DESCENDENTS of a round-the-world adventurer have been reunited thanks to an appeal in the Daily Echo and Swanage and Wareham Advertiser.

The story of George Harding, who set off with the famous French explorer Harry De Windt in 1901, had proven elusive to family history researcher Enid Jones.

Her grandfather was the brother of George Harding and her only clue of his links to the local area was the record of a model Inuit kayake having been auctioned at Cottees in Wareham.

It was one of a collection of intriguing artefacts amassed by George Harding during his travels.

In 1901-1902 Harry de Windt had made an attempt to find a railway route linking Paris to New York overland via Russia, hiring George, a photographer and a Cossack acting as a guide.

Now, after 25 years of painstaking research and a public appeal, Enid Jones from North Yorkshire has finally met up with his relatives in Bournemouth.

It turned out George Harding had retired to Boscombe in his 40s and Enid discovered she has second cousins - namely his son's wife, Flo Harding, who lives in Ensbury Park, and grand-daughter Marion Martin, 52, who lives in Wareham.

Enid, 64, said: "I can't really quite believe it at the moment. After 25 years of research, it ends like this - it's unbelievable."

Marion said: "It's amazing - there is a whole branch of the family I never knew existed. I have acquired more family than I ever imagined having."

George and his brother grew up in a Wiltshire village and like many of his generation went into service, working as a pageboy for Lord Long. This led to his meeting Harry De Windt.

Marion said: "He worked for Harry De Windt for many years and went all around the world with him.

"He later lived in London where he met my grandmother, who came from Wimborne, and they decided to move here. My father was their only child."

Marion has been able to show Enid news cuttings of the expedition and share stories that have passed down the generations, including the time when Harry de Windt celebrated his birthday in the wilds of Siberia. Having survived on rancid reindeer and walrus for two months he was amazed when George Harding produced a Christmas pudding he'd secreted away in the expedition stores.

First published: September 22