New light has been thrown on the Commerce House statues, the one surviving twin of which was removed for restoration last week.

During recent research, Simon Hancock, town museum manager, found a report in The Pembrokeshire Herald of Friday, October 5th, 1894, describing where the statues originated.

Referring to 'the two handsome figures which have recently been placed on the summit of Messrs Greenish and Dawkins' fine premises in Market Street', it states that they were the gift of Mr John Dawkins, of Haylett Grange, formerly a partner in the firm in which he still took a deep interest.

John Dawkins, who lived at Avallenau until 1888, was the great-grandfather of Mr Gerald Oliver, the antique dealer. The Herald report says the two Portland stone figures represented commerce. The one just removed was 'exportation', depicting goods which have been through different processes of manufacture in the form of a lady at a spinning wheel surrounded by bales of goods ready for export. The other represented 'importation', in the form of a young maiden surrounded by bales of cotton and hemp in a fresh, raw state as when first imported.

The report adds that the statues were installed without hitch by Mr Mumford, of Dew Street, assisted by Mr Noot.

The sculptors were Messrs Butcher and Axtell of Camberwell Road, London, who were also responsible for the Albert Memorial in Kensington Gardens, London. On the back of each statue was the inscription 'Presented by John Dawkins JP, 1894'.

It will be interesting to see if that is still there and even more interesting if someone somewhere has a photograph of the twin, 'importation', lost some time in the 1980s. Pictured: The statue of exportation after its removal last week. PICTURE: Western Telegraph (WTNO814H05).