“Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whisky is barely enough.”

Lot 150.  A Limited Edition bottle of Macallan Whisky, released to celebrate the Marriage of HRH The Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981. The release was a marriage of single malt Whisky distilled in 1948 and 1961 the years of the Royal couples’ births.
Estimate £1,000 – £1,500

Sold for £1,900 on 5th June

 

The Macallan distillery is a single malt Scotch whisky distillery in Craigellachie, Moray.

The Pierrepoint Collection sold for £20,000 (5th June 2019)

Boldon Auction Galleries have been consigned for Auction a collection of items belonging to Albert Pierrepoint (30 March 1905 – 10 July 1992) Britain’s most famous hangman who executed approximately 600 people in a 25-year career that ended in 1956.  The collection includes his notebook which lists the executions carried out with details to determine how to achieve the quickest death and his father Henry’s notebook, the plaster cast of Albert Pierrepoint’s face and hands, photographs and documents, watch chain and cigar holder.

• Henry Pierrepoint’s execution book (1 November 1901 – 14 July 1910), includes personal details of those hanged including the prisoner’s name, age, height, weight and drop, site of execution and remarks detailing the physical frame of the prisoners and calibre of their necks; “very heavy body, ordinary neck, wirey, very thin neck, little flabby”. 18cm x 11cm

• Albert Pierrepoint’s leather-bound execution ledger, embossed with his name “A. Pierrepoint”, (29 December 1932 – 27 July 1955) includes personal details of those hanged with additional notes such as “the German, Dutch and Belgium spies, French Canadian, USA, IRA, British Soldier” etc. 15cm x 24cm

• An amber and ivory cigar holder, with leather silver velvet lined case, 8cm long, belonged to Henry A. Pierrepoint. (Albert’s father and British hangman).

• A silver watch chain worn by Albert Pierrepoint, Henry Pierrepoint (his father) and Thomas Pierrepoint (his Uncle) at hundreds of executions between 1900 and 1956. 42cm long

• Documents and photographs including the “Memorandum of Conditions to which any person acting as Executioner is required to conform”, a letter of thanks from the War Office, written by Lieutenant-Colonel J.R.H. Robertson referring to the hanging of three men Hensmann, Smith and Golby in a secluded area of the Egyptian desert, photographs of the Pierrepoint men, Robert Fabian (Fabian of the Yard) and John Ellis (Hangman) and a Sunday Pictorial newspaper, May 13 1945 with an article about John Amery a pro-Nazi British fascist who Albert Pierrepoint went on to hang.

Drop in Valuation Sessions

Friday 7th June 10am- 12noon and 2pm-4pm

Saturday 8th June 10am -1pm

No appointment needed ~ Free ~  No obligation to sell 

More than 6 items ? we have lots of free appointments available

see www.boldonauctions.co.uk

email info@boldonauctions.co.uk

telephone 0191 537 2630

From Guinness to Guitars

Do you have items for FREE valuation and possibly sale??

We are booking appointments for:

Monday 10th June

Tuesday 11th June

Wednesday 12th June

Thursday 13th June

Please call 0191 537 2630 or email info@boldonauctions.co.uk to make an appointment

Dickinson's Real Deal coming to town

Don't Forget !!!!

Wednesday 5th June 2019 will see ITVs Dickinson's Real Deal filming our Auction - Antique and Interiors Sale

So get here early - doors open from 9am

Antique and Interiors Sale 

Wednesday 5th June 2019

Our Auction Catalogue will be on-line from 5pm 

Friday 31st May

and View in person 

Saturday 1st June 10am-1pm

Tueday 4th June 2pm-6pm

and morning of the sale from 9am

Tales of a Hangman

We were recently contacted by a gentleman who had a very personal story about Albert Pierrepoint and he was happy for us to share it.  The gentleman's Grandfather was a Prison Warden at Winson Green Prison, Birmingham.


"Albert would come up to Birmingham by train, the night before a hanging. He would arrive at New Street Station and make his way to our prison quarters at Winson Green close to the City hospital where I was born. 

He was a small unassuming man who always wore a trilby hat. He would have dinner with my family, smoke a cigar and take me on his knee. He would tell me a bedtime story which always ended happily ever after.  I was 2 or 3 years old when I first met him in 1948. 

My grandfather's were both prison officers and one of them would take Mr Pierrepoint to meet the condemned man in his cell, the night before the execution.  Once inside the cell Pierrepoint would offer his hand to the prisoner.  The prisoner would stand, offer his hand and in that moment Pierrepoint would estimate his height and weight.  He would then go to the execution chamber and adjust his scaffold accordingly to ensure he had a clean kill. 

My grandfather meanwhile would remain in the condemned cell to ensure the prisoner didn’t attempt to cheat the gallows by committing suicide.

At the appointed hour (usually 8am) my grandfather and a priest would take the prisoner down.  He would be blindfolded, blessed and executed.  The prison clock would then ring out to confirm the execution.

According to my grandparents, he never referred to the condemned man in any way. He approached his job with great gravity but never discussed the circumstances leading to the hanging verdict. 

My grandfather retired from the prison service in 1952 and Albert retired in about 1956 I think. They intended to write their memoirs together but when they notified the Home Office of their intention they were forbidden from doing so. 

Although more than 200 of the murderers executed by Albert were war criminals, there were many others who still had living relatives and the Home Office deemed it inappropriate.  I understand that Albert did write his memoirs about twenty years later coincidentally in the same year my grandfather died. 

In about 1976 I was looking for a security officer in Southport.  Albert Pierrepoint applied.  Unfortunately he was by that time over 70 so although it was a great thrill to meet up with the great man who used to tell me stories when I was a very small boy, I couldn’t return the favour."