what a find

Last week i had a phone call from my uncle who is a landscape gerdener to say he was cutting down a ash tree and did i what some happy days, along side the ash tree was a pine tree ready to be felled and the wood going to my brother for the wood burner everyone happy. Today my brother came into work and said to me he was chopping the wood last night and as he went down with the axe he felt a thud first thing he thought was a nail in the tree how wrong was he, on further inspection he could see some brass so he chopped a way to his amazement he exsposed a brass horse shoe which was engraved with the name J B Roberts A.F.L.C Cross Hands. He gave it to me as good luck charm or should i say no luck charm thinking to myself right take some photos to put on the forum guess what the PC blew up gutted so im on my son's laptop so when i get it fixed i will put up some Pic's hope this is some interest to you.

PS he counted the rings of the tree and their was 62 rings.

Paul

How very interesting Paul, I'll mention the horse shoe to our next door neighbours, they are horsy types.

 

Sorry to hear about your computer, hope you have a back up or can get everything of the HD, it's like loosing a best friend when a computer dies.

 

Bill.

thanks Bill it would be nice if i could get some info on it im going to speak to the owner of the property see what comes up.

 

Paul.

 

Presumably the farriers name, John B Roberts.

No suggestions on Cross Hands yet.

 

Bill.

Very interesting Paul. I've heard about finding nails, screws, wire, bullets and even coins, but never a horseshoe. Definitely a good luck piece I reckon!

 

My nephew is a farrier, and a member of the AWCF, but he hasn't heard of John B Roberts, so I guess it/he must be quite old.

 

Sorry to hear about the PC. Same thing happened to me about 10 years ago and the hard disk got completely trashed. Fortunately I had all the important data backed up, so it's a lesson to us all to save your stuff offline frequently.

 

Simon

thanks for your replys, Bill cross hands is about 50 miles from where i live its between carmathen and swansea in wales. speaking to the property owner they have lived thier for 40 years and the tree was well established when they moved in.

 

Paul..

The only thing we now need to know is what were they used for.

I know they use aluminium and plastic for racing, did they use brass.

 

Was the shoe nailed to the trunk or embedded.

 

Bill.

the shoe must of been embedded in it some how no nails I been searching the net but no look up to now.

 

Paul.

I've had word with my horsey neighbour this afternoon, she said it is not the norm to have the farriers name on the shoe and she has never known of shoes made of brass so she thinks it was made for decorative purposes and/or a good luck article.

Make sure you keep it in an upright position "U".

 

Bill.

Thankyou Bill for your help, I been looking on the net for info and like your neighbour said i think it was done for decorative purposes. I will mount it on a plaque and put it above the shed door.

 

Paul..

Paul

That is an interesting find, perhaps it was made to advertise the farrier ,how it came to be buried in tree one can only imagine. have you contacted the AWCF to find out if they have record of the farrier

Bill

Why do we insist that we hang the shoe in a "U" position and yet if you go into a blacksmith shop the shoes are hung the other way. I know they say the luck will run out if hung in that manner..

 

George

Hi George, yes i did contact them im waiting for them to email me back as you say about the way it is hung maybe just a mith? . talking to the father inlaw he was saying there was a programme on the other week about people putting horse shoes and coins in sappling as a good luck thing who knows.

 

Paul.

Let me just state I am not the least bit superstitious.

I'm digging very deep in the memory for this and will stand corrected if wrong.

Blacksmith's were consider lucky or above evil spirits because they dealt with the elements, fire, water, wind etc etc.

So a horseshoe was considered lucky because it was made by the blacksmith.

It is hung as "U" to keep the good luck in but I have heard that it can be hung upside down over a door and the good spirits will surround the door way and keep the bad spirits out of the house.

I think that also explains why a blacksmith can have shoes in any orientation.

Please let us know Paul if you hear anything from the AWCF.

 

Bill.