On 18 October 1826, an advert appeared in the Edinburgh Post Office Directory announcing that Jonathan Lyon had commenced business as an auctioneer. At the time, Edinburgh was bustling with new development, and dozens of men styled themselves as “auctioneers.” Few, however, would leave a legacy as lasting as Lyon’s.
OUR 200 YEAR HISTORY
Jonathan Lyon’s First Auction: The Beginning of Scotland’s Oldest Auction House
26 November 2024
Lyon & Turnbull
From Spirit Merchant to Auctioneer
Born in 1795, Lyon began his career not in the saleroom but as a spirit merchant, running a small premises on Market Street. The shop doubled as a pub and off-licence, a far cry from the elegant auction rooms that would later define his firm.
But opportunity soon presented itself. By 1826, Edinburgh’s New Town was expanding, creating demand for appraisers and auctioneers to handle household sales, property, and seized goods. Lyon seized the chance to reinvent himself.
New Opportunities
By the late eighteenth century, Edinburgh was expanding rapidly. The development of the New Town from the 1760s created new wealth and opportunity, and with it a growing demand for auctioneers. In these early years, Jonathan Lyon occasionally sold the household effects of New Town properties, along with a small number of heritable estates. Over time he moved from Market Street and in 1844 he established premises at 5 Melbourne Place on George IV Bridge.
His son, William Lyon, joined him in the business and increasingly took on responsibility. The last advertisement listing Jonathan as auctioneer appeared in January 1846, although it is likely William conducted the auction, as Jonathan had been unwell for some time. Jonathan died on 21 February 1846 at his home in St James’ Square, aged just fifty.
In 1863 William entered a partnership with William Elliot Turnbull. From that point, the business took on the name Lyon & Turnbull, cementing its identity as a firm rooted in both family and expertise.
George Street Hall: A New Saleroom
The pair chose George Street Hall as their saleroom, an elegant building in the heart of Edinburgh at 51 George St. The venue had previously hosted lectures, exhibitions, and even photographic societies, but under Lyon & Turnbull it took on a new life.
Here, the firm staged sales that ranged from high-profile property auctions to decorative arts, wines, and unusual collections. Its central location and distinguished setting made George Street Hall a perfect stage for the kind of prestige Lyon & Turnbull sought to cultivate.
From that moment, the Lyon & Turnbull name became firmly rooted in Edinburgh life. The firm’s reputation for lively auctions and varied catalogues quickly grew, appealing to both local collectors and a wider clientele
What began as a single advert in 1826 would, over the next two centuries, grow into Scotland’s oldest auction house, one that today operates not only from Edinburgh but also London and Glasgow, serving clients across the UK and internationally.
Jonathan Lyon could not have imagined that his small Market Street saleroom would evolve into a company setting world record prices for art, jewellery and design. His first auction in 1826 was not just the sale of a few household items, it was the opening chapter of a story that continues nearly 200 years later.
[Years 1826 - 1900]