Relics?
In the Museum’s stores we have a case containing seven ‘relics’ or souvenirs, including a lock of Napoleon Bonaparte’s hair and a lock of hair from Copenhagen, the Duke of Wellington’s horse, all connected with the Battle of Waterloo.
Most of the objects were donated to the museum in the 19th century and they were mounted together in a case by a previous curator of the museum. Each object has a carefully handwritten label and the case has been labelled as “Relics”, though we wouldn’t necessarily consider them to be relics now.
Most of the objects were donated to the museum in the 19th century and they were mounted together in a case by a previous curator of the museum. Each object has a carefully handwritten label and the case has been labelled as “Relics”, though we wouldn’t necessarily consider them to be relics now.
The lock of Napoleon’s hair was cut from his head shortly after his death on the island of St Helena on 5 May 1821. Napoleon had been exiled there following his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo on 18 June 1815. This defeat brought his second reign as Emperor of France to an end and brought peace to Europe after 30 years of war.
The cause of Napoleon’s death has been debated. The official cause of death was said to be stomach cancer and the museum holds a letter containing a first-hand account of Napoleon’s death, which states that the “stomach [was] the entire seat of the Disease which was a Cancer”. However, some people claim that he may have been poisoned with arsenic.
The lock of Napoleon’s hair was donated to the museum by John Player in 1838. Mr Player also donated the letter (mentioned above), which was written by Alexander Gilfellan, one of the men stationed on St Helena to guard Napoleon. At the end of the letter, Mr Gilfellan tells John Player “I have two or three trifling curiosities for you which I will take an opportunity of delivering”. It is likely that one of these “curiosities” was the lock of hair.
The cause of Napoleon’s death has been debated. The official cause of death was said to be stomach cancer and the museum holds a letter containing a first-hand account of Napoleon’s death, which states that the “stomach [was] the entire seat of the Disease which was a Cancer”. However, some people claim that he may have been poisoned with arsenic.
The lock of Napoleon’s hair was donated to the museum by John Player in 1838. Mr Player also donated the letter (mentioned above), which was written by Alexander Gilfellan, one of the men stationed on St Helena to guard Napoleon. At the end of the letter, Mr Gilfellan tells John Player “I have two or three trifling curiosities for you which I will take an opportunity of delivering”. It is likely that one of these “curiosities” was the lock of hair.
The case also contains a lock of hair belonging to Copenhagen, the Duke of Wellington’s war horse. Copenhagen was born in 1808 and named in honour of the British victory at the Second Battle of Copenhagen (1807). He raced in England for a short time before being sent to Spain with Sir Charles Vane in 1813. He was then sold to the Duke of Wellington and he became the Duke’s favourite horse.Copenhagen was used by the Duke of Wellington for the entire 17-hour duration of the Battle of Waterloo. At the end of the battle, Wellington dismounted and patted Copenhagen on the flank, causing the horse to kick towards the Duke’s head, narrowly missing him! The lock of hair was donated to the museum in 1838 by Chas Davis of Ascot, the Queen’s Huntsman.
There are five other ‘relics’ in the case:
A candle and a piece of wood from the HMS Royal George, a large 100-gun naval ship that sank in 1782 with the loss of around 900 lives.
A piece of rope used by Monsieur Henri Jean Latude to escape from the Bastille in Paris during the 18th century
Fragments of a Union Jack flag and flagstaff saved by Sir William Peel during the Crimean War
A piece of wood from the HMS Bark Endeavour, the ship commanded by Captain James Cook during his first voyage of discovery to Australia and New Zealand in 1768-71.
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