A FUNDRAISING push to save a piece of Haverfordwest history for the town has been successful.

Generous donors have dug deep to ensure an antique mace once used by a Haverfordwest mayor in the early 1800s will be acquired by the town's museum.

Museum curator Simon Hancock had been behind the drive to secure the mace after it appeared on Facebook, advertised by Angela Colella, whose brother bought it from an antiques dealer.

The town museum contacted Angela, who agreed to give the museum the opportunity to buy it and put it on display.

According to an engraving on the brass knob at the top of the mace, the owner was James Higgon, who was mayor of Haverfordwest in 1827 and 1835.

“The Higgons were an old gentry family, and the first of them was mayor in 1711,” said Mr Hancock.

Members of the Higgon family served in many important local roles including four High Sheriffs of Pembrokeshire, and Scolton Manor was built for the family between 1840 and 1842.

“This is a really interesting artefact from the reign of George IV.”

An online appeal was started and this week Mr Hancock confirmed the mace had been acquired.

He added: "We are delighted to be able to add this historic artefact to our collection which we hold in trust for all the people of Haverfordwest and we are sincerely grateful to everyone who contributed and made it possible for us to purchase it."