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Roydon metal detectorist uncovers Victorian gold watch in field, near Diss




A metal detectorist, who stumbled on a gold Victorian pocket watch in a field near Diss, is hoping to find the family it came from.

Rob Webster, from Roydon, found the timepiece on September 27 and, after a little research into its past, has uncovered more information on its origins.

The discovery came about due to a slice of luck, with Mr Webster making his way home after a day of detecting.

The gold Victorian pocket watch. Picture submitted
The gold Victorian pocket watch. Picture submitted

“I had found a medieval coin in this one field, so it had been a pretty good day and I was heading back to the car,” he said.

“I thought I would just have one more go around the edge of the field and then, lo and behold, the metal detector picked something up.

“I began digging a hole and saw the edge of it and I thought it might be a can, but when I got it out, I saw a big, gold object.

The inscription on the gold Victorian pocket watch. Picture submitted
The inscription on the gold Victorian pocket watch. Picture submitted

“I was just ecstatic. Once I inspected it and realised what it was, I called the landowner.”

The watch was taken to a jewellers and there, due to the hinges being very rusty, the watch opened up and revealed an engraving ‘In memory of Francis Lucas, October 6, 1872’.

After some detective work from the landowner, it was found to be a memorial watch in honour of a man called Francis Henry Lucas.

Born in Kent in 1854 and educated at Eton, Mr Lucas died of diphtheria in 1872 at the age of 18. He had been in Geneva, where he was studying French and German.

Detectorist Rob Webster is hoping to reunite the Victorian watch with the descendants of Mr Lucas. pictures: Mark Bullimore
Detectorist Rob Webster is hoping to reunite the Victorian watch with the descendants of Mr Lucas. pictures: Mark Bullimore

Mr Webster, 47, said: “Though it was not held by him, it was obviously looked after by someone who really wanted to keep him in their memories and thoughts.

“They must have been very sad when they lost it in that field all those years ago.”

The pair are now hoping they can trace the descendants of Mr Lucas and reunite them with the watch.

The gold Victorian pocket watch. Picture submitted
The gold Victorian pocket watch. Picture submitted

“It has been hidden in the ground for so long and, after the landowner found so much information on its history, it only seems right to us to see if we can find someone that is related to Francis,” added Mr Webster.



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