Seller 'flabbergasted' as police ledger of old mug shots including Derbyshire woman accused of plotting to kill prime minister in 1917 is sold for £10,500

The book, which had been kept in a cupboard for decades, featured original photos and criminal records relating to 500 people including Alice Wheeldon, a Derby woman accused of plotting to kill British prime minister David Lloyd George in 1917.

Phone and internet bidders battled to own the unique item which went under the hammer at Hansons Auctioneers’ Library sale today (Wednesday) with an estimate of £2,000-£3,000.

Derbyshire Record Office (DRO) had hoped to secure it for public use and launched a Crowdfunder appeal. However, despite their best efforts and nearly £2,000 of public donations, they were outbid by a private UK buyer.

The seller, a 53-year-old engineer from Staffordshire, said: “It would have been nice if it had gone to Derbyshire Record Office or ended up in a museum but I suppose it’s all down to who has the deepest pockets. I wish the collector well.

He said that he was ‘flabbergasted’ by the amount it raised. “I am very happy with the result. To say I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement. I would have been happy with the original estimate of £2,000-£3,000.”

The seller had inherited the ledger from his dad who found it 40 years ago when he was a police officer and saw it in a skip where it had been placed during an office clear-out.

Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons and auctioneer on the day, said: “I’m absolutely thrilled. It was an amazing result for an incredible find. We have never sold anything quite like this before so it was difficult to set a guide price. However, it felt important enough to be in the low thousands, particularly due to the Alice Wheeldon images. The fact that it sold for so much underlines its importance as a unique primary historical resource.”

The book dated back to 1890-1920 and every page was filled with grainy black and white photos of people held in police custody.

They Derbyshire Records Office said it was so special because it contained photos of Alice Wheeldon, her daughter Winnie, and son-in-law Alfred Mason. All were convicted of conspiring to murder prime minister David Lloyd George a century ago.

Alice and her family were socialists who supported the women’s suffrage movement and conscientious objection in the First World War. Their conviction was considered by many at the time to be based on their political views rather than real evidence. Alice is now considered a Derby hero, commemorated by a blue plaque and a star in Derby’s Walk of Fame.