News

Tennants Auctioneers are delighted to welcome Susan E. Stuart, the well respected Gillows expert, to a Valuation and book signing day, Friday 7th November 2008, at their premises in Leyburn.

Visitors will benefit from Susan E. Stuart’s expertise at this free event, as well as that of our experienced valuers. The acclaimed author will be on hand from 10am – 4pm to assist visitors with their queries and is happy to help identify Gillows furniture and furniture made by other cabinetmakers to the firm's designs.

With nearly 2000 lots to be sold over three days, there is plenty of treasure to discover at Tennants’ Autumn Catalogue Sale 20, 21 & 22 November

Each department is proud to offer items of beauty and interest. Many pieces have a story to tell, as with Thomas Whitcombe’s (c.1752-c.1824) oil of the Battle of the Saintes, 12th April 1782, the surrender of the Ville de Paris Est. £35,000-40,000 (Lot 910). Whitcombe was the war correspondent of his day and nobody contributed more to recording the naval side of the French Revolutionary Wars. The Battle of the Saintes, took place over four days, 9-12 April 1782, during the American Revolutionary War, and was a victory for the British Fleet.

At the Tennants three-day Summer Catalogue Sale the auction house was packed throughout and a record (for a Summer Sale) £1.7million hammer price was realised.  Buyers from as far away as Shanghai boosted the international interest in the auction which helped to dispel the fears of a major ‘slow-down’ in consumer spending.

A signed Wilf Mannion England Football Cap from 13th October 1946 is one of the sale’s highlights.  Wilf Mannion was arguably Middlesbrough’s greatest ever forward and this cap is estimated to sell for £1,300-£1,700.  The game, England v Wales, was played at Manchester City’s ground, Main Road and England won 3-0 with Mannion scoring two goals and setting up the third.

For collectors, there are also several hundred football programmes some dating back to the 1930’s and some from FA Cup finals.

Other sports represented in the sale are cricket, horseracing and hunting.  Also there are a number of lots of taxidermy, trophy heads and fishing tackle including Hardy Brothers, Alnwick.

On Wednesday the 25th June, Yorkshire auctioneers Tennants, brushed away current economic fears with its most successful ever book auction. The Leyburn auction house was packed with prospective bidders and extra seating had to be rushed in at the last minute.

The leading attraction was a first edition of Jane Eyre. The 1847 three volume set, written by Yorkshire author Charlotte Bronte under the pseudonym of Currer Bell, was brought into the Leyburn auction centre by a member of the public. Book specialist Paul Hughes identified it as the rare first edition and advertised the book worldwide. ‘I believed that it would make up to £10,000 but I was delighted for the vendor when a phone bidder pushed the price to £17,500’.