Titanic letters sold for £19,000 (From Thisisdorset)

Titanic letters sold for £19,000

4:38pm Friday 11th April 2008 in

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AN ARCHIVE of correspondence informing a Dorset farmer of the fate of his friend on board the Titanic has fetched more than £19,000 at auction.

The collection of letters and telegrams were written to James Foot and relate to his friend Charles Jones, an American businessman who had worked with Mr Foot regarding the sale of sheep before setting sail on the ill-fated liner to return home.

The documents include a letter from Mr Jones written on a White Star Line Card on the day the Titanic set sail from Southampton as well as telegrams from Mr Jones' boss James Colgate who informs Mr Foot of his friend's death.

The collection went under the hammer for £16,000 to an American phone bidder at Duke's auctioneers in Dorchester, with the buyer's premium bringing the total price to £19,129.

Duke's partner Guy Schwinge said Mr Foot's family attended the sale and were delighted with the outcome.

Numerous items of interest ensured a packed saleroom, helping a collection of letters by James Bond author Ian Fleming to his secretary fetch a hammer price of £12,000 - well above its estimate of £2,000.

A collection of prints and slides of T.E. Lawrence and a birth certificate signed by all four of the Beatles after the owner met them in a pub also both sold for well above their estimates.

The Lawrence images went for £6,572 including the premium and the Beatles autographs fetched more than £7,700.