A GOLD pocket watch given to a long serving former Sedgley vicar in 1913 has been returned to the parish from Canada almost 100 years later.

The inscribed watch was presented by the parishioners of All Saints' Church to Reverend Thomas Swindell, who was priest in charge for 41 years, from 1888 until his death in office in 1929.

To mark his 25 years’ service to the parish, the pocket watch was inscribed and awarded to him, alongside a specially produced booklet to mark the anniversary.

During his time at the church, the rector's son married one of the daughters of John Twigg Homer, a CBE and local JP who lived in Sedgley.

The wedding took place in Canada, where the young family settled and following Reverend Swindell’s death, the watch was taken overseas.

Eventually it passed down to Pat, his great-niece, who asked a Canadian gold and silver dealer to sell it for her.

However a friend of the dealer, David Shelton, found the website of Sedgley Local History Society online, who put him in touch with Reverend Stephen Buckley, the present vicar of All Saints', to ask whether he would be interested in buying back the artefact for the parish.

As David was set to tour the UK on holiday with his wife Marion, he volunteered to deliver the watch in person.

The couple visited the church on Sunday, April 17, with instructions from Pat that instead of accepting any money for the purchase, he should ask for it to be used for a good cause within the parish instead.

Reverend Buckley, said: “The call about the watch came completely out of the blue, as we had never heard about it before. It was very generous of the family to donate it to us.

“Thomas and his wife Lucy are both buried in the church's old graveyard in Gospel End Street and their gravestones are looking a bit worse for wear these days, as the lettering is coming off.

“We have decided that the money we would have used to purchase it will instead be used on repairing them.”