In 1897 the Dame Mary Kerrison Trust Estate was put up for auction. This consisted of property in Eye, Yaxley, Hoxne, Oakley, Brome, Thrandeston, Stuston, Denham, Horham, Laxfield, Thorndon and Redgrave in Suffolk and Thorpe Abbots, Billingford, Thorpe Parva, Dickleburgh and Needham in Norfolk. The auction was held at the Town Hall in Eye on Tuesday and Wednesday, the 13th and 14th of July in 1897. The auctioneers were Stafford and Rogers of Bedford.

There were 10 Public Houses, 16 farms with about 1747 acres of land, various other enclosures of land, several private residences, 80 small houses, cottages and smiths' shops.

For the auction catalogue follow this link - 1897 Dame Mary Kerrison Trust Estate Sale Catalogue

On the 31st December 1897 the Morning Post, in its round up of the year's property market, recorded that a portion on the Dame Mary Kerrison Trust Estate, in Norfolk and Suffolk, with 1,747 acres, had sold for £45,057.

All but one of the Public Houses were bought by their lessee Mr Charles J. Fisher, the owner of the Eye Brewery, which was later taken over by Messrs. Adnams and Co Ltd. and then by Messrs. Steward and Patterson Ltd.

The results of this sale as reported by the Norfolk Chronicle on the 24th July 1897 were as follows:

First day of sale

Lot No. Property Buyer Purchase Price Notes
1 Queens Head, Eye Mr Fisher £1800  
2 Duke of Wellington, Eye Mr Fisher £500  
3 Red Lion, Eye Mr Fisher £2150  
4 Swan Inn, Stuston Mr Fisher £1250  
5 Three Horseshoes, Billingford Mr Fisher £950  
6 The King's Head, Dickleburgh Mr Fisher £2000  
7 The Black Horse, Thorndon Mr Fisher £2350  
8 Fishmonger's Arms, Needham Mr Fisher £900  
9 Fox and Hounds, Redgrave Mr Fisher £1000  
10 The General Wolfe, Laxfield Mr Kendal-Chapman for the Prince of Wales Brewery, Halesworth £3000 This included a Saddler's premises
11 Meadow Mr D C Warnes £85  
17 Stanley House, Eye Rev George Phillips £510  
21 House and Chemist's shop, Eye Mr W S Nurse £925  
22 Cottage, Eye Colcher Brewing Company £215  
23 4 cottages and wheelwright's, Eye Mr H Rowling £300  
24 Hill House, Eye Dr E G Barnes £600  
25 6 cottages, Eye Dr E G Barnes £300  
26 Oak Lawn House, Hoxne Mr W Matthews £2000  
27 68 acres and Pit Barn Mr W Matthews £450  
28 Oak Lawn Farm, Eye Mr W Matthews £2000 sold after auction
30 Burnt House Farm, Eye Mr H W Cullum £2500  
33 2 cottages, Langton Green, Eye Mr Matthews £750  
34 Waterloo Cottage and land Mr Boxall £200  
36 3 cottages, Langton Green, Eye Mr C Gibbs £205  
41 10 acres of land at Yaxley Mr C Tacon £200  
42 7 acres of land in Brome Mr Matthews £290  

Second day of sale

Properties belonging to the Brome and Oakley Estate - lots that made £200 and upwards.

Lot No. Property Buyer Purchase Price Notes
52 Poplar Farm, Oakley Mr Matthews £500  
53 2 Cottages and 13 Acres of land, Oakley Mr Matthews £220  
55 2 Cottages and 6 Acres of land, Oakley Mr Matthews £250  
69 Waveney House and Mill, Hoxne and Thorpe Abbots Mr J Chase £500  
72 2 Cottages and 4 Acres of land, Hoxne Mr N B Garrard £200  
78 5 Cottages and Saddlers, Low Street, Hoxne Mr H R Theobald £250  
83 House and Shop, Hoxne Messr. Cracknell £370  
84 3 Cottages and Shop, Low Street, Hoxne Mr J Lawrence £250  
89 23 Cross Street, Hoxne Mr A. Baxter £165  
103 Shreeves Farm, Hoxne Mr G W Green £500  
104 Clubbes Farm, Hoxne and Denham Mr W Howlett £800  
106 3 Cottages and corner property, Denham Mr T H Tacon £800  
108 Standwell House Farm, Denham and Hoxne Mr C Tacon £1300 sold after auction  
115 Bush Farm, Denham Mr Matthews £325  
117 Hall Farm, Horham Mr Alfred Preston £1225  
118 Boats Hall Farm, Laxfield Mr G Martin £1175  
120 2 Cottages and 24 Acres of land, Laxfield Mr Matthews £350  

Presumably some of the other lots did not sell or were sold for under £200 and not worth reporting. Some appear in later sales of the Oakley Park Estate. Some of the lots that were sold appear in later sales of the Brome and Oakley Estate. It is presumed that these properties were bought by agents for the Estate or were later repurchased by the Estate.