Dundee auctioneers B. L. Fenton has lots to celebrate

A Dundee auctioneers is celebrating 100 years since the hammer came down on its first sale.

B. L. Fenton and Sons on Victoria Road was founded in 1913 and is now in the hands of the fourth generation of the same family.

But it was only by chance that the special anniversary came to light until recently it was thought the business had been set up in the 1920s.

Steven Fenton (45), who runs the firm with his brother Richard (49), said: “It was only last year that a relative in Canada came across a cutting from The Courier that said we were founded in 1913 rather than the 1920s as we had thought.

“We’ve been featured in the paper a lot over the years for things like the prices certain items have fetched at auction.”

As well as revealing the revised founding date, the cutting provided a helpful potted history of the business for the brothers.

Steven said: “The business was started up by Benjamin Lewis Fenton. Then there was my grandfather, Henry, better known as Harry.

“Harry ran it with his brother, Richard, who was also the Provost of Dundee for a spell. After that there was my dad, another Benjamin Lewis, who is 72 now and still helps out with the sales.”