Nelson antiques expert Eric Knowles auctioning off collection

Eric Knowles, a familiar face on shows such as Bargain Hunt and Antiques Roadshow, is parting with his late mother’s 40-year-old clog collection and rare historical mugs.

They will go under the hammer with Hansons Auctioneers, next month.

Eric Knowles (Image: Hansons)

Eric's mother, June Knowles, who died in June, loved social history and collected objects that reflected the social history of the county.

Eric said: “My mother  June Knowles, who passed away at the age of 88 in April, was a diehard and proud Lancastrian who had a wide knowledge of many subjects.”

In her collection are pottery mugs, that commemorate the Blackburn Riots of 1878.

Eric Knowles' clog collection will go under the hammer in November (Image: Hansons)

Eric, who hosted the BBC’s Antiques Master in 2010, said: “She was particularly keen on collecting objects that reflected the social history of Lancashire and the North West.

“This is evident in her pottery mugs. They commemorate the Blackburn Riots of 1878 when Lancastrian cotton workers faced pay cuts and the 1819 Peterloo Massacre at St Peter's Field, Manchester, in 1819.

“That event left 18 people dead and 400-700 injured when cavalry charged into a crowd of around 60,000 people gathered to demand the reform of parliamentary representation due to economic hardship.

"Though the Peterloo Massacre mug has seen better days, both are exceptionally rare.”

Her clog collections also reflect the county’s history and include clogs that were once owned by children.

“Her clog collection concentrated on small children on average aged between two and three years,” Eric said.

“At a time when infant mortality was high, in many circumstances these examples of footwear were a child’s one and only pair of clogs.”

Eric says he has fond memories of passing clog makers in Pendle, as a child.

Eric said: “As a girl, my mother lived a 10 minute walk from a family of clog makers and their shop in Leeds Road, Nelson, the town where I was born.

“When I was a  small boy I remember watching clog-makers at work behind the large shop window. 

“Her clog collection began about 40 years ago when you could pick up a pair for £5. In later years £50 became the norm for a pair in good condition fitted with iron soles which children back then used to delight by ‘sparking’ them on the cobble stones.

“Some are stamped with makers’ marks but most are anonymous. There are about 60 pairs in her collection which she displayed in shallow-glazed table cabinets. An extremely rare mid-14th century black leather child's right shoe is also in the auction. The medieval artefact was found in a waterlogged condition in York.”

Eric said he did not want the historical items to remain hidden from the world.

Notty Hornblower, Hansons' clothing and textiles expert, with Eric Knowles' clog collection (Image: Hansons)He said: “It seems a shame to have historical items like this tucked away. My mother bought them to remember what life was like for poor Lancashire families, particularly children facing poverty in Victorian England.

“She would have wanted to see them purchased by collectors or museums to ensure their difficult lives were never forgotten.”

June’s collection is now set to go under the hammer at Hansons Auctioneers, a firm Eric assists in a consultant valuer role.

The clogs and mugs will be offered in the Nov 23-28 antiques and collectors auction, with a guide price of £300-£400.