Medicine cabinet belonging to Lord Nelson's surgeon secured for museum

A medicine cabinet that belonged to the surgeon who tended to Admiral Lord Nelson as he lay dying on HMS Victory during the Battle of Trafalgar has been secured for a museum.

Sir William Beatty joined Nelson’s flagship in 1804, a year after the date on his apothecary box.

The portable cabinet stands just over 10 inches high and opens to reveal drawers and shelves, with two original glass jars remaining.

Sir William was with Nelson from when he was brought below decks at Trafalgar and knew, as did Nelson, that there was no chance of survival from the musket shot.

Surgeon Lieutenant Commander Jo Laird of the Royal Navy Medical Service spotted the piece of nautical history on an antiques website.

Along with colleagues Surg Cdr Kate King and Surg Cdr Iain Wood she began a crowdfunding campaign, asking for £16,000 – a total that has now been reached.

Antique dealer Charles Wallrock of Wick Antiques in Lymington, reduced the price and reserved it to give the fundraising time.

The cabinet will be put into a display case at the planned museum and visitor centre on the site of the former Royal Naval Hospital Haslar in Gosport.

The Admiralty bought the site in 1745 and when it was completed a few years later it was the biggest brick building in Europe.

Casualties from all the major wars and conflicts were treated there until it was decommissioned in 2007.

While much of the site has been developed, the hospital’s memory will continue through a visitor centre and museum dedicated to the Royal Navy medical and dental services.

'Haslar is the perfect place for it'

Jo Laird said: "I’d like to thank everybody who has donated and managed to secure this artefact.

"When I saw it on the 2Covet site I realised what a wonderful and important piece of naval and medical history it was.

"The visitor centre and museum at Haslar is being planned and this will make a marvellous exhibit.”

Charles Wallrock said: "I really wanted this to go to a museum and Haslar is the perfect place for it.

"It is a unique item with Beatty’s name on it and it was most likely at Trafalgar where Nelson defeated the combined French and Spanish fleets in 1805.

"The number of those who donated shows how important our naval history is to people."