Auctions to continue at New Street St Neots

Auctions to continue

at New Street St Neots

Today’s photograph is tomorrow’s history. An occasional visitor to St. Neots would be familiar with Peacock’s Auction yard standing between two unmade potholed roads by St. Neots common and might, at a glance, have concluded that on-line auctions had claimed another victim from the analogue pre-digital era. However, the old buildings and yard have been swept away to make way for improved 21st century standard buildings and facilities. Traditional auction houses have become hybrids adding on a world-wide digital audience to compete with in-person bidders. The history of the site can be traced back to at least the Georgian era. Wrycroft’s Almanac of 1902 suggests that before the Parish workhouse was built in Church Street in 1768 it was formerly at the north end of New Street near the Common gate. Thus this site may have been a workhouse. The first auction yard seems to have been that of Frank Maddison (1820-1878) who was here in 1864. He was followed by F.J. Maddison, and by 1905 it had become Maddison & Son (date of the advert in Homeland Handbooks Vol 40 Huntingdon & The Great Ouse with St. Neots & St. Ives.) In 1912 the business was taken over by Dilley, Son & Read of Huntingdon & St. Ives. ( C J Tebbutt St. Neots 1978. St. Neots museum is always interested in any material and memories of changes in the town. Entry is free for locals and surrounding parishes.