This month includes a fascinating insight into the contents of Knockenhair House after the death of Sir Reginald Wingate in 1953. The house contents were auctioned by George Low & Son and the Society is grateful to Pam Murray (nee Low) for providing a copy of the catalogue of this auction.

In the first extract, you can see the terms and conditions of sale, including penalties and the settlement of disputes on the left page. On the right, there is a list of Lots 1-98 which had been moved to the garage for the sale and include an unnamed number of Bentwood chairs which would fetch a very good price if sold today.

If you enlarge the pages above, you will see items such as 206 Moving picture machine and large number of spools; 233 Lot knives and daggers in sheathes, powder horn, cartridge box; and 246 Officer’s dress sword ….. followed by 247 Egyptian officer’s sword. This reflects Wingate’s career as a British general and administrator in Egypt.

In this next section above, you can see 264 Fine inlaid mahogany 4-leaf draught-screen  (examples see here); 286 Gunn sectional oak bookcase (examples see here); and 331 4 ivory tusks and 3 ivory rings – these items would be frowned upon today.

In the final selection from the catalogue above, two items stand out. 352 Brass helmet lined with matted hair …. This rather gruesome item perhaps reflects Wingate’s military and colonial mentality. The Latuku were a tribe in southern Sudan. 357 2 signed photographs… shows how well Wingate was connected to the aristocracy in his time as a general.

You can see the whole catalogue here.