwes and Lord Francis Hill. The company appointed Mr d’Avigdor deputy general manager for three years at £IOOO a year. WAY OF FINDING GOLD.

Mr Simonds indicated that the defendant maintained he was justified in dismissing Mr Ponsonby. The company became short of money, and, to ensure the continuity of the search, a deed was executed. Mr Ponsonby went to Rome for the purpose of the execution and saw Mr Boone, who, under the deed, agreed to pay the company a further £30,000 in three equal instalments. It was alleged by Mr Boone that he was induced by misrepresentation to sign that deed, and that was a reason put forward for dismissing Mr Ponsonby. In June, 1933 (continued counsel), Mr Boone met a Mr Charles Gladitz. Mr Gladitz claimed to be able to locate metals by means of what he called emanations, photographs, and _ the needle through a cork. Mr Giaditz’s claims did not commend themselves to Mr Ponsonby and others. But an agreement was prepared for Mr Giaditz’s employment, by which lie would have been vested with the full powers of the company in a proposal to excavate land which he claimed to be the track of the baggage “train.’ Mr Ponsonby refused to sign the agreement. A CART FULL OF GOLD.

Mr Simonds read a report of an interview which the company had with Mr Gladitz who told those present he had discovered that the “treasure train was ten miles long.” The report proceeded to say that the number of men buried was between 800 and many thousands and the foot-soldiers lay as they sank in ranks of ten, one pace apart. The mounted men were fifty ya “ln tfm middle of the column” the report went on, “he had located a big, heavy cart, which proved after scientific analysis, to be full of gold, together with a little silver, and was twice as heavy as any other cart in the column. He strongly suspected that that cart contained the King s peleonal regalia, which he proposed to hand to King George V. He had located the officer m charge of the escort, now lying fifty yards ahead of the ’regalia. . “The twenty-four carts in the rear of the column were supposed to contain shrines, crosses, cups, etc., looted from the monasteries, and in the van was a number of horsemen with saddlebags carrying ready cash to pay the Army in order to prosecute the war with the barons.” The company declined to sign the agreement and Mr Boone took great umbrage. He asked Mr Ponsonby to resign, alleging that the plaintiff had disregarded his instructions. The hearing was adjourned.