Century-old cheque flutters from ceiling (From The Argus)

Century-old cheque flutters from ceiling

7:54am Thursday 11th January 2007 in

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When Chris Nutley pulled down a ceiling at his house he did not bank on finding a cheque dated 100 years ago to the day.

The oak-framing specialist was carrying out work on his home in Newark Place, Brighton, on Tuesday when he came across a folded piece of paper and was amazed to discover it was a cheque dated January 9, 1907.

Chris, 26, said: "What are the chances of finding something like this 100 years to the day later? It almost seemed like someone was playing a joke."

He found the cheque, issued by the Camden Town branch of Parr's Bank, while removing a ceiling at the house with his colleague Will English.

Chris said: "It just fluttered down as we were working. At first we thought it was a note because you often find them tucked into walls but when we unfolded it we could see it wasn't."

The perforated cheque appears to be made out to a Mr Norwood-Brown and is for the sum of 14 guineas - £14.70 today.

There is a stamp across its centre showing it had been cashed.

Chris said: "We can't quite read all of the details but it has lasted very well considering how long it has spent underneath the floorboards."

He plans to frame the cheque and hang it on the wall of his home. He wanted to take it to a historian as well to see whether it was of any interest.

Parr's Bank merged into the Westminster Bank and eventually became part of what is now NatWest.

Dave Marshall, a collector of old coins and bank notes who runs Dapa Forex in Western Road, Hove, said: "Old cheques don't really have too much value because there are still so many of them. They do all have their own history and interest though."

Chris's home, known as The Old Works, has been used for many things including a wood-turners' workshop, a barrow shop and a coal merchants. He said one of its tenants must have either dropped or hidden the note at some stage.

The cheque is not the first thing the two builders have discovered.

Chris said: "You quite often find notes or documents which have been trapped in walls - sometimes by mistake, sometimes on purpose.

"At one house in Newick we came across a note which had been there for 150 years. It was left by one builder and added to by every person who had discovered it since. We added our message to it and then put it back again."