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Worksop family's Nelson brooch to be auctioned
A LOCK of Horatio Nelson's hair that has been in the collection of a Worksop family for more than half a century, is to go under the hammer at auction on Saturday.
The hair was cut off after Nelson’s death at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 by Thomas Hardy.
The hair is encased under glass in a gold and green enamel brooch. The back of the brooch is inscribed ‘Horatio Nelson obit 21st October 1805.’ The hair was then presented by Hardy to Richard Dusgate.
“Nelson’s hair was cut off the day after his death, before preservation of the body in a barrel of brandy for transportation home to England, a state funeral and burial in St Paul’s Cathedral,” said Craig Bewick of auctioneers Brown and Co.
“To modern tastes it may seem a rather strange, not to say macabre, thing to do but in the 18th and 19th centuries it was fashionable for people to keep a lock of a loved one’s hair, in much the same way that we might carry a photograph around today.”
“Hair ‘jewellery’ was very popular. Lovers gave each other bracelets made of their hair. Napoleon’s watch chain was made from his wife’s hair. Locks of hair were kept to remember deceased loved ones.”
“As he lay dying, Nelson specifically asked Hardy to ‘let my dear Lady Hamilton have my hair and all other things belonging to me’.”
“Emma Hamilton, his mistress, was indeed sent some of his hair but some of it was retained by the Royal Navy and other locks ended up as mementos in private hands.”
”Locks of Nelson’s hair are now to be found in museum collections around the world, ranging from the former royal yacht Britannia in Edinburgh to the Edashima Naval Academy in Japan.”
Speaking about the Dusgate brooch, Craig said he discovered the unusual find at a routine valuation.
”I was quite staggered,” he said. “It is a terrific thing. Very rare, very unusual – and very difficult to value. It goes in to next Saturday’s auction with a pre-sale estimate of 300-500 but that could turn out to be ultra- conservative.”
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Weather for Worksop
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 6 mph
Wind direction: South west
