Codebreaker Alan Turing's Belongings Returned to England From Conifer

It was a long time coming: Historical items belonging to Alan Turing, the legendary British mathematician and code breaker, were returned to the Sherborne School in Dorset, England, during a special ceremony this week. The artifacts — including Turing’s Ph.D. diploma from Princeton University, an Order of the British Empire Medal, a personal note from King George VI of England, a number of school reports, and various photos — had been taken from the school archives nearly forty years ago by a woman named Julia Schinghomes, who claimed to be a relative.

In early 2018, federal agents seized them during a raid on the Conifer home of Julia Turing, who'd changed her name from Schinghomes because she felt she was the spiritual daughter of Alan Turing. Most people learned about Alan Turing through The Imitation Game, a 2014 biopic starring Benedict Cumberbatch; they learned about Julia Turing when the U.S. Attorney’s Office filed a complaint accusing her of stealing his belongings from his alma mater.

Alan Turing had attended the school from 1926 to 1931, and the items were originally placed there by his family in the ’60s.

According to a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in the District of Colorado, U.S. authorities learned of the existence of the Turing artifacts when they were offered for display at the University of Colorado in Boulder in 2018. After an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations revealed that they'd been removed illegally from the Sherborne School, the U.S. Attorney's Office took action and the feds organized the Conifer raid, as detailed in a June 2021 Westword cover story.

The matter was ultimately resolved in a settlement. “Together with Homeland Security Investigations, our office ensured that historical artifacts belonging to Alan Turing are now back in the place where they belong,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan in an announcement of the deal. “We celebrate the accomplishments of Alan Turing and are thrilled that the historical significance of these artifacts will continue to be appreciated by scholars and generations to come.”

“Sir Alan Turing was named a national hero for the crucial role he played in cracking coded messages during World War II, enabling the Allies to defeat the Axis Powers,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Ryan L. Spradlin. “I’m very proud that HSI Denver investigators and our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office were able to recover his effects after being missing for nearly forty years.”

You can learn more about Turing and see some of his artifacts on the school website; read our original tale of two Turings here.