NELSON'S TELESCOPE

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 11, 14 January 1933, Page 13

NELSON'S TELESCOPE

•Many recent visitors to Christie's handled Nelson's telescope, and some put it to their eye and tried to imagine how tho great captain put it to his single eyo as he watched the progress of the Battle of Trafalgar. It had been presented to him by Lady Hamilton and Captain Hardy, in whose arms ho I died. The sellers, acquired the relics from descendants of Hardy (says the "Manchester Guardian"). There was strong competition for the telescope, and several institutions were known to be concerned,.'but the winning bid of 1450 guineas was made by Messrs. Spink, who have so ; often secured precious national'relics. This telescope is considered more important than the Nelson telescope at the Eoyal United Services Institution -and the telescope at Greenwich Hospital. The two watches presented to Nelson by tho crew of his ship on his marriage brought 380 guineas, and the watch given by Lady Nelson to the young sailor who was believed to have killed the French sharpshooter who shot Nelson was also in the sale. It was announced later that the telescope and all the Nelson relics, with the exception of a pair of pistols, had been bought by Messrs. Spink at £3387 for Mr. P. Malcolm Stewart, who is presenting them to the Greenwich Hospital Museum.