Century-old time capsule is reburied under Suffolk church

The old milk bottle containing early 20th Century items was discovered in 2019

A milk bottle time capsule has been reburied exactly 100 years after it was originally hidden on 16 May 1923.

The capsule was discovered in 2019 beneath the pulpit of The Sacred Heart Church in Southwold, Suffolk, during renovations.

Contractors working on the building found the glass bottle, which contained newspaper pages and photographs from the early 20th Century.

The original items have been re-installed in the new Ambo lectern, along with contemporary versions of the same artefacts.

The original capsule contained pages of the Times newspaper, dated 15 May, as well as coins - and a photograph of the then parish priest, Fr Henry St Leger Mason, holding the glass bottle.

A card in Fr Henry’s handwriting explained in Latin that the time capsule would be placed under the pulpit on 16 May 1923.  

His note included the names of the Pope, the Bishop of the Diocese of Northamptonshire, his own as parish priest - and that of King George V.

The updated capsule was placed in the new Ambo made with panels from the old pulpit

Laurette Burton, from the Diocese of East Anglia's Commission for Dialogue and Unity, said: "Fr Henry also named the anonymous donor of the pulpit.

"Fr Christopher Smith put the time capsule into a specially-prepared space in the stone base of the new Ambo, watched by a number of parishioners and stone masons."

Fr Christopher said: "I am delighted the time capsule will go into the Ambo 100 years to the day since it was placed under the pulpit.

"The construction of the Ambo with panels from the old pulpit marks the completion of the restoration of the church," he added. 

Pages from the day’s Times newspaper, a 50p coin bearing the head of King Charles III, a photograph of parish priest Fr Christopher Smith and a memory stick with the renovation details and history of the church have been added to the original items.