Documents relating to the title Manor or Lordship of Silverstone to be offered at Iconic Auctions on August 25 with an estimate of £80,000-120,000.
1. Title of the Lord of the manor of Silverstone
Racing car fans with a spare £100,000-plus may want to bid on a group of documents coming up at Iconic Auctions.
Vellum-bound court rolls, books and maps, dating back to 1427 for the Manor or Lordship of Silverstone will be offered at Iconic Auctions on August 25 with an estimate of £80,000-120,000.
The purchaser of the documents will be able to call themselves Lord of Silverstone – home of the famous Formula 1 racing circuit – and will be entitled to hold court.
Memorial courts
Although there are no tenants associated with this manor, some memorial courts are still held as ceremonial and social events and the new Lord could appoint a steward, bailiff or even an ale taster.
As part of the Lordship the new owner would be able to conduct research into identifying any “manorial waste” land that still belongs to the title.
Manorial waste is the phrase used to describe parcels of land, such as roadside verges, which historically belonged to the Lord of the Manor and have never been sold off and converted into freehold. However the legal extent of the manor, and its boundary, must be established. The Silverstone manor is already registered as such at the Land Registry with an established boundary.
The title is being offered by the current Lord who inherited the title in 2002.
View this Silverstone manor title via thesaleroom.com
2. Chinese jade
An 18th century Qing celadon jade table screen, estimate £2000-3000 at Bishop & Miller.
A UK private collection of Chinese jades, mostly assembled in the 1990s, comes for sale at Bishop & Miller in Stowmarket on August 23.
This 18th century Qing celadon jade table screen carved to one side with figures looking up to a flying crane and to the other with lily was purchased at Sotheby’s in 1994. Estimate £2000-3000.
View this Chinese jade via thesaleroom.com
3. Dunhill lighter
Dunhill plated and lucite ‘fish tank’ lighter, estimate £5000-8000 at Chiswick Auctions.
There are six of the famous Dunhill plated and lucite ‘fish tank’ lighters in the Chiswick Auctions Design sale on August 23.
This rare model worked with a reverse intaglio scene of a woodpecker to one side and an osprey to the other is estimated to bring £5000-8000.
View this Dunhill lighter via thesaleroom.com
4. Dame Laura Knight portrait
Dame Laura Knight oil on canvas portrait, estimate £20,000-30,000 at Lay’s.
The sitter of this Dame Laura Knight (1877-1970) oil on canvas portrait on offer at Cornish auction house Lay’s on August 24-25 is unknown but two strong contenders have emerged.
Lay’s says that the previous owner spent considerable time researching the identity of the lady, “satisfying himself and several local experts that it was very likely to be of the writer Fryn Tennyson Jesse” (a niece of the poet Lord Tennyson).
It adds: “The other strong contender is Florence Carter-Wood, the tragic first wife of AJ Munnings. The physical resemblance is strong both to contemporary photographs and other paintings of her. It is well documented that she posed for both Harold and Laura Knight.”
The signed, 2ft x 20in (61 x 51cm) work is estimated at £20,000-30,000.
View this Dame Laura Knight picture via thesaleroom.com.
5. Comic book artwork
Original artwork double page of a Heros, The Spartan episode painted and signed by Frank Bellamy for The Eagle comic in 1964 estimate £4000-4500 at Comic Book Auctions.
The Comic Book Auctions timed online sale ending on August 27 includes this original artwork double page of a Heros The Spartan episode painted and signed by Frank Bellamy for The Eagle comic in 1964.
It proclaims: ‘Surviving a terrible storm, Heros and his crew are attacked by strange vessels, their wild, mad-eyed leader screaming vengeance at the Roman invaders…’
Bellamy painted with quick-drying Pelikan inks which have retained their their initial brightness, says CBA, the board having been stored away from the light for over 50 years. Estimate £4000-4500.
View this comic book artwork via thesaleroom.com.
