Gold ring detected 18 carats from 1834

The 18 - carat ring bears the name Elizabeth Honywood and her death date on September 29, 1834.

It is believed that the ring was made by her husband, Thomas Hoyywood, who bought the ring after his beloved wife died.

The exciting ring was found by Geoff Smith, 51, on Lancing Beach. He's been using his metal detector as a hobby since 2015 and says he found the ring a few weeks ago.

He addressed the local community via Facebook for help in identifying the original owners.

One member discovered that Elizabeth Morth had married Thomas Honywood in 1810 in Horsham, West Sussex. They had no children and she died in 1834 the same year the ring was made in Sheffield.

Smith speculates that the ring may have been made after her death as a sign of memory.

Further research revealed the entire Honywood family tree and found that several descendants still living in the country.

Liz Honywood had two sisters, one of whom was Anna Morth, born in 1875, who married George Simkin on March 1, 1819.

Unlike her sister, Anna had children, and a direct descendant of her, Vivian Garner, was found to live in the same city but who had died in 2013. Her three grandchildren, Alexine, Stephen and Emmy are still alive.

Smith and Aleksina will meet soon to return the family legacy to its rightful owners.