Since the last newsletter there has been a large number of significant donations to the auction. Here is a small selection that will give a flavour of the many good things that will be on sale on June 23rd 2018:
Georgian waistcoat – this beautiful family heirloom was worn by a 14 year old who was apprenticed in 1812. It comes with a photocopy of his indentures (original preserved in a Cambridge museum).
Set of 15 hand bells from Mears of London in very good condition, contained in a magnificent wooden trunk. The donor supplied the following information:
The box of hand-bells, 2 octaves in E minor (or major(?)) most probably acquired by my Grandfather, all his life a country parson in Lincolnshire, ordained Priest, I think, by Bp Wordsworth around 1880, died just after Easter at home in 1918: for 8 years a curate in Sleaford, then Vicar of North Summercoates, then of Kettlethorpe, made Canon under Bp Edward King. My Grandmother lived in Sleaford. Somewhere there he may have found the bells.
Longines Chronograph – ‘Grand Prix’ silver pocket stop watch (pictured left)
Part of a large donation of domestic silverware are these lovely Victorian bon-bon dishes and salver together with an Edwardian cake basket (pictured right)