A century-old ledger of police mug shots – saved from a Derby skip 40 years ago – has smashed its auction estimate to reach an ‘incredible’ five-figure sum.
The book, which had been kept in a cupboard for decades, featured original mug shots and criminal records relating to 500 people including Alice Wheeldon, a Derby woman accused of plotting to kill British prime minister David Lloyd George in 1917.
Phone and internet bidders battled to own the unique item which went under the hammer at Hansons Auctioneers’ Library sale (Oct 19) with an estimate of £2,000-£3,000. An intense battle saw the hammer finally fall at £10,500 to a phone bidder – more than triple its top estimate.
The seller, a 53-year-old engineer from Staffordshire who inherited it from his dad and kept it in a cupboard for decades, was ‘flabbergasted’. He was at Bishton Hall, Hansons’ Staffordshire saleroom, to watch the auction excitement unfold (Oct 19).
The book sold to a private UK collector. Derbyshire Record Office (DRO) had hoped to secure it for public use and launched a Crowdfunder appeal. However, despite their best efforts and nearly £2,000 of public donations, they were outbid on the day.
The seller said: “It would have been nice if it had gone to Derbyshire Record Office or ended up in a museum but I suppose it’s all down to who has the deepest pockets. I wish the collector well.
“I am very happy with the result. To say I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement. I was flabbergasted. I would have been happy with the original estimate of £2,000-£3,000.”
Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons and auctioneer on the day, said: “I’m absolutely thrilled.
It was an amazing result for an incredible find. We have never sold anything quite like this before so it was difficult to set a guide price. However, it felt important enough to be in the low thousands, particularly due to the Alice Wheeldon images. The fact that it sold for so much underlines its importance as a unique, raw primary historical resource.”
The book, described as ‘amazing’ by the DRO, dated back to 1890-1920 and every page was filled with grainy black and white photos of people held in police custody.
They DRO said it was so special because it contained photos of Alice Wheeldon, her daughter Winnie, and son-in-law Alfred Mason. All were convicted of conspiring to murder prime minister David Lloyd George a century ago.
Alice and her family were socialists who supported the women’s suffrage movement and conscientious objection in the First World War. Their conviction was considered by many at the time to be based on their political views rather than real evidence. Alice is now considered a Derby hero, commemorated by a blue plaque and a star in Derby’s Walk of Fame.
The seller said: “The book was rescued by my father, a police officer at the time, when he was working for Derby Borough Police more than 40 years ago. The station was clearing out some garages and store rooms at an old police station on St Mary’s Gate in Derby. My father saved it from being thrown into the skip. He thought it was too interesting to end up in landfill.
“Unfortunately, my dad is no longer with us so I can’t ask him for more details. He passed it to me 30 years ago. After decades in a cupboard I decided it was time someone else had the opportunity to research this important historical record.”
Hansons’ books expert Jim Spencer said: “I’m delighted for both the seller and buyer. It is an exceptional item. Nothing prepared me for that first look inside it. I was amazed how many individuals were featured in the book, and I was struck by the range of offences. I’m sure many people will say it reminds them of TV’s Peaky Blinders, and I guess some criminals do have the appearance of a baddie in a Laurel and Hardy film, but most seem pitifully trapped by their circumstances.
“The overwhelming feeling for me is quite tragic, with petty thefts being committed by desperate people living in poverty. There is a sense of societal division between the majority of criminals dressed in cloth caps, stealing food and clothing, and the occasional gentleman wearing a bowler hat charged with embezzlement.
“Some convictions seem shockingly petty, such as ‘stealing a tin of pine apple’, ‘stealing a bag of soot’, ‘stealing growing apples’, and some are bizarrely vague, like ‘incorrigible rogue’. This makes it all-the-more surprising to stumble upon a conviction for conspiracy to murder a prime minister.
“Alice Wheeldon is a famous name, and it’s quite surreal to see the original mug shots of her and her family members. For me, this makes the book of serious importance. I’m grateful the vendor’s father rescued it.”
The police ledger sold in Hansons Auctioneers’ October 19 Library Auction. To find out more, email [email protected].
