Leather jug made from the hide of Oliver Cromwell's war horse emerges on Antique's Roadshow

Charging into battle at the head of his cavalry, Oliver Cromwell was often in the thick of the fighting during the English Civil War.

And in many of those fearsome clashes he would have been astride his war horse Blackjack.

The trusty steed died in 1651 after the end of the civil war and – perhaps to honour the animal's memory – Cromwell had a number of leather jugs made from its hide.

Incredible: The leather jug made from Oliver Cromwell's war horse emerged after 350 years on TV's Antiques Roadshow

Some 350 years later one of those jugs has come to light on TV's Antiques Roadshow and been valued at £30,000.

‘The great thing about this jug is Cromwell – one of the most controversial political and military figures in English history,' said Roadshow expert John Foster.

‘He defeated the Royalists during the Civil War, turning England to a republican state for a short time.'

Mr Foster said the jug was the most exciting find in years. It is inscribed with the words: Oliver Cromwell Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Wales 1653.

Historic: The huge tankard was produced for the republican, who overthrew the monarchy, to mark his status as Lord Protector of England in 1853 and (right) Cromwell depicted on his warhorse



Valuable: The jug which is inscribed with the words 'Oliver Cromwell Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Wales 1653' is expected to fetch £30,000 at auction

Cromwell defeated King Charles I, who was beheaded for treason. He became the Lord Protector of England, but after the Restoration his body was dug up and hanged

A few years after 1653 the 2ft high jug was deposited at the family bank C Hoare and Co in London and left there.



It fell into the ownership of the Hoare family and was passed down the generations.

It is now owned by Richard Hoare whose son Paul took it to an Antiques Roadshow event. The jug is due to be featured on the show tomorrow.

Paul Hoare, from Bere Regis, Dorset, said: ‘I took it along earlier this year and the researchers and experts got very excited about it.

‘I was taken off to a private room and the jug was kept in a safe until I met John Foster.'



Mr Foster told Mr Hoare the jug was one of about a dozen made out of Blackjack for ceremonial purposes.

Mr Hoare's great-grandfather had the jug when he lived in Stourhead House in Wiltshire before the estate was left to the National Trust in 1947.

Cromwell and his cavalry force are credited with delivering victory to the Parliamentarians at a number of key clashes in the Civil War, including Marston Moor in 1644 and Naseby in 1645.

By the end of the war he was the leader of the Parliamentarians and was one of the signatories to the death warrant of Charles I who was executed for treason in 1649.

Cromwell was created Lord Protector in 1653 but died in 1658 and his republic ended two years later when Charles II returned from exile.