Following our record breaking Steiff sale in October, we feature another antique Steiff bear in our New Years Day Sale. Edward the Steiff Bear is a bear with a very interesting history.
Edward is a Steiff bear with an interesting history
Following the record breaking sale of a 1908 Steiff teddy bear in their October sale, Unique Auctions was contacted out of the blue by the owner of a near mint condition 1908 Steiff teddy bear which had only recently emerged from his hiding place in the family safe after a sleep lasting over 100 years.
A 1908 Steiff bear in unrestored near mint condition is a rare enough find in itself, but this particular bear called Edward came with an amazing history as well. Edwards’s owner, Charles Mitford Cust, is the great grandson of General Saint Claire Wilkins who famously caused a national crisis in the late 19th century when his real bear Edward, whom this Steiff was later named after, unwittingly caused the death of a postman in Victorian London.
The General performed great deeds for the British Empire and most famously so in Yemen, where as the commanding officer of the Royal Engineers, he masterminded the restoration of some important ancient reservoirs, the Cisterns of Tawella, which were originally built around 600 AD, and their connection by aqueducts to the city of Aden, then the busiest and most important seaport in the British Empire, being close to the Suez Canal. His genius provided the population of Aden with their first reliable source of fresh drinking water in centuries.
The result of the herculean task was that he was showered with medals and honours including being created aide de camp to Queen Victoria herself to whom the dashing General was a great favourite. The grateful inhabitants of Aden however bestowed a rather more unconventional honour, a local brown bear cub, a species common in that region in those days, that the delighted general named Edward after the queen’s eldest son, who later became king.
The general married Violet, the daughter of general McIntyre (of the Indian mutiny fame) and moved into a house in Queensgate, a fashionable part of London, with his beautiful bride and his cherished bear Edward, who lived in the house and by all accounts considered himself a member of the family, and was treated as such by the general. Family records indicate that Edward liked to sit beside the general on his sofa when he read the Times newspaper in the mornings and play with the general’s cook on the double swing in the garden of an afternoon.
One particular afternoon Edward was enjoying his customary swing with the cook when the postman arrived. Unfortunately whilst the normal postman knew Edward and would happily accept an affectionate hug from him, on this occasion it was a relief postman who, having not been informed about Edward, understandably did not expect to encounter a bear in a Queensgate garden and so promptly dropped dead from a heart attack brought on by shock.
The incident lead to the Prime Minister, Disraeli, calling an emergency meeting in the House of Commons about how to respond to this tragedy. On the one hand they did not wish to risk offending the population of the strategically important port of Aden by shooting Edward, but on the other hand they did not wish to offend the Royal Mail who were baying for his blood. After much debate a compromise was arrived at which the general’s bear would be sent to Kensington Zoo and the general, and all his family and descendants would be granted access without charge to visit and feed Edward and all Edwards’s descendants at teatime in perpetuity. Charles is currently investigating whether any descendants of Edward can be traced so he can maintain this tradition.
The arrangement though better than the alternative, it was said nevertheless caused the general great distress as a result of being parted from his beloved bear that he visited every day in the zoo without fail.
Some years later in 1908 their daughter Ethel visited Hamleys the famous London toy store and bought a Steiff teddy bear for her youngest son’s 3rd birthday, and naturally named it after her fathers much loved bear Edward. The lucky 3 year old, named Ronald, some 60 years later, became a father himself, to Charles, the present owner, but perhaps wisely decided that as Edward had already survived 60 years in perfect condition, he was now too precious to be passed to his youngest child and so a less valuable substitute teddy was provided for Charles.
So for over 100 years Edward has remained in the family safe and having missed the passing of virtually all of the 20th century, this distinguished and aristocratic Steiff bear is now seeking a new loving owner who can acquaint him with the current one.
Estimate: £2,000 to £3,000
Visit http://www.thenewyearsdaysale.co.uk for more details of the sale.
The New Years Day Auction on January 1st starts at 9am. The auction features nearly 1,000 lots of Antiques, Art & Collectables. Viewing of items is from 10am-4pm on December 31st, and on the morning of the sale from 7am. The sale will also be available online for bidding through the Sale Room, EasyLiveAuction and LiveAuctioneers.
About Unique Auctions
Unique Auctions are one of Lincolnshire’s leading Auction Houses offering a range of regular Antique & Collectors sales. Unique Auctions handle every aspect of probate, house, agricultural, commercial and industrial clearances.
For further information call UK +44 (0) 1522 690444 or visit https://www.unique-auctions.com
We are now accepting all Steiff Bears, Teddy Bears and Steiff Toys for all future auctions. We also value Steiff Bears, Teddy Bears and Steiff Toys etc – please call 01522 690444 for more details.
