A woman from Lutterworth was amazed when she discovered a copy of the Leicester Mercury newspaper in a wall cavity of her Victorian home last week.
The copy dates back to 1886 and includes astonishing adverts like a prize of 'artificial teeth' and an advert for a 'respectable married woman' wanted for washing duties.
Fiona Bailey lives in a Victoria house, built in 1850 in Gilmorton and her builder made the discovery while renovating her home.
She told LeicestershireLive: "We are renovating our kitchen at the moment so our builder, Andy was taking a wall down and removed some of the old lath and plaster for the wall.
"He found the newspaper scrunched up in a ball behind it."
The 41-year-old was 'amazed' after brushing off the soot and dust to find that the paper was dated, 1886, 12 years after the Mercury was founded.
She added: "I couldn't believe something so old could be so well preserved inside the walls of our house."
The builder, Andy Swift, 50 said: "I just noticed this crumpled piece of paper wedged into the wall.
"I think they would have put it there to fill a gap in the structure of the building."
Pictures show astonishing adverts in the newspaper including one which reads: "Wanted, washing by respectable married woman in the country."
Another says: "Respectable girl, aged 13, one from the country preferred."
"Wanted, at once, good general servant, age about 17," says a third.
A fourth advert reads: "Respectable youth as cash boy, intelligent and quick."
The recovered pages also include a notice about the results of a chess match played between the 'Young Men's Christian Association and the Grancy Club in Market Place."
There is also news of Prince Henry of Battenberg which says: "Prince Henry of Batternberg left Windsor this morning."
Another describes a fire at 'Messrs. Gileby's, London stores.'
Fiona is a senior lecturer on the 'fashion buying' course at De Montfort University and was fascinated to read the adverts from the 134-year old newspaper.
She said: "I was particularly interested to read an advert for T&G Williams Mode de Paris fashions which showed the latest novelties in Ladies plush, silk and cloth mantles, short jackets, paletots and the newest tambour shape Ulsters'.
"It's like a different language but it's absolutely fascinating."
After some research, Fiona found out that The Ulster was a caped travelling coat, originally from Belfast which was sold from 1866 and a paletot is a women's fitted coat with peaked laps, originating from France.
The lecturer added: "The situations vacant section is particularly interesting. Adverts for cow keepers and respectable married women for washing show just how much times have changed.
"It's lovely to have a special piece of history - I had no idea the Leicester Mercury was that old!"
