By Imogen Howse via SWNS
A rare 18th century antique clock stolen from a museum has been returned – after more than 20 years.
Two men made off with the Thomas Hunter Jr Bracket clock from Brighton’s Preston Manor in February 2001, police say.
A probe was launched but the pair were never caught – and the historic clock was thought to have been lost.
However, last year the Art Loss Register – a network where stolen art and antiques can be registered and monitored – notified the Brighton & Hove Museums that the clock was listed for sale.
Sussex Police’s Rural Crime Team then recovered the clock and returned it to Preston Manor earlier this month.
Sergeant Tom Carter, of the force, said: “The museum notified us, which meant I could attend and safely collect the clock before it was sold on.
“The clock had previously been sold by the same auction house 20 years ago in good faith to a collector, who then relisted it with them for sale last year.
“Unfortunately, the auction house had no provenance for the clock at its original sale, which meant the investigation could not proceed any further.
“Despite this, we were pleased to have been able to return this historic item back to its rightful owner.”
The Thomas Hunter Jr Bracket clock is a rare 18th century (c.1760-70) clock by the top English clockmaker, with exquisite painted decorations above the clock face.
The maritime motifs may have been one of the reasons the Stanford family who owned Preston Manor acquired the clock.
It was placed in a south-facing room that looks towards the sea.
The clock was in Preston Manor from at least 1905. It was left by the Stanford family who presented Brighton Corporation with Preston Manor and its contents in 1932.
It has a direct link with Brighton’s municipal history and the early history of the Brighton & Hove Museums, police said.
Hedley Swain, CEO of the Brighton & Hove Museums, said: “We are so thrilled to have this wonderful item returned to us after so long.
“We want to thank Sussex Police and the Art Loss Register for their hard work in restoring the clock to its home.
“This is an important item, not just because of its rarity and beauty but because it has a direct link with Brighton’s municipal history and the early history of the Brighton & Hove Museums.
“We aim to ensure the clock is back to working order so we can display it once again in Preston Manor.”
Staff at Preston Manor were shocked to witness two men steal the musical timepiece from the premises on Feb. 12, 2001.
The suspects escaped the scene in a vehicle parked nearby, but despite a thorough investigation, they were never traced.
