‘Fierce bidding’ expected as Eleanor Rigby grave deeds auctioned

The name, made famous by The Beatles’ song, is inscribed on a headstone in St Peter’s churchyard in Woolton, Liverpool, where Paul McCartney first met John Lennon at a church fete.

A certificate of purchase and a receipt for the grave space will be sold in a lot with a miniature bible, dated 1899 and with the name Eleanor Rigby written inside.

The deeds to the grave will be sold (Peter Byrne/PA)

They will go under the hammer alongside the original handwritten music score for the song, which is expected to fetch £20,000.

Paul Fairweather, from Omega Auctions, which is selling both lots, said: “Each item is fantastic, unique and of significant historical importance in itself so to have both to come up for auction at the same time is an incredible coincidence and it will be exciting to see how they perform. I expect there to be fierce bidding from across the globe.”

The name Eleanor Rigby was immortalised in the song which was released as the B-side of Yellow Submarine in 1966.

McCartney, who wrote the lyrics, reportedly said it was simply a name that came to him, but it later emerged that it was inscribed on a headstone in the graveyard which he and Lennon used to regularly use as a shortcut.

Deeds for the grave space, purchased in October 1915 by her grandmother Frances, were discovered by a relative when the estate of two of Ms Rigby’s half-sisters was left to the family.

The musical score, handwritten in pencil, is signed by producer George Martin and McCartney and notes that the song was to be recorded in Abbey Road Studio number two and was to include four violins, two violas and two cellos.

The two lots will be among items on sale at the Beatles Memorabilia Auction to be held in Warrington on September 11.