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Date: 10/25/2023
GRANVILLE — Searching for historical relics in a Granville hay field, a Southwick metal-detecting club found more than the usual old coins or buttons. They found something more personal: a family heirloom missing for more than a century.
Earlier this month the Northeast Relic Hunters had an “open hunt” for its club members and for other detectors — also known as diggers — from throughout the Northeast. During the hunt, which took place on land owned by the Ripley family that operates Maple Corner Farm, a gold signet ring engraved with the initials “HMR” was discovered.
Based on their experience, Jeremiah Ferris, the club’s vice president, and Aaron Fraser, the club’s history expert who is friends with the Ripleys, knew it was a woman’s ring because of its size. The two Southwick residents then looked up the Ripley family history on the farm’s website site for a name that would match the initials.
Seeing the name Henry M. Ripley, they thought it might be a ring from his daughter or wife. Then they searched findagrave.com by last name.
“That’s when I saw the Ripley family grave tombstone and Helen May Ripley’s name. Everything just lined up. It made the hair stand up on the back of my neck,” said Ferris.
“I knew we had to do whatever it took to get that ring back to the family — it was an heirloom,” said Ferris.
Born in 1874, Helen Ripley died in 1935. Her family founded Maple Corner Farm in 1812 in the foothills of the Berkshires near the border with Tolland and Blandford.
The ring was found by club member Greg Beliveau, who lives in Greenfield. Under club rules, whoever finds an item can keep it. However, Beliveau was adamant about returning the ring. He even declined a cash reward from the club, but accepted a free membership.
On a recent Sunday morning, club members gathered at the farm to present the ring to Leon Ripley, the family’s patriarch.
“We hadn’t told them what we found — we wanted to surprise them,” said Ferris, who formed the club about two years ago.
It was an emotional moment as Beliveau stepped forward and presented the ring to Ripley, whose wife Joyce and oldest son David stood nearby. Beliveau said the ring is “the coolest thing” he’s found on a metal detecting hunt.
“The feeling I got when I gave Leon the ring was far more valuable than any cash reward,” said Beliveau.
“It was a very emotional moment for all of us to see that ring returned to the family,” said Ferris.
Ripley said he was “very surprised, happy and appreciative” to get the long-lost ring back: “It’s nice to have a piece of family history in our hands.” He doesn’t know how old Helen Ripley was when she lost the ring, but believes she was very young when it happened.
“The field where it was found has been a hay field for many, many years,” he said. “It’s possible she was haying with the family when she lost the ring.”
Ripley said it was a tradition for family members in that era to get an engraved gold ring when they turned 18. The ring was crafted in the late 19th century by Allsopp Brothers, a New Jersey jewelry company that primarily sold finger rings made from precious metals. It merged with another jewelry firm in the 1950s.
Ferris said the sentimental value of the ring outweighs any monetary value.
“I’m sure it was a very expensive ring in the late 1800s. I can’t help but think about little Helen going home and telling her family she’d lost her ring while in the fields.”
He said he doesn’t know what the ring is worth today, but based on its size and the current price of gold, he estimates the melted value would be about $500.
Ferris said the club has previously rented Ripley’s fields, but this year was the first time Northeast Relic Hunters had a large event that drew about 70 detectors. At the end of the event, the club split proceeds from the $30 admission price and raffles with the farm, giving the Ripleys about $1,000.
The success of the event also inspired Ferris to start “Funds for Farmers.” He plans to reach out to help any farmers who might need extra cash if they will let his club conduct hunts on their property.
“There’s a lot of history in this area. It’s not easy being farmers, so if they can make some extra money, it’d be a good deal and would help them, especially this year,” said Ferris. “Last winter, the Ripleys didn’t have many cross-country skiers, and this summer their crops were hurt by all the rain.”
The farm raised beef and dairy cattle until 1974. Maple sugaring started in 1840 and continues today, along with a maple museum and pancake restaurant, hay production, blueberries and cross-country skiing.
The club — which has about 30 members — hunts for historical treasures in fields, woods and other areas in Southwick, Granville, Agawam and Feeding Hills. They meet every second Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at the Southwick Grange. Annual membership is $30. Anyone interested in joining, or farmers who want to rent their fields, can contact Ferris at 413-636-4831 or kermiah@gmail.com.