‘Bad King John’ Of England: His Lost Treasures Have Never Been Found

A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - The legend of King John's lost treasure has been handed down from generation to generation.

However, it is not only a legend.

John was King of England from 1199–1216. He proved to be a total failure as a ruler. Between 1202 and 1204, the King of France managed to capture most of the lands in France held by John. Afterward, John was given the nickname 'soft sword.'

He acted King from 1189 when his brother Richard the Lion-Heart was on the Third Crusade.

'Lackland' was John's other nickname, most probably because, as the youngest of Henry II's five sons, it was challenging to find a portion of his father's French possessions for him to inherit.

Involved in intrigues against his absent brother, John eventually became King in 1199 when Richard the Lionheart was killed in battle in France. After that, he was portrayed as 'Bad King John.'

Ancient sources say that John ruled like a tyrant. To pay for the war with France, he raised taxes – imposing a special tax on Jews – and enforced feudal prerogatives. He was accused of extorting money from people and selling offices.

King John's Tomb, Worcester Cathedral Set before the high altar, his tomb is made of dark Purbeck marble topped with an effigy. When King John lay dying of his famous "surfeit of peaches" in 1216, he asked to be buried in Worcester Cathedral. Image credit: Bob Embleton - CC BY-SA 2.0

'Bad King John' had a great hobby: collecting jewelry. He was particularly fond of collecting (stealing) jewelry for himself and coinage for his guards and soldiers. He owned a hoard of gold and silver plates and other valuables, of which the most valuable were the imperial regalia he had inherited from his grandmother, the Empress of Germany.

On 12 October 1216, John lost all of his treasure when he tried to take a shortcut across a stretch of water in Wash, the large bay that separates East Anglia from Lincolnshire.

This particular region of marshes and mudflats was usually traversable at low tide but not otherwise. The tide rose faster than the King expected. He misjudged the power of the wave, leading to the advancing waters claiming his precious baggage train. John's baggage, which supposedly included all royal treasures, including the Crown Jewels and gold coins, was engulfed in a raging whirlpool.

King John of England, 1167-1216 on hunt. Public Domain

'Bad King John' lost everything. He died only a few days later, on 18 October 1216, at Newark.

What happened to John's treasure carts? Is John's treasure buried somewhere in the area of Sutton Bridge? Treasure hunters from the USA and England have attempted to locate the exact location of the incident. Even a team of researchers from Nottingham University took soil samples to shed some light on the incident in 1216.

The search goes on because, as you know, treasure hunters never lose hope of finding what they are looking for.

Written by – A. Sutherland  - AncientPages.com Senior Staff Writer

Updated on March 27, 2024

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