LAWRENCES’ recent two-day Militaria and Collectors’ sale in Crewkerne comprised over 1300 lots and the massive diversity of items on offer ensured keen bidding from around the world.

Highlights on the first day included a fine medal group from 1887-1915 awarded to Police Constable Charles Deacon and Petty Officer William Harry Deacon, as well as medals to Seaman John Deacon. These made £3,660.

Somerset County Gazette:

A small 11.5gm post-Medieval gold finger ring, found by a detectorist on land to the west of Crewkerne, was possibly owned by Richard Bagot (1532-1588), the keeper-jailer of Mary Queen of Scots. This ring made £4,390.

Somerset County Gazette:

A Purdey & Sons sidelock ejector 12-bore shotgun exceeded its top estimate to make £6,830.

Somerset County Gazette:

The following day offered further interest: a large cased trout, 12lbs 7 oz, caught in 1923 in Lough Mask, Ireland, was landed at £1,520. A rare plate camera by J. H. Dallmeyer with lenses and photographic plates created a flash at £2,800

Somerset County Gazette:

and a lot towards the end of the end almost drew proceedings to a close when a pair of curtains, designed by John Piper printed with the Church Monument Exton design (1955), made £3,530.

The sale’s top result was the £15,000 paid for a magnificent Victorian silver centrepiece for the Queen’s Own Lancers.