Pigtail
Nelson's pigtail (or queue), cut off after his death at the Battle of Trafalgar 21 October 1805. Sandy-coloured hair, bound with black ribbon, which is tied in a bow. Surgeon William Beatty records in his "Narrative of the Death of Lord Nelson" that Nelson asked that Lady Hamilton should have his hair. The pigtail was cut off after his death and Hardy delivered it to Emma Hamilton after the Victory's arrival in England. Small locks of hair were given to relations and close friends, and some pieces were mounted in special mourning rings and lockets.
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Object Details
ID: | REL0116 |
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Collection: | Relics |
Type: | Pigtail |
Display location: | Not on display |
Date made: | 1805 (taken from Nelson's head) |
Exhibition: | Seduction and Celebrity: The Spectacular Life of Emma Hamilton |
People: | Nelson, Horatio; Nelson, Horatia |
Credit: | National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Greenwich Hospital Collection |
Measurements: | Overall: 25 x 190 x 114 mm |
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