Beatrix Potter Family Collection Sells For £78,000 At Cockermouth Auction
A rare collection of personal items connected to Beatrix Potter has sold for £78,000 at an auction in Cockermouth.
The collection comprised 50 lots belonging to Potter’s great-nephew, Brigadier John Heelis OBE, and included letters, photographs, illustrations and first editions. The material had remained within the family and was offered for sale publicly for the first time. Its direct family provenance attracted significant interest from collectors and helped establish the collection as an unusual group of material associated with the Lake District author.
The auction attracted international attention following a marketing campaign ahead of the sale, with bidders taking part from different parts of the world. The family said the final result had exceeded expectations, reflecting the interest surrounding items that had remained privately held for many years. Several lots attracted competition from buyers outside the local area, while other pieces were purchased by collectors attending the sale in person.
The highest selling item was a first edition presentation copy of The Tale of Pigling Bland from 1913. The book carried an inscription and achieved £13,000 at auction, making it the most valuable individual item from the Beatrix Potter collection. Its combination of age, association with Potter and presentation history contributed to the strong level of interest among bidders.
Another significant sale was a letter written by Potter in which she complained about a relative being thrown out of a railway carriage. The letter sold for £9,500 and was purchased by a buyer from New York who was bidding by telephone. The result demonstrated the international appeal of original correspondence connected to Potter and provided another notable price from the collection.
The New York buyer also purchased the first edition of The Tale of Pigling Bland, with both of the two highest selling Potter lots going to the same overseas bidder. The transactions showed the extent to which the auction attracted collectors beyond Cumbria and the wider UK. Telephone bidding allowed international buyers to compete directly with people attending the sale in Cockermouth.
A private collector from Devon was among the UK buyers who took part in person and purchased 12 lots from the collection. One of the highlights of those purchases was a watercolour Christmas card depicting Hill Top Farm at night, which sold for £9,000. The item provided another connection to Potter’s life and the Lake District setting closely associated with her work and artistic career.
A further private buyer from Hawkshead spent £4,400 on two lots. Among the items was a letter containing notes relating to the dispersal of Potter’s possessions to the Armitt Library. The sale provided another example of how the collection brought together personal correspondence and records connected to the handling of Potter’s belongings and their later place within local cultural collections.
The auction was part of a wider three-day sale which also included more than 20 works by Cumbrian artist Percy Kelly. His artwork added another significant Lake District element to the event, bringing together material connected with two figures strongly associated with the region's artistic and cultural heritage.
One of the Percy Kelly highlights was the oil painting Allonby in the Snow, which sold for £7,000. The work formed part of the substantial selection of Kelly material offered during the three-day event and contributed to a sale featuring a broad range of art, books, personal correspondence and collectable objects.
Other notable results included a watercolour by Alfred Heaton Cooper titled Hay Timing, Coniston, which achieved £2,400. A 35mm circular Georgian lovers eye painting sold for £3,800, while three pieces of Wedgwood Fairyland Lustre designed by Daisy Makeig-Jones each achieved prices between £1,500 and £1,800.
A William IV mahogany longcase clock made by Christopher Tatham also exceeded its estimate during the auction. The clock eventually sold for £2,800, adding another strong result to a sale that featured a mixture of historical objects, artwork, ceramics, books and items with connections to the region.
James Moore, head of antiques and fine art at the auction house, highlighted the importance of the Potter material and its provenance. He said the collection was particularly rare because the items had come directly from the author’s family and had never previously been offered on the open market.
The auction also demonstrated a balance between international interest and domestic collecting. While some of the most prominent lots were bought by overseas bidders using telephone or online facilities, a substantial number of pieces were purchased by UK buyers who attended the saleroom in person, keeping some of the collection within the country.
The sale has added another notable chapter to the continuing interest in Beatrix Potter and her connections with the Lake District. Her personal papers, books, artwork and possessions continue to attract collectors because of their historical associations and links to the places and people that shaped her life and work.
The auction house is now preparing for its next country sporting sale, scheduled to take place from October 14 to October 16. It will also host a free valuation event in aid of the RNLI at St Bees Village Hall on September 26, running from 10am until 2pm.
The valuation event will be open to people bringing items for assessment without an appointment. The auction house also provides valuation services by appointment at its Cockermouth saleroom and offers home visits across parts of Cumbria and neighbouring areas. Valuations are available for purposes including insurance, probate and house clearances.
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