A gathering of the Sturge Family at Frenchay Meeting House in 1980 was entertained by the late Sylvia Lloyd Lewin (nee Sturge,) who told the story of the strange fate of a pet bear.

"In my grandparents garden at Frederick Road, Birmingham, there were some large empty cages which had once housed a variety of unusual pets that we loved hearing about. The most dramatic were the two bears which Wilson Sturge (1834-1899,) my grandfather, brought back with him from visits to Norway - a country he loved. This is Grandma Sara Sturge's account of the arrival of one of the creatures:

"One day the carriage brought him to our door and the chain attached to the collar was put into my hands. He began at once to bite and tear my dress, so I gave him to my little son Harry and told him to take it into the garden. It soon got away and ran all over the flowerbeds with its chain behind it, so the result you can imagine. One evening, the parlour being full of visitors, my husband brought it in to exhibit; in a trice all the ladies climbed onto their chairs and stood in terror until Wilson disappeared with his playfellow. It was kept in the stable and fed on rice, but it ate such a quantity I got tired of him and was thankful when a friend took fancy to him. His end I do not remember, as that was seventy years ago."

Previously, before their marriage, there was another bear, and the 'end' of this one is well known. "It grew so big and strong," my grandmother wrote in her memoir, "that it had to be destroyed, for it even bit the coachman. It was a fat little beast, and the family had it cooked for the sake of the bear's grease. This they made into scented pomade for the hair and gave it round to their friends in boxes, with a novel design and motto. This happened so long ago (1856) that it is not so wonderful that these have all disappeared."

If I had not read those words I would not have recognised the round scrap of paper which I came upon recently. Here it is, the design and motto from one of those pots of melted-down pet bear. It is always pleasant when a long-cherished family legend turns out to be true!"