FOUND IN SYDNEY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 7 June 1927, Page 5

FOUND IN SYDNEY

NELSON’S MISSING SEA CHEST

SHIPPED ON RENOWN

Five sea-chests, which belonged to England’s greatest sailor,” Lord Nelson, aro treasured aboard Iris old flagship, the Victory, together with many other relics of the famous Admiral..

Originally there were six chests,* and for many years the sixth had been missing. Now it is aboard H.M.S. Renown, having been given to the Admiralty by Mr Arthur Pease, of Darlington, Sydney, and will take its place aboard the Victory at Portsmouth. , Some years ago the chest was discovered at Sydney by Mr Burfitt, the then bon. secretary of the Australian Historical Society. ' It was in the possession of Mr Pease, who obtained ifc from his father, with whom it had been, left many years before by Captain Bar : low, a member o'f the family of Lord Nelson’s brother, William. Since its discovery it has been lying at the Royal Naval House, Grosvenor street.

While the Renown .was at Sydney Mr Pease offered the chest, to the naval authorities, to be placed with the five other chests on hoard the old Victory, at Portsmouth. The Admiralty was communicated with by cable, with the result that the offer was gladly accepted, their Lordships expressing thanks to the donor for the gift of what could never be traced, but which was thought to be In existence somewhere.

The chest is of oak, and was originally fitted with trays similar to thoso used for holding, silver and valuable presentations. On a metal plate is the inscription: “Viscount Nelson, Duke of Bronte, etc ” Apparently when the chest came " into the possession of. the Countess of Bronte, she had this plate reversed, and her own name arid title engraved on it. There is another metal plate on the chest marked “No. 1,” which would seem to bear out the belief that the chest is the missing one of the series.