19th-century coconut set to fetch £700 when it goes under the hammer

The coconut, which dates back almost two centuries, belonged to John Paton, a missionary from Dumfries, Dumfries and Galloway.

Paton collected the coconut from a beach on the island of Aniwa, Vanuatu, South Pacific Ocean while serving as a missionary.

He transported it halfway around the world to Scotland where it was rattled at Church services and on the streets of Glasgow for 70 years.

Auctioneers Lyon and Turnbull said the "simple" coconut missionary box tells an amazing story.

Specialist Alex Tweedy said: "I would say he is Scotland’s most famous missionary with the exception of Dr Livingstone of course.

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"His story is very interesting and has all the things people enjoy reading about.

"The item we are offering is a simple coconut, picked up on the beach by Paton and transported back to Scotland to act as a collecting tin.

"Humble object but with an amazing story."

Paton, one of nine children, was born in a small thatched cottage on Braehead Farm, Dumfries, in 1824.

After working in the slums of Glasgow, Paton was ordained in 1858 and just three weeks later he set sail to the South Pacific with his wife, Mary.

At this time Vanuatu, formerly the New Hebrides, had a fearsome reputation for cannibalism, inter-tribal warfare and violence towards outsiders.

Paton first settled on the volcanic island of Tanna and was cautiously welcomed by the inhabitants around the south coast where he had landed.

But he was quickly exposed to the realities of life when he was forced to hide out as a battle between two rival clans raged around him.

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As time went on, Paton learned elements of the local language and began to gather around him some followers.

He even felt comfortable enough to have Mary come and join him on the island, where she gave birth to a son, Peter.

Tragically just nineteen days later, Mary died from tropical fever and was soon followed by their baby son - their graves can still be found on the island now.

A grief-stricken Paton left Tanna after threats on his life, returning to Scotland to raise awareness of his New Hebrides mission.

During this time that he married for a second time, to Margaret Whitecross.

Arriving back in the South Seas in 1866, the pair established a new Mission station on the neighbouring island of Aniwa, a tiny speck of land just three square miles.

They built a small hut and began to raise a family there.

At some point during the years which followed their landing on Aniwa and their final retirement in Victoria, Paton picked up the coconut shown on the Aniwan sands.

Lyon and Turnbull have valued the coconut at between £500 and £700 at their African and Oceanic and Antiquities sale on May 1.

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