Edward VIII's signature up for sale (From Bournemouth Echo)

Edward VIII's signature up for sale

8:00am Wednesday 10th March 2010 in

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THE signature of a king of England who abdicated his throne for love – and the autograph of the woman who inspired his abdication – are among an incredible collection set to go under the hammer in Sherborne.

King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson are just two among a stunning collection of some signatures that includes representatives of early twentieth century English high society.

Richard Bromell of Charterhouse Auctions said the collection had been unearthed during a routine valuation of the house contents belonging to his client’s late uncle.

“We never know what will turn up when we visit client houses. There were two large volumes stuffed full with letters, photos and autographs of the rich and famous throughout the early to mid 20th century.

“They were collected by the vendor’s late uncle who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s as a teenager and did not attend school. Instead, he spent his time writing to celebrities and other famous people of the day.”

Peter Hunt lived in Canterbury. His father was mayor and a magistrate, and ran the family retail business in the city centre, which is now Debenhams.

Unable to attend school, he devoted his time to hunting down rare autographs, including the signature of William IV, who reigned for just seven years until his death in 1837.

Royalty is represented by the signatures of every monarch from William IV through to George VI, while prime ministers, Asquith and Gladstone, feature among the collection’s political giants. Chief Scout Lord Baden Powell and land speed record breaker, Malcolm Campbell, are among the men of action who put pen to paper for the collection’s author.

And some of the leading figures from the arts inlcude writers TS Elliot and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and artists Max Beerbohm and Arthur Rackham.

The collection will be sold in an auction of collectors items at Charterhouse in Sherborne on Friday March 26 and is expected to fetch between £1,000 and £2,000.