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Auction: Dawsons Discovery

A curated sale of antiques & collectables, starting with an important collection from the Estate of the late William John Thornton (1937-2025), of Groby, Leicestershire. 'John', as he was known, was an enthusiastic collector and scholar of early English clocks, and a dedicated member of the Antiquarian Horological Society, where he lectured on clocks at Keble College, Oxford, and contributed articles to respected horological publications. His passion for early timepieces—particularly lantern clocks and longcase clocks—resulted in a carefully curated collection that reflects both historical importance and technical excellence.

^{Please note: This is an online sale only; there are no bidders in the room.}

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Register to bid directly via Dawsons’ website for our Live or Timed sales, and you will pay zero additional bidding fees (online commission). 

Note that registering to bid via other third-party auction platforms can incur additional charges of up to 5% or more + Vat, and you will need to review their terms for full details of their additional charges.

All lots are sold as seen. The buyer is responsible for satisfying themselves as to the condition of each lot prior to bidding, either by viewing in-person or requesting a condition report.

Dawsons are proud members of the Art Loss Register, so you can buy with confidence.

All items with an upper estimate value equal to or above £1,500 in this catalogue are searched against the ALR database.

Viewing

In person at our saleroom:

Unit 8 Cordwallis Business Park, Clivemont Road, Maidenhead, SL6 7BU

Friday 20th Feb - 10am-5pm

Monday 23rd Feb - 10am-5pm

Tuesday 24th Feb - 10am-5pm