A LETTER which was signed by Queen Victoria has raised £395 for a children's hospice.

The official document, which is dated 1860, was found folded up and tucked into a book placed in a cardboard box full of bric-a-brac which had been anonymously donated to the Julia's House charity shop and warehouse in Creekmoor.

It marked the appointment of William Jacob as an ensign in the Honourable Artillery Company and was counter-signed by Sidney Herbert, the Secretary of State for War at the time and the man responsible for sending Florence Nightingale out to the Crimean War.

Graham Crabb, who volunteers at the charity's shop on Northmead Drive, said that the letter was very nearly thrown away, but it was fortunately noticed by one of his colleagues, who flagged it up.

He said: "I was in the sorting area searching for a biscuit and one of the volunteers was waving about the document in one hand and a Jammy Dodger in the other.

"It was obviously a surprise and an exciting find for us. Initially the interest was in the style of writing in the letter and then it came back a bit later that it had Queen Victoria's signature on it.

"We haven't got a clue where it came from. It was just among a box of donations."

Graham said that the letter was sent away to be authenticated by signature experts and they also contacted the Honourable Artillery Company archive, before it was sold on the charity’s eBay account.

He added: "It is not the highest price that we have had for an item, but it's one of the most unique. We have had a Spectrum computer by Sinclair Research Ltd which sold for £600, some professional kites which sold for £500, right up to some inflatable RIBs and an outboard engine.

"The charity was able to set up the eBay account last year, which has allowed us to sell the bigger items which wouldn't go out onto the shop floor."

Julia's House children's hospice is based in Corfe Mullen where they provide dedicated care to children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions. Families can also use the respite and end-of-life care services in their own homes across Dorset and Wiltshire.

A new hospice is set to open in Devizes in Wiltshire in 2017. The charity receives just five-per-cent of its total annual funding from the government, making it one of the worst-funded hospices in the UK, and relies on public fundraising and donations for 95-per-cent of its income.