ON a Sunday afternoon in 1923, an unusual little ceremony took place in St Thomas’ Church, when an interesting brass tablet, which had been stolen many years before, was returned to the church and re-dedicated.

It was through the activities of Frank Stevens (who was involved with the old Salisbury Museum in St Ann’s Street), that the tablet was recovered. Mr Stevens had heard about the tablet in 1909, when it came up for sale at Messrs Puttick and Simpson’s, in London, and was sold to a dealer in St James’s for six guineas.

Afterwards it passed into the possession of a Mr Crisp, FSA, and formed a portion of his valuable collection. After he died it came up for sale at Sotheby’s on November 16, 1922, and passed into the hands of a few private individuals.

On their behalf it was offered to the churchwardens of St Thomas, on condition that they undertook to see that it was securely fixed in the church in a position to be decided on between the donors and the vicar.

The spot chosen was the wall of the South Chapel where it remains to this day. The brass bears the following inscription:-

Here lies the body of Mr William Viner, Alderman, sometime Maior, Of this Cittie, Dyed ye 16th of November, 1680, Aged about 69 years.

William Viner was a vintner, and lived in Castle Street from the year 1649 onwards. In 1668 he became mayor of the city. Ten years later he acquired the lease of the Vine Tavern. He was also a churchwarden of St Thomas. By his will, dated 1667, he gave £50 for the interest of 50s. to be expended on twenty-five yards of grey cloth, and to be bestowed on December 15 annually on five poor men, inhabitants of the city.