Home / Crime and Justice / Solicitor Spots 17th Century Art Online, Reclaims It
Solicitor Spots 17th Century Art Online, Reclaims It
7 Jun
Summary
- A solicitor found a stolen 17th-century memorial board online.
- The artefact was stolen from St Leonard's Church in 1996.
- The artwork honors George Cordell and is valued at £3,000.
A significant 17th-century memorial board, stolen from St Leonard's Church in Flamstead, Hertfordshire, in 1996, has been returned after nearly thirty years. The recovery was facilitated by Richard d'Apice, a solicitor and heraldry expert based in Sydney, Australia.
D'Apice discovered the painted wooden panel, valued at approximately £3,000, while perusing an online auction house catalogue. He recognized the artefact as a memorial to George Cordell, an individual who served three monarchs and was interred within the church. The hook for the memorial had remained empty since the theft in 1996.
Church officials confirmed that the memorial had been largely forgotten by the local community over the intervening years. D'Apice's online identification and subsequent cross-referencing efforts enabled the church to alert authorities and reclaim the stolen item. The successful retrieval marks a poignant reunion for the church and its historical records.
