Lord Nelson letters collection to be sold as a single lot at Sotheby’s, Country Life reports

Lord Nelson letters collection to be sold as a single lot

A collection of papers about Lord Nelson, gathered over 40 years by the collector Clive Richards, is to be sold as a single lot at Sotheby’s, Country Life reported in "Historic haul of Lord Nelson's letters will head to auction" (external source).

Country Life said the papers were on show at Sotheby’s from 21 October, the anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, to 28 October. It said bidding closes on 18 November, in a sealed auction.

What the collection holds

According to Country Life, the collection includes love letters between Nelson and Emma Hamilton. It quoted Nelson writing in January 1800: "Last night I did nothing but dream of you".

The report described two letters from Hamilton to Nelson, written shortly before the Battle of Trafalgar, as "the only two remaining in private hands". It said they reached the fleet only after his death.

Country Life added that the collection also holds battle papers that give eyewitness accounts of naval engagements from Cape St Vincent to the Nile, along with Nelson’s own reports and his plans for Trafalgar. It said Richards, who lived from 1937 to 2021, built what it called the largest collection of Nelson papers ever put together by one person.

Why it is sold together

The collection is being offered as one lot rather than piece by piece. Country Life said the proceeds will benefit the Clive Richards Foundation, which supports education, healthcare, heritage and the arts.