Family firm celebrates 200 years in business

Well-known across Craven, the firm is responsible for the smooth running of both Bentham and Gisburn auction marts and has offices at Bentham, Sawley and Kendal.

Richard Turner (the fourth to be involved in the business), who celebrated his 78th birthday last week, is based at the Bentham head office and his son, the fifth Richard, is based at Sawley and is responsible for the auctions.

The business prides itself on providing a service to the agricultural industry and has always had close ties to farming, with each generation until the current Richards, combining farming with auctioneering.

"they were farmers and always had the office at home, working from home. I broke the mould and moved out to an office," Mr Turner (senior) told the Herald.

The auctioneering firm was established in 1803 by 26-year-old Robert Turner, who farmed at Tosside Fold. He married Ellen Wolfenden in 1802 and their son, Richard, expanded the business and brought it into prominence.

The first Richard married a Bentham girl, Alice Armistead, and they moved to Croasdale Grange just outside the town. Over the generations the family was to farm at Belle Bank and Todhill in Bentham.

The first Richard died in 1874 and his son, the second Richard was the instigator of the Bentham and District Farmers' Auction Mart Co Ltd which was incorporated on March 20 1903. He died just eight months after his auction mart came into being, aged 60.

The third Richard was born in 1876 and was the first secretary of Bentham Auction Mart. He became a director on his father's death and will be remembered by many. He died in 1957 after which his son, the fourth Richard, became a director of the auction.

The fourth Richard was appointed auctioneer and secretary to Gisburn Auction Marts Ltd in 1952 when it was sold to a board of local farmers. The fifth richard, now 53, joined the firm in 1968 and became a partner in 1973. His son, Jonathan, is now poised to join the business, having, like his forbears, learned the trade at his father's and grandfather's knee.

Over the years the various Richard Turners have handled all manner of sales, from estate sales to groups of tenants in Cumbria, Lancashire and Cheshire, to the disposal of parts of the local Ingleborough Estate. Now there is a residential estate agency side to the business, which employs 22 full-time and 11 part-time staff, but it retains its roots in agriculture. Mr Turner said: "we are very much a general agricultural auctioneers, trying to do anything that the farmer wants doing. The residential department runs completely separately."

Over the years various posters advertise interesting sales.

In 1854 there was an auction for the landlord of the Fountains Inn at Burton-in-Lonsdale and under Richard Turner's hammer was "household furniture, brewing vessels, a stock of ale, spirits, and pigs".

Crops still growing in the ground were sold in 1843, including wheat, oats and potatoes.

Auctioneering has not been without its dangers, however. The annals of the Craven Herald report an incident at a household furniture sale in Clapham where the Richard Turner of the day headed a party of 30 upstairs to sell in a house bedroom.

"While others were pressing into the room, the floor suddenly gave way and the people were thrown into the utmost confusion. At one side the floor sank more than a yard, but, happily, the people though very much frightened, escaped injury.

"The auctioneer was the first to flee and as he rushed down the stairs he shouted at the top of his voice: "The hole's coming in." The fainting and timid ones were dragged out uninjured. After nerves had regained a normal tone, the sale was resumed," the Herald reported.

The firm has also seen the growth and regulation of livestock sales, starting in the days when cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry and other animals changed hands in the street, to today's post foot and mouth era with strictly regulated sales rings.

The business is now looking to its next 200 years.