The Firm's Origins
Gorringe’s founder, Rowland Gorringe, had been practicing as a partner in the Lewes estate agents, Martin and Gorringe, trading from premises in School Hill, Lewes.
Lewes House, also in School Hill, was the home of Edward Warren, an eccentric, wealthy American, who had amassed a remarkable collection of fine furniture, antiquities, paintings and works of art. Upon his death in 1928, Warren left Lewes House and its contents to his secretary, Harry Asa Thomas, who instructed Rowland Gorringe to dispose of the entire contents over a three day sale, commencing Tuesday 22nd October 1929.
The sale drew international interest, with buyers attending from Europe, the U.S.A, and Australia. The most notable pieces were Rodin’s The Kiss, (unsold at £5,500) and the German artist Lucas Cranach the Elder’s (1472-1553) painting, Adam and Eve, selling for £2,200 (reappearing on the market in the 1980s and selling for £2,200,000!) The painting now hangs in the Courtauld Institute.
Rowland Gorringe conducted the whole 778 lot sale, which totalled £13,566 (the equivalent of over £1.1M at today's values) and soon became ‘’the man’’ to consult in Sussex for the sale of Antiques and Works of Art. As a result of the sale, Gorringe’s was born.
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Lewes House from the gardens in the 1920
The dining room at Lewes House
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Early premises
Throughout the 1930s, Rowland Gorringe was called upon to sell the contents of numerous country houses throughout Sussex, building a reputation as an excellent auctioneer and valuer.
Eventually it became necessary to operate from a permanent location to conduct collective sales, so Wallands House, in King Henry's Road, Lewes, was acquired. Periodic sales were held there before and during the Second World War, after which - in 1946 - the business moved to new, much larger premises, at 15 North Street, Lewes (where it still operates today).
Soon after acquiring this property, which had previously been used for a variety of uses, including carpet beating, a glue factory and at one time a morgue, Wallace (Wally) Stuart, upon leaving the RAF, was appointed as general manager and auctioneer, continuing until his retirement in 1983.
In 1956, a young Mary Penfold (later Mary French) joined as a secretary and gradually became a vital element in the business, taking over the accounts and day to day organisation, retiring after 44 years of loyal service, in 2000.
After Rowland Gorringe’s death in 1958, Wally Stuart was joined on the rostrum by Rowland’s son, Grahame. Whilst Wally was known as the ‘’silent auctioneer’’, for his quiet, but highly effective style, Grahame was more flamboyant, interjecting amusingly witticisms at appropriate moments.
During the 1950s a regular pattern emerged for collective auctions to be conducted every six weeks, over one or two days and later three, even four days. The largest sale ever conducted was in the early 1990s, when 3,850 lots were sold over four, very hectic, days. In 1981, Philip Taylor arrived from the Cotswolds to join the partnership, later to be joined by Clifford Lansberry in 1994.
Gorringe’s today
The partnership consists of the Gorringe family, Philip and Sally Taylor, and Clifford Lansberry. It is a true family affair, with members of the Gorringe, Taylor and Lansberry families (together with many other fantastic, dedicated staff) supporting the business as we approach our centenary in 2029.
We are a full-service auction house offering valuations (for more information see here), the sale of a wide variety of items (for more information on departments click here), and shipping (which may be at an additional cost – see here).
We have a House & Gardens sale every Monday, which averages 600 lots and in which you will find a wide variety of reasonably priced treasures. We also have a series of specialist sales throughout the year and you can access the sale calendar here.
You can register to buy with us or through The Saleroom, EasyLive and Invaluable.
We pride ourselves on being friendly and helpful and if you have any questions or feedback, please contact us here.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
The Gorringe’s Team
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Gorringe's 15 North Street
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Our premises at 15 North Street, Lewes.
