'Last night I did nothing but dream of you,’ wrote a passionate Horatio Nelson to Emma Hamilton in January 1800. Their love story unfolds through a treasure trove of letters gathered over 40 years by Clive Richards (1937–2021) — the largest collection of papers relating to the admiral created single-handedly ever since the days of Victorian bigwig Alfred Morrison.
Among the manuscripts are two poignant letters by Hamilton to Nelson, the only two remaining in private hands. She wrote them shortly before the Battle of Trafalgar — and they only reached the fleet after his death. Other correspondence traces the increasingly difficult relationship between Hamilton and Nelson’s family, as his brother William gained control of the Admiral’s inheritance. Riddled with debts, after a spell in prison, Hamilton moved in July 1814 to France, where she died a mere six months later.
Also in the collection are battle papers that offer eyewitness accounts of the greatest naval engagements of the time, from Cape St Vincent to the Nile, Nelson’s own reports and his plans for Trafalgar.
The Nelson papers are on show at Sotheby’s from October 21, the anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, to October 28. The collection, which has an estimate of £4million–£6 million, will be offered in a single-lot sealed auction, with bidding closing on November 18. Proceeds will benefit the Clive Richards Foundation, which supports education, healthcare, heritage and the Arts.