A PERSONALISED pewter tankard from which 19th Century Swindon landlord Richard Bullen enjoyed many a leisurely half has gone on display at the Central Library after a remarkable 8,000-mile round trip.

The mug and the singularly unusual story of how it returned to Swindon after mysteriously finding its way to the American Mid-West is being exhibited in a glass cabinet at the library’s local studies zone.

Andy Binks of the Swindon Society said he was delighted that “a small piece of our history” was now back home and on show for the benefit of heritage-minded residents.

The story, you could say, began when publican Bullen (1831-1907) arrived from Wantage in 1873 to run The Union, one of several canal-side taverns located in the vicinity of the Great Western Railway Works.

Just off Sheppard Street, The Union was at the time doing a roaring trade in ‘a ha’porth and a penn’orth’ of hot coffee with a tot of rum that were lined up on the bar from 6am to warm the bellies of railwaymen who had often walked miles to work.

Bullen only managed the pub for three years but during that time he came to possess a personalised beer mug made in Bristol with the neat inscription: “R Bullen, Union Hotel, New Swindon.”

Right next to the pub was a canal bridge that became known as Bullen’s Bridge – almost certainly a reference to the landlord.

In 1875 Croydon-born Bullen moved back to London to run a number of alehouses. He has been dead for well over a century, the canal was officially closed exactly 100 years ago and the pub was bulldozed during the 1950s to make way for a factory extension.

But the mug lived on… and somehow found its way to America.

Approximately 4,000 miles away in the town of Rochester, Minnesota last year, Shari Jarrett was at an auction of items which belonged to a recently-deceased vicar when her fancy was taken by box of assorted drinking vessels.

She snapped it up and while later sorting through the box she found among the items in it Bullen’s trusty tankard.

Intrigued by the inscription she hit the internet and came across an article in the Adver bemoaning Swindon’s long gone hostelries – including The Union.

Exchanging emails across the Atlantic led to a story in the Adver in March this year along with a generous offer from Shari, a 50 year-old baker-cum-chef.

Was there a brewery museum in Swindon to which she could donate her splendid vessel? Sadly, no. But the Swindon Society – dedicated to preserving our heritage – would love the historic flagon as a fine artefact-cum-reminder of the town’s Victorian past. Big-hearted Shari popped it in the post to us and we were delighted to present it to the society – right on the spot where The Union once stood, now a Swindon railway station car park.

The society would like to see the tankard on permanent display but for the next three months or so it can be seen at the Swindon Central Library.

Mr Binks said: “It was very nice that a lady 4,000 miles away has made sure that a small piece of our history should now remain in the town of Swindon.

“We did not know why Bullen’s Bridge was so called, but we think that little mug almost certainly confirms that it was named after the landlord of The Union.

“Thank you Shari from the people of Swindon.”