A BROOCH containing the hair of Captain Thomas Masterman Hardy is going under the hammer in Dorchester tomorrow.
The brooch carries the inscription ‘Capt Thomas Hardy, 1815’ and is believed to have been given to a member of the Dorset-born naval commander’s family when he returned from the American Civil War.
The date of the inscription marks the 10 year anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, when a dying Admiral Lord Nelson uttered the famous words: ‘Kiss me Hardy’.
The brooch remained at the Hardy family home in Portesham until 1970, when it was bought by a dealer from Devon who in turn sold it onto the present owner.
The item is going on sale at Duke’s in Dorchester, where it is expected to fetch between £400 and £800.
The county town auctioneers will also be selling off another eye catching lot on Friday when a rare collection of Native American artefacts that were discovered in the attic of a West Dorset home go under the hammer.
The lot, which could fetch up to £50,000, includes a knife sheath and abead and bear claw necklace.
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