Plait of Lord Admiral Nelson's hair up for auction in Anglesey

BBC News

31-07-2025

A lock of Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson's hair found in a skip more than 40 years ago is going under the hammer. Born in 1758, Nelson was a national hero famous for his naval victories against the French during the Napoleonic Wars.Verified by a 1911 hand written letter from a professor which claims it's a "genuine relic", the lock of plaited hair is expected to fetch about £400 to £500. Simon Bower, auctioneer at Morgan Evans and Co, in Gaerwen, Anglesey, told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast the plait was found alongside a letter in a recycling skip, by a "local chap" in the 1980s, who has kept it in his possession until now.
Lord Nelson, from Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk, joined the navy aged 12, on a ship commanded by a maternal uncle.Regarded as a national hero, his most famous engagement, at Cape Trafalgar, saved Britain from threat of invasion by Napoleon, but it was his last.He was killed by a French sniper while leading the attack on the combined French and Spanish fleet.
Mr Bower described the hair lock as an amazing find, which was "definitely a rarity". He said the man had it in his possession since the 1980s, where he was working at a recycling skip. "These days you need permission to take things out of skips, in 80s you could salvage what you want," he said.He said such relics can range in price, from mid to high hundreds, up to a couple of thousands, but lot of it "depends on background" of the item."It will be interesting to see whether it goes to the museum or a private collection, but at the end of the day you just want it to be appreciated."