A book that has been missing from a Hereford school library for more than 120 years has finally been returned.

The tome was borrowed by former pupil Professor Arthur Boycott, who attended Hereford Cathedral School between 1886 and 1894.

‘The Microscope and its Revelations’ by Dr William B Carpenter was discovered by Alice Gillett, granddaughter of Professor Boycott, when she was sorting through a collection of 6,000 books following the death of her husband earlier this year.

On discovery of the HCS library stamp inside the book, Mrs Gillett, who lives near Taunton, felt compelled to return it. She joked: “I can’t imagine how the school has managed without it!”

The book would almost certainly have been of good use to young Boycott, as he eventually graduated with first class honours in Natural Science, and became a distinguished naturalist and pathologist. As a child he took great interest in natural history, and his particular passion was snails: at age 15 Boycott published his first paper listing the snail species that could be found in Herefordshire.

Mrs Gillett recalls that Boycott’s fascination with fauna and flora made him quite a hazardous driver because he was so obsessed with observing the hedgerows.

“My grandmother said he always had snails in his pockets,” she added.

If the book had been borrowed from Hereford Library, which charges 17p a day, the fine would have been £7,446 although the school has promised to waive any fines.

It comes after an ancient carving was anonymously returned to the school more than 50 years after it taken as ‘a dare’.

The wooden decoration was posted back to the school with a note apologising and claiming that it had been well looked after. The note said that the finial had been unearthed during a house move.