Nelson's Purse

by Martyn Downer

For nearly two centuries, a red morocco dispatch box lay forgotten in a castle attic. When Martyn Downer opened the box and broke its spell, he uncovered a cache of fascinating and intimate letters relating to the life of Britain's greatest naval hero, Horatio Nelson. As Downer explored the castle, he went on to find a treasure trove of never-before-seen objects, including Nelson's swords, medals, porcelain, guns and even the purse he was carrying on the day he was shot at Trafalgar in 1805, still containing its gold coins.When Nelson died, these objects were passed on to his closest business associate, Alexander Davison, whose descendants had kept them without knowing their enormous historical significance. As Downer identifies each item and its provenance, fresh insights are revealed into the personal and domestic lives of Nelson, his jilted wife Fanny and his mistress Emma, Lady Hamilton.Rarely, if ever, have Nelson and his circle been brought so vividly and palpably to life. Nelson's Purse is an extraordinary historical detective story that will change our view of Lord Nelson forever.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, War

359 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2004

Reviews

[Joy D · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my recent quest to learn more about the life of Admiral Horatio Nelson, I came across this amazing true story of the discovery of a collection of Nelson’s possessions, owned by the descendants of Alexander Davison, a man who negotiated prize compensations for captured ships and was Nelson’s close friend. In addition to jeweled decorations, awards, and swords, the treasure trove included correspondences to Davison from Nelson, his wife, Fanny, and mistress, Lady Emma Hamilton. The later portions of the book cover Nelson’s funeral and what happened afterward in the lives of his family and friends.

Downer, an antiques expert associated with Sotheby’s, was called in to evaluate these possessions. He has done a magnificent job of reconstructing portions of Nelson’s life from these letters. He weaves together these discoveries with known information and other primary sources. The result is a portrayal of the personal life of a historical figure. In many non-fiction books, it is difficult to get a feeling for the person, but in this case, it is one of the highlights of the book.

The reader obtains a good idea of Nelson’s life, which was full of drama. He had an estranged wife and a mistress. He and his wife entertained his mistress and her husband and escorted them around town. His agent got into legal trouble and went to prison. Nelson seemed almost obsessed with prize monies from captured ships. He also comes across as a courageous patriot, doing his duty for king and country. This book provides a realistic portrait of an individual – a hero replete with flaws and strengths.

It is part biography and part piecing together the provenance of the artifacts found in the Davison family’s possessions. The sources are documented and footnoted. It contains supplemental material – photos of paintings, drawings, treasures, correspondences, and news of the time. I found it fascinating.

[Vicky Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Conquering Splendor; Webs of Patronage, Interest, and Ownership; and Fortune's Rise and Fall

Nelson's purse holds the story of the many lives that spun around that of Great Britain's hero Horatio Nelson. He is most remembered for victoriously commanding the British fleets at the Battle of the Nile and at the famous Battle of Trafalgar where he died. This book goes into all the details of Nelson's life and legacies, as well as the lives and fates of his agents, his wife, his mistress, and his many friends. It follows the history from the rediscovery of Nelson's purse and sword artifacts which had been bequeathed to his agent and were since in unknown hands over the last 200 years, until recently found and auctioned.

The story is emotionally gripping. The author does a great job of filling the book with all the human details. It is not what would be called a 'popular history' for easy reading, but is rather a close inspection of the source materials, as in historical documents. The book contains many rich, high quality photos to enliven the account as it unfolds. The reader takes away a sense of the grandeur of a national hero. But, the human failings of that man leave behind years of sorrow for those who loved him most. While the author presents all this in the historical details, he leaves you to form your own judgements.

I became so absorbed in the account that I spent a couple extra days poring over the maps and ship listings. The loss of his arm would have made him a captivating figure standing on deck in the middle of a storm. From the time his body is returned to England bathed in spirits for burial, until he is nailed into the coffin made from the mast of his ship Victory, to his moving funeral in the cathedral, to the ultimate execution of his will; nothing is ordinary about this death. I highly recommend Mr. Downer's history and this book in particular.

[Florence · Rating 5 out of 5]

The research underlying the book is very good and sheds more light on Nelson's character and those closest to him. The book is well written and it is obvious it was a passionate pursuit. Much is about Davison but that duality besides focusing exclusively on Nelson paints a wider picture of the times and the men that made the most of opportunities. I came away at the end with richer understanding of what drives success and its pitfalls and pleasures.

I'm a big Nelson fan though have little maritime knowledge. Wish something could explain the complex means of planning, managing, and communication of ship warfare at that time. I read Sudgen's biography of Nelson and he touches on the use of huge placards with numbers used to instruct the manuvering of ships during battle

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

What begins as a search for a purse that Admiral Nelson may had been wearing when he was mortally wounded early in the battle of Trafalgar turns into a rich history of Nelson and his relationship to his closest friend and manager of financial and personal affairs. This book presents a detailed narrative of the life and times of this raising star of the Royal Navy a star who even after 200 years remains one of the UK's most well known individuals.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps the title is a metaphor for Nelson's banker friend, Davison as the book is mostly about this character. The description, however, is misleading, suggesting that the book is about the object. Still a fairly interesting read about a hitherto lesser known historical character (Davison).

[Lesley-Anne McLeod · Rating 4 out of 5]

A remarkable history following the journey of some of Nelson's belongings, but more than that a history of the inner workings of British business, and naval concerns. Also a biography of a man who should be better known, Nelson's good friend, Alexander Davison. Highly recommended.

[Florence May · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book on Admiral Nelson's affairs and times from the perspective of his agent. Tremendous detail of the period and the large cast of characters. And no one is spared from humiliation, least our hero.

[Nicky Rossiter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched and written.
Veers away from just a Nelson story.
Shows Nelson as the flawed character he was and also the corruption of the “higher ups” in British society.
Very well illustrated and produced.

[Nadine Keels · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the first two chapters of the book strange, as far as point of view goes, but overall, it was an interesting (and tragic) account. There was quite a bit of detailed information about pounds: prices, prizes, salaries, debts, and the like, which was a bit of a bog down in the narrative to me, but it probably wouldn't bother a reader who's into numbers. And as history would have it, everybody's name was William--William the servant, William Pitt, William Nelson, William Davison, Sir William Hamilton, William Henry, William Grant, William Smith, William Marsh, William Leake, William Bolton--and I couldn't help laughing. I almost expected my dear William Wilberforce to make an appearance. The book was an illustration of how greatness and mortality intermingle, and I'm left wondering what some of these remarkable men and women TRULY thought and felt about themselves as individual human beings, especially toward the end of their lives.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting book, though the title is really very misleading. While it starts with an account of the discovery of the purse Nelson was carrying when he died, the book is really almost entirely a biography of Alexander Davison, Nelson’s close friend and financier. That’s interesting enough, and we get a lot of passages dealing with Horatio Nelson, his brother Maurice, his wife Fanny and his lover Lady Hamilton. But there’s a good deal else just about Davison’s life and business shenanigans and ultimate downfall.

Nelson himself doesn’t come off at all well in the book. His cruelty to his poor wife Fanny and his shameless behaviour with Emma Hamilton show him up as a very unpleasant character ashore. It was only at sea where Nelson’s courage and brilliant tactics earned him the right to be seen as a great British hero. But we should acknowledge that he is a very flawed hero.

[Becki · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was interesting but a little boring. I wanted to hear more about Nelson and less about Davidson. I finally got to the point where I skipped parts about Davidson and went on to Nelson. Davidson was Nelson's right hand man! Haa! No pun in intended. He was and he knew a lot about Nelson the real person. I am so amazed how a hoard of Nelson's items were found 200 years later - like a time capsule that Davidson had stored away. The thing is I think it is a shame that Horatia Nelson did not inherited these items. What a shame she did not!

[Britt · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book really doesn't focus on Nelson, but rather on Alex Davison, his friend/business partner. The author also injects far too much of his own opinion/hypotheses/personal bias for what I thought was intended to be a historical, fact-based novel, and he goes into a few too many tangents on masonic symbolism.

[Luce Cronin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting book. I learned so much about Nelson. Some chapters were hard going for me, because they were so full of detail, that I bogged down. Wonderfully , carefully researched.