Beatrix Potter-linked shotguns expected to attract bidders at Cumbria sale

Mitchells’ Country Sporting Sale in Cockermouth will include Beatrix Potter-linked firearms expected to draw strong bidding later this month. Running Oct. 14 to 16 at the town-centre saleroom, the three-day auction highlights a pair of Cogswell and Harrison Blagdon 12-bore side-by-side shotguns that previously belonged to Edward Alexander Heelis, Beatrix Potter’s brother-in-law. Those shotguns are estimated to fetch £700 to £1,000. The Potter family connection is emphasized by Heelis’s role as Potter’s husband’s family, and by Potter’s long Lake District legacy tied to conservation. Other lots include a rare Thomas Horsley & Son 12-bore hammer shotgun (estimated £1,500 to £2,500) and a William IV flintlock pistol (£300 to £500).