Historic 'Mouseman' furniture goes up for auction in Bourne End

Auctioneers will be hoping an historic set of 'Mouseman' furniture makes more than a squeak when it goes up for sale at an auction in Bourne End this week.

Robert ‘Mouseman’ Thompson, born in 1876, was a Yorkshire carpenter whose nickname comes from the signature mouse carvings on each piece produced in his workshop.

Thompson's work drew acclaim from fans nationwide during his lifetime and today fetches five-figure sums - one of his mouse carving's sold for £13,000 in 2021. They have also been spotted several times on Antiques Roadshow. 

Bourne End Auction Rooms owner Hugo Lemon said:

“He [Thompson] was very well known - especially up north - and there are a number of his items that come on the market, but it’s the backstory that comes with these pieces that makes it so interesting.

The furniture on auction was gifted as a wedding present in 1955, from Derbyshire mill manager Tom Smith to his daughter Patricia.

Smith had a long-held admiration for Thompson’s work, being an amateur woodcarver himself and having noted his work in Yorkshire churches and homes.

Included in the auction are photographs of a meeting between Smith and ‘Mouseman’ in 1955, the same year Thompson died. 

Credit: Bourne End Auction Rooms

“It’s difficult to put a price on the backstory” added Hugo.

“History seems to be really important to people these days which could just push them to the end of the guide price.

“It’s whether people fall in love with the backstory like I have - I’m sure they will.”

Notable pieces in the online auction include: an oak set of dining table and chairs at a guide price of £4000-£5000; and a pair of oak book cases at a guide price if £2200-£3000, complete with carved mice on each shelf.

Hugo said: “Every piece that comes out of the factory or workshop: whether it’s a book case or a bookend; a cheeseboard or a breadboard - they’ve all got a mouse on it.”

“Other people have tried to copy him - there’s been a Foxman and things like that - but none come close to being as good as the original.”

The items are listed for auction this Wednesday (March 6). For more information visit Bourne End Auction Rooms' website.