A BATTERED old Second World War "demob" suitcase given to Towneley Hall museum, Burnley, turned out to be a treasure chest.

When curators opened it they found that the contents told the story of the life of Burnley man Donald Sturgeon and his family from the 1870s to the early 1950s.

The suitcase was given to the museum by Donald's cousin Edith Mary Sheldrick of Barnoldswick and is now the basis of "A Life Told from A Suitcase" exhibition which will run until the end of February.

Donald's grandparents Alfred Steele, a gardener, and Louisa Sophia (nee Foyle) chief cook, worked as servants at Towneley Hall in the 1870s.

Donald's father, Albert Lawrence Sturgeon, was British weightlifting champion in the 1920s and worked as a strong-man touring the country as part of a team of "acrobatic poseurs".

His mother, known as Elsie, was born in Burnley in 1885. His father was born in Essex in 1893 and before he moved to Burnley was in the 6th Battalion Rifle Brigade, serving in North Africa.

Pictures of Donald's dad and grandparents feature in the exhibition.

Most of the photographs, documents, clothes and other personal belongings found in the suitcase refer to Donald's military service as flight mechanic with the RAF in Denmark, Holland, Belgium, France and Germany.

Other property from the suitcase included his RAF tunic and other items from his uniform, all in pristine condition.

During the war Donald visited Paris after the liberation of the city and among property found were old French bank notes. There is a pocket Bible which he had when in Egypt and even an insurance document taking out by his parents immediately after he was born with a monthly payment of two shillings (24p).

Mrs Sheldrick said that her cousin, a bachelor, first lived with his parents in Patten Street. He then lived in Wordsworth Street, Burnley. At one time he was a postman and then a warehouseman. He was interested in photography. She remembers him as a cheery man but someone who in later life was a recluse.

She said: "He would not allow any visitors into his home. We kept in touch by writing.

"When he died three years ago police saw one of my letters and contacted me at home. It was left to me and my daughters to clear the house and that is when we found the suitcase and its contents."

Museum officer Mike Townend said: "Spanning from a childhood in Burnley to the European battlefields of World War Two, the display presents a combination of local and international 20th-century history which would enrich the history syllabus of schools. Education packs are available for classes."

Once extension work at the hall is complete, the suitcase will form the centrepiece for the Old Burnley Room, to be re-opened in September.