Taken from the Western Telegraph
Pembrokeshire Prospector returns Angle locket
5:20pm Saturday 5th September 2009 A lost locket, buried in mud for more than 100 years, has been unearthed and returned to the descendants of its original owner.
Keen metal detecting fan Ted Owens, of Pembrokeshire Prospectors Club, came across the gold Victorian mourning locket in an Angle field.
Club member Adrian Young, a registered goldsmith restored the hand-engraved locket to its former glory and discovered a name and address scratched inside.
Mr Owens, a veteran of the Second World War Normandy landings, traced the locket to Jennifer Deakin, whose great, great, great aunt Fanny Richards of Bush Farm, near Angle, is believed to be the original owner.
The locket was also found to contain a lock of hair, with gilt wire braids, behind the glass window, and a gothic letter S — the first initial of the deceased.
Mr Young said: “It was very dirty inside, you couldn’t see through the glass, but it was very well preserved.
“It would have been a tragic loss for the owner, as it may have been all they had left of their loved one.”
Mr Owens, aged 85, has had many interesting finds during his 20 years of metal detecting.
He presented the locket to Mrs Deakin, and found out the letter ‘S’ would have stood for Samuel, a name that has since passed down through the family.
The family was surprised and delighted at the locket’s return, and has been researching Fanny Richards’ story.
Mr Owens said: “It’s an exciting find now, but at the time I honestly thought it was rubbish because it looked so badly damaged.
“Adrian Young is a wonderful goldsmith and I gave it to him as a bit of scrap metal.
“He cleaned it and fixed it up as good as new. It’s a wonderful piece of jewellery. I’m glad it’s had a happy ending.”
Nice story that Cronge thanks for sharing it.
