MYSTERY ALL SAINTS CHURCH PORTRAIT

Many of you will know of Christine Buckley, the wife of the present Vicar of All Saints Church in Sedgley, who has contributed a great deal of information and help both to this website and to the Rootsweb Sedgley discussion list over the past years. Well, Christine has come up with a very interesting puzzle that hopefully someone reading this may be able to solve.

She writes...

"Last week I cleared out a cupboard under the stairs in the church for an expert to look at bits of the tower, to decide whether the original dates back before 1200 - if he can.

Among coat-hangers, toys and spare light bulbs, there were two portraits. One is a photograph (above left), touched up in the way they did in early 20th C. It could be the Reverend Swindell. The only photo I've got access to here is on the website, but it shows Swindell with a walrus moustache, so tricky to compare. {Webmaster : I'm pretty sure that it is Swindell. If you compare the facial structure with the other photo, many of the features are the same. Particularly the shape of the ears, eyes and nose and also the shape of the dome of his head.}

The other (the mystery drawing) is a lovely piece of what appears to be original artwork, with silverpoint shading (above right). The costume is first half 19th C. Won't do for the Reverend Charles Girdlestone, even imagining him without specs. I don't think the church would have a picture of his younger brother, Edward, who worked in Devon and Norfolk. Could be a Girdlestone son, perhaps, or a picture of Wm Lewis when he was young. I can't think of any picture of Lewis, but I know there are descendants on the list. (Though the mystery chap's neckwear is black, not white, so he's not portrayed as a clergyman.)"

So, there's the mystery - who is that cloaked man? Any ideas?

You can contact me via my email address if you can help.