A FARTOWN couple have dug up a family’s history dating back to the early 1900s – at their allotment.

Richard Byrne and wife Anna Marie discovered the tin in a wall as they dug underground. It contained hundreds of photographs, a telegram, recipes and a calendar on their allotment.

They have pieced together clues about the people in the photographs and found they may belong to family named Rogers.

And they would love to reunite the relics with descendents of the family.

Mr Byrne, father of two-year-old Joseph, said: “To think that someone hid the tin in a wall, maybe to look at it when they went there, is just amazing.

“We would really like to return it to the family if they can be found.

“If not then we will donate it to a local museum or history group because it shows so much about local industry and the Second World War.”

The couple found the item on their Dewhurst Road, Fartown allotment.

They can date the photographs back to 1910 but suspect some were take much earlier.

A man named John Henry is said to have served in the forces.

While photographs show a man possibly in India.

A telegram is also among the items to a Miss E Royle on her 21st birthday sent by Rita and Margaret on an unknown date – it is possible the E is an woman called Edna.

One of the photographs shows a gravestone with the words ‘In Loving memory of John Henry, beloved husband of Louisa Rix, died January 10 1928 aged 46 years’.

A newspaper cutting of the Amalgamate Engineering Unit, Saltend Installation features a Mr B A Tunks, manager, and a J Royle of 2 Meadow Road, Driffield, who joined the company in October 1910 in Huddersfield.

It says that Mr Royle served in the force from June 1915 to February 1919.

A recipe for elderberry wine was also included in the box along with a Christmas cake recipe which was sent to Doris Rogers at Wardour Street in London.

Research shows the Rogers family may have lived at or had connections to 32 Woodhouse Grove in Fartown.

Anyone who knows the Rogers family or can help Richard and Anna Marie reunite the box and photographs with its rightful owner is asked to call them on 01484 420 386 or email at walkingwestcoast@yahoo.co.uk.