The Australian helping to return stolen English church artefacts

From more than 10,500 miles away, an Australian solicitor helped return two artefacts stolen from English churches.

Richard d'Apice spotted the items - a panel and a funeral hatchment - from Norfolk and Hertfordshire places of worship, while doing some online shopping.

The Heraldry Society member who loves a symbol said it "feels wonderful" to know his extensive knowledge and research had been put to good use, and the items were now "back to where they belong".

d'Apice, 80, who lives in Sydney, says he has always been interested in heraldry, and particularly funeral heraldry, said: "Any church that's got a door open, I have to have a look".

Last December, he was looking online for items being sold by Dreweatt Auction House when he came across a painted wooden panel.

After carrying out a lot of research, he discovered it had been mentioned in early writings in an 1812 publication called The Gentleman's Magazine, and it was from St Leonard's Church in Flamstead, Hertfordshire.

It dates from the 1600s, is worth about £3,000, and commemorates George Cordell, who served in the royal households of three monarchs.

"These things are very hard to obtain ecclesiastical permission to be removed from church furnishings, so it was unusual to see it outside the church", d'Apice says.

"So I wrote to the rector and church wardens to alert them it had been put up for sale, and they acted very promptly.

"They were able to identify from their own records that it was stolen from the church in 1996, along with another painting.

"As it had been reported to the police and the Art Loss Register, they were able to establish it was their property and it had not left the church legally."

The auction house was provided with the relevant documents, it was removed from sale, and its collection was arranged.

"It feels wonderful [to have helped]," he said.

"It actually came very quickly after I had identified the cause of the restoration of a funeral hatchment from St Margaret's Church, in Felbrigg, Norfolk."

He said the item in this case - a decorative diamond-shaped panel showing the coat of arms of Cecilia, widow of William Windham MP, who died in 1824 - was being offered for sale by Sworders Fine Art Auctioneers in Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex.

Essex Police's rural engagement team investigated, and it was eventually returned to St Margaret's in October.

PC Dane Wyatt said it was recovered "from the seller, who had bought it in good faith around 20 years ago.

"Then, happily, I was able to deliver it safely back to its legal guardians," he added.

Sworders Fine Art Auctioneers said it was proud to have helped get back "safely where it belongs".

d'Apice added: "Contents of churches are slowly being eroded by theft.

"Theft is a major risk, and the Art Loss Register is a real way of proving the loss occurred, the true owner at the date of the loss, and it's been hugely successful across the whole of the art world."

He will visit St Leonard's Church on 4 June and unveil the returned panel as part of the Flamstead Arts Festival.

"I'm excited to know the memorial board has been returned to the place it's been for hundreds of years," he said.

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