Antique clock returned to East Sussex museum following 2001 theft

Staff at Preston Manor in Brighton said the clock was a huge favourite with visitors, especially children because sailing ships moved to music when the clock chimes every hour.

They were shocked to witness two men steal the musical timepiece from the premises on February 12, 2001.

The suspects escaped the scene in a vehicle parked nearby, but despite a thorough investigation by Sussex Police, they were never traced.

However, the force’s Rural Crime Team recovered the item from an auction house in 2023, after the Art Loss Register – a network where stolen art and antiques can be registered and monitored – notified the Brighton & Hove Museums that it was listed for sale.

RCT Sergeant Tom Carter 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 on Friday 12 April.”

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.

CEO of the Brighton & Hove Museums Hedley Swain 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.”