Civic society wants to find King George III statue sceptre

Heritage lovers are asking for help to trace the sceptre that King George III held in his right hand when the statue that was erected in his honour on Weymouth Esplanade was unveiled.

After a civic society member noticed that the right hand was positioned on hold something he set out to discover what it may have been.

Old photographs and records revealed it was a sceptre but  there was no record of it in place since 1977.

The Weymouth and Dorchester Civic Societies are now appealing for help to trace the royal regalia.

The King's statue in Weymouth (Image: Dorchester Civic Society)

Chairman of the Dorchester Civic Society, Ian Gosling, who and wanted to look more into it. 

He said: “When I last visited the statue, I had noticed that his right hand was in a position which looked unnatural, as if he were meant to be grasping a cane or similar object.

Weymouth Civic Society contacted me to confirm that he used to carry the Sceptre of State in that hand.

“This was confirmed in the listing particulars of what is an important Grade I Monument- it's a real whodunnit."

It is believed that the sceptre on the statue was last seen sometime between 1977, and 1986. 

Graham Perry of the Weymouth Civic Society has been in dialogue with Dorset Council, who are responsible for the care of the Grade I statue, for several years. 

According to him, the council has surveyed the statue. He said: "We know that it went missing between 1977 and 1986- there was no indication of any maintenance work carried out by the council, but somehow, mysteriously, someone at some point must have taken his sceptre. It must go back. 

"It would be helpful to find the original, and we would look to have two sceptres made in case this were to happen again."

The listing from English Heritage states: “The King, in Garter robes, holds the sceptre, in his right hand, and is backed by various insignia, including to his right, the Crown on a cushion, Royal standard and Union flag; to his left are a pile of books and a large oval shield of arms.”

The three-plinth statue is topped by King George in his robes of state, flanked on each side by a unicorn – whose horn has gone missing more than once over the years – and a golden lion.

Back in 1802, the idea for a statue was muted and was duly designed and made. After the king fell ill in 1805 the plan was mothballed.

In 1809, to mark 50 years of the anniversary of George’s ascension to the throne, the statue was dusted off and put in place. It was originally painted bronze, only becoming multi-coloured as late as 1948.

Mr Gosling did some digging and saw the sceptre in all its gilded splendour featuring prominently on a postcard from the 1950s.

The 1950s postcard featuring George III's sceptre (Image: Weymouth Civic Society) He added: “It is recorded again in a photo taken in 1977, but it had disappeared by July 1986, when the Weymouth Civic Society went to photographed the statue.

“I would like to solve the mystery of the missing sceptre and if anyone knows who removed it and its present whereabouts?”

Mr Gosling is hoping that the ornament has ended up getting lost in an attic, or garden shed and is appealing to the public in hope of its return, with all replies being treated in strict confidence.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact either the Weymouth or Dorchester Civic Society's through their websites.