The mystery of a silver teapot puzzled retired company director Tony Brooks for almost a year. It was part of a three-piece silver service he inherited early in 2014 through the family after the death of a relative.

The presentation teapot, sugar bowl and milk jug were found in a box stored in the attic of a cousin’s house at Telford, Shropshire, and although the provenance was quite clear the exact reason why it was originally handed over was a mystery.

Tony, aged 80, of Beech Avenue, Bourne, is the grandson of William Brooks who died in March 1949, aged 66.

He lived in North Road, Bourne where he worked as the man from the Pru, the name given to local area representatives of the Prudential Assurance Company because their work involved meeting their clients in person at their homes. But he was also interested in sport and was a keen supporter and voluntary worker for Bourne Town Football Club.

The work he did must have been greatly appreciated because when he left Bourne and retired to live at Northfield, Birmingham, the club gave him the silver tea service inscribed: “Presented to Mr W Brooks by the Bourne Town Football Club in recognition of his valued services, February 1939.”

But Tony Brooks was unable to find out what these valued services were and the football club were been unable to help either. “My guess is that he must have held some important office to be honoured in this way”, said Tony, “perhaps treasurer, in view of his financial experience, or even secretary. Unfortunately, no one seemed to know where the club records were for this period or even whether they still existed and so I was completely in the dark.”

After William Brooks died, the tea service, together with his grandfather clock, were left first to his wife, Ethel, and then when she died they were passed down through the family and finally inherited by Tony as the eldest living male in the Brooks line. “I searched every possible avenue but without success”, he said. “I even asked the town council for help but they had no information either.”

The town clerk, Mrs Nelly Jacobs, passed the query on to me but an exhaustive search through my own records failed to produce any information about the role William Brooks played with Bourne Town Football Club.

But Tony was unable to find out what these valued services were and inquiries to the football club failed to produce an answer. Then in January 2015, a news item about the presentation was located by the Stamford Mercury Archive Trust which looks after past issues of the newspaper in the copy for Friday 10th February 1939.

The report says that the tea service was handed over during a committee meeting of the football club by the chairman, Councillor W H Smith, who was also vice-chairman of Bourne Urban District Council, “in recognition of his many years of valuable service as treasurer”. The report went on: “Mr Brooks has relinquished his office and is departing the town but leaves the club’s finances in, perhaps, the most healthy condition that they have ever been before.”

The mystery that has baffled the family for many years had therefore been solved. “I am so pleased to have found out what grandpa actually did for the club”, said Tony. “I knew that he must have held some important office to be honoured in this way and treasurer would be a most appropriate appointment in view of his financial experience. I am keeping a copy of the newspaper report with the tea service which will continue to be handed down through the family.”

William Brooks (left) and Councillor William Smith, chairman of the football club who made the presentation.

WRITTEN FEBRUARY 2015