This brooch was found in 1778 in a ploughed field at Whinfield Park, near Penrith in Cumbria. Not long afterwards it was acquired by Mrs Bridget Atkinson, a significant landowner in the area. Mrs Atkinson lived at Temple Sowerby and her keen interest in antiquities was well known.
It is a fede-ring brooch, from the word fede – part of the Italian phrase mani in fede, or 'hands clasped in faith'. The design is ancient, possibly going back to before the Romans.
Note the delicacy of the workmanship. The pin, or tongue, that held tight the owner’s clothing, has corroded away. It moved on a spindle in the slit on the right.
The words on the brooch spell out two very strong promises, or vows, made by the woman who first owned it. In modern English they read:
[Front] To you, Jesu(s), my troth I plight
[Reverse] And to Mary, his mother bright.
Originally, with a background of enamel to highlight them, the letters would have stood out much more clearly. Both sides of the brooch look similar, but the words are very different.