Premier auction house Sotheby's to sell Lord Nelson's watch
09 Aug '05
8 min read
After she received her uncle's watch from her father's estate, Charlotte arranged for it to be mounted in a gilt carriage clock case, evidence of the high importance she attached to it. She arranged for the case to be engraved:
The chronometer of Horatio Viscount Nelson, worn by him at the battle of Trafalgar, placed in this case by his Niece, Charlotte Mary, Lady Bridport, to be preserved for any one of her descendants who may enter the Navy.
Most of Nelson's personal effects remained with the Bridport family until 1895 when they were sold at Christie's by Charlotte's eldest son. Many of the more important items, such as the admiral's medals and decorations, were purchased by the government and placed in the Royal Hospital, Greenwich.
Nelson's watch, however, was not included in the sale, presumably because of Charlotte Nelson's earlier request that it "be preserved for any one of her descendents who may enter the Navy". Fortunately, this saved it from the fate of the other items which were stolen from the Royal Hospital in 1900 and irretrievably lost.
The watch continued to descend through branches of the family until it passed to the current owner by bequest. It was exhibited at the Royal Naval Exhibition in 1891 and at the Royal United Services Museum exhibition in 1932. Rarely seen by the public, the watch has been on long-term loan to the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich ever since.
Other highlights of October's Trafalgar sale include:
-Ltd..jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Thermore (Far East) Ltd.")
.jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Limited (TSllC Ltd)")
.jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF)")
