Herbert Samuel Toms, one of Brighton Museumâs most influential curators, was a keen folklorist. In his 42 years as the museumâs Curator of Archaeology, he amassed a fascinating collection of âlucky stonesâ and research regarding their use.
This photograph was catalogued, digitised and repacked in Brighton Museumâs MuseumLab today. Captioned âPhotograph of âShepherdsâ Crownsâ on window-sill of cottage at Patching near Worthingâ, it displays one such custom that was still practised across southern England during Tomsâs lifetime. Shepherdsâ crowns are ornate conically-shaped fossil sea urchins that include species of Micraster, Echinocorys and Conulus. Often found in chalky soils, they would be ploughed up by farm labourers and placed on the windowsills of houses, bringing good luck to their inhabitants.
