Painting of 'Uncle George' goes home

The Peploe family of Bristol, England, are reunited with their long-lost ancestor, Samuel.

An English family are celebrating the return of a historic portrait, missing for almost 50 years but returned thanks to an Auckland couple.

The portrait of the 18th century Reverend Samuel Peploe had been passed down through eight Peploe generations until it was lost in 1958, along with two other family portraits.

The family's search for the paintings led conservationist Rupert to New Zealand after the discovery last year of correspondence in an obscure archive belonging to an expert on 18th century English portraiture.

The letter was written by a William Petersen of Auckland in 1978, requesting information about an anonymous portrait he had bought at auction.

With the letter was a very grainy black and white photograph of the portrait.

But the trail quickly grew cold, with the discovery that Mr Petersen sold the picture at another Auckland auction in 1993.

Last June, the Herald published a story about the quest for the painting, after Mr Peploe took out an advertisement seeking information on its whereabouts.

A Parnell couple who had bought the portrait from an art gallery were surprised to see a picture of their painting in the newspaper.

Mr Peploe, who declined to name the couple, said they initially bought the picture because they liked the frame, but grew fond of the man they nicknamed their Uncle George.

Contacted by the couple, a thrilled Mr Peploe agreed to send them another painting from the same period in exchange for the heirloom.

"The New Zealand couple were very generous in letting me swap it for another one, particularly as they had formed quite a strong attachment to it," he said.

The portrait finally arrived back in England in September.

"It was so exciting getting the first glimpse of the portrait after nearly 50 years of being separated from our family," Mr Peploe said.

"I was amazed to discover Samuel had blue eyes as I had always pictured him having brown."

The Englishman commissioned restorers to reline and clean the picture, to be ready by Christmas.

Mr Peploe said he was delighted with the result and has hung the portrait in the dining room of his Bristol home.

Visiting her son for Christmas, his mother was especially thrilled to see the portrait again. Her only regret is that her husband, who died in 1980, could not share in the celebration of its return.

As for the Parnell couple, they have a replacement.

"They were keen to have a decorative portrait and I found one of a Polish gentleman who was wearing a sword and breastplate with a highly embroidered jacket painted around 1730," Mr Peploe said.

"It was curious because when I went to collect it after the sale at Bonhams Auction House, I discovered the name of the sitter to be George something, which hadn't been mentioned in the sale details."

The Aucklanders have ended up with an Uncle George after all.