A bookcase made from wood salvaged from Admiral Nelson's flagship HMS Foudroyant will go under the auctioneer's hammer. The three-tier revolving bookcase, made from oak and pine from the ship, is being sold with a presentation plaque by the maker Goodall Lamb & Heighway. It is estimated to sell for between £600 and £800 when it is featured among 1,500 lots in the next sale at auctioneers Golding Young & Thos. Mawer in Lincoln on Wednesday, March 21. Auctioneer John Leatt said: "This bookcase has a fascinating provenance, having been made from wood salvaged from one of Admiral Nelson's flagships. "Any item with a connection to Nelson will attract the attention of collectors and we have already received a lot of interest in this bookcase from bidders in the UK and overseas. We expect bidding to be fierce on sale day."
Launched in Plymouth in 1798, HMS Foudroyant became Admiral Lord Nelson's flagship in the Mediterranean from 1799 to 1800 and took part in the recapture of Naples from the French, the recapture of Malta and the taking of several French vessels.
In 1801 after a refit, she became Admiral LordKeith's flagship in the Egyptian campaign and joined the Channel fleet after an extensive refit at Plymouth in 1803. In 1808 she was the flagship for Admiral Sir Sydney Smith's expedition to South America. She was then paid off in Plymouth in November 1812 and remained in harbour service. In1862, she was converted to a training ship andserved HMS Cambridge, the Plymouth gunnery school. Thirty years later she was sold for breakingup to a German firm, but because of her association
with Nelson there was a public outcry including a Punch cartoon by Linley Sambourne. George Wheatley Cobb then purchased her for £20,000 to display her at various ports and use her as a sail training ship.
Sadly she was wrecked at Blackpool in a gale in June 1897. The salvage terms were that the company involved would receive £2,000 if they re-floated her and if they failed they could buy the wreck for £10. The ship was unsalvageable and the company recovered some of their expenses by making and selling souvenirs from the timber and copper. Hundreds of different items were made including furniture, medallions, coins and walking sticks.
In the same sale, a pictorial souvenir and history of the First Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment is expected to sell for between £300 and £500. The album of black and white photographs shows members of the regiment at the Poona India in 1909 and is being sold with two shooting medals awarded to a recipient photographed in the album. Of over 20 clocks in the sale including five longcase clocks, a late 19th century mahogany and gilt metal mantel clock playing with a musical chime striking on eight bells and five gongs is estimated to sell for between £2,000 and £3,000.
A selection of over 200 lots of silver and jewellery includes a set of 14 silver goblets made during Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee year in 1977 by the well-known silversmith of Garrard of London. The set is estimated to sell for between £1,600 and £1,800. Elsewhere in the sale there are Royal Doulton ladies, Beswick animals, good collections of Victorian glass walking sticks and postcards, 70 lots of vintage costume and textiles and over 20 lots of medals.
