History

History

2023

Victorian Huia Set World Auction Record Image

Victorian Huia Set World Auction Record

A very rare Victorian cased pair of extinct New Zealand Huia sold for £220,000 (plus buyer’s premium) in the Natural History & Taxidermy Sale on 8th September 2023, which is thought to be a world auction record for a single piece of taxidermy.

2022

Lowry Sells for £1.07m Image

‘The North Sea’ by L.S. Lowry Sells for £1.07m

“The North Sea”, an important seascape by Laurence Stephen Lowry, sold for £1,070,381 (inclusive of all fees) in the Modern & Contemporary Art Sale on 15th October 2022. The painting was last seen on public view in an exhibition in 1967, the year after it was painted, and has since been in private hands.

2020

25 Years in Harrogate Image

25 Years in Harrogate

Tennants celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Harrogate office.

2019

The Princess Royal Visits Tennants Image

The Princess Royal Visits Tennants

HRH The Princess Royal visited Tennants Auctioneers on Wednesday 17th April as part of a day of official engagements in Wensleydale.

2018

The London Office is opened Image

The London Office is opened

2014

An American Collector Image

An American Collector

The first major sale held in The Garden Rooms, an important American collection of art and antiques

2014

TGR Image

The Garden Rooms at Tennants was opened

A 40,000 sq ft extension to The Auction Centre, housing galleries, auction and event spaces, a restaurant and a cafe

2012

Chinese Vase Image

The £2.6m Vase

A Chinese Blue and White Porcelain Bottle Vase, bearing the six-character mark of Yongzheng sold for £2.6m - the first individual lot to make over £1m

2012

A new board of Directors

A team of new directors was appointed; Rodney Tennant's daughters Caroline, Alison and Jane were brought on board, along with Jeremy Pattison as Managing Director and Audrey Fall as Finance Director

2005

Kenneth Whitehead Image

The Kenneth Whitehead Deer Collection Sale

2002

Rodney Tennant was awarded 'Auctioneer of the Year' at the British Antiques and Collectables Awards

1995

Harrogate Image

The first regional office was opened in Harrogate

1994

Aske Hall Image

The Aske Hall Sale

Held over three days on site at Aske Hall, North Yorkshire

1993

Leyburn Image

The Auction Centre, Leyburn, was opened

The new 40,000 sq ft salerooms and head office was opened by Sir John Harvey-Jones

1991

Last sale at Middleham Image

The last sale was held in the Middleham Salerooms

1990

The first £1m sale was held in Richmond, the contents of Otterington Hall

1987

Water Park Image

The Water Park Sale

Selected contents of Water Park, Cumbria was sold on site over two days

1988

Tennants of Yorkshire Antique and Fine Art Auctioneers Ltd. was formed

The estate agency side of the business was sold, and a new company formed focussing solely on art and antiques

1985

Newby Image

The Newby Hall Sale

Selected contents of Newby Hall, North Yorkshire were sold on site over the course of three days

1977

Richmond Opened Image

The Richmond Saleroom was opened

Specialist and Fine Art Sales were held in the salerooms opened in an old Methodist Chapel

1976

RMT joins business Image

Rodney joins the business, running the salerooms

A new company J.E. & R.M. Tennants Ltd was formed

1975

The first Catalogue Sale was held

1972

Regular Sales Image

Regular Saturday auctions were held in the Grain Store in Middleham

1971

JET Estate Agent Image

John. E. Tennant Chartered Auctioneer and Estate Agent was established in Leyburn

1947

Rodney Tennant was born

Rodney worked at Sotheby's for three years in the late 60s, training under Senior Director A. J. B. Kiddell, and got his taste for international auctions

1945

John Tennant was born

John studied Property and Auctioneering at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester. He went on to establish his own estate agency in the late 60s, and auctioneered for both his father and for Thirsk Auction Mart

1912

Edmund jr Image

Edmund Slinger Tennant Junior was born (pictured as a baby)

The younger Edmund Tennant took over his father's business, expanding and venturing into auctioneering

1876

Edmund Slinger Tennant was Born Image

Edmund Slinger Tennant was born

Edmund was a stonemason, grocer and agricultural merchant in Middleham, near Leyburn