Building myths

[jake-the-peg]

Whilst renovating my house we discovered a George II halfpenny under two of the corners of the living room.

Now they could have rolled under the floor and become lodged there but it sounds a bit unlikely. I seem to recall a superstition about burying coins under the corners of walls but I haven't found anything to confirm this.

Does anybody know if this superstition existed or did I imagine it? 

[firefly]

I think money was placed in buildings to increase prosperity. And shoes were as well.

[jno]

In olden times people were often sacrificed to ensure prosperity for a newly built house, so shoes and coins were a step forward. Is the house georgian?

[jake-the-peg]

Pre Georgian, probably about 1680 but there's been building throughout it's history so the room in question could well have undergone some serious modification about then.

There's also a "daisy wheel" symbol scratched on the fireplace beam which I found a reference to as a mark to ward off evil.

[irisred]

They also used to bury birds (rooks or blackbirds I think) under the front step to ward off evil.

[Peter Pedant]

COncealment

if you find anything written on this,please post it.

 

They are in fact quite common, and the custom is not to disturb them - that is put them back when you have found them.

Shoes tend to be single and a whole family's worth if you see what  I mean (only one of a pair). Sockies were not used in 1750-1800 and so sphagnum moss may be found in them, as insulation and drying.

 

An old builder - remember the concealment may not be by a householder - used to conceal a small thing in a beam of plaster, a small bottle or a coin, hidden and unseen, in any house he was building or removating. And his apprentice would do the same - but on his own and undisclosed. true concealment. his comment was - we've always done it.

[portocat]

we were taking down part of the ceiling in our dining room as there was dead space above it, and a plastic ice cream scoop fell out.  A week later a shooting dart fell out.  Do you think these were placed there for a reason?

[Peter Pedant]

sort  of like the pixies under the floor boards liked icecream and clay pigeon shooting ?

Yeah probably.

Depending on how big the scoop was, it could have fallen between the floorboards. Concealments of shoes and so on, are on a different plane to such things as the Bronte children stuffing their little children's books underneath the floor boards