LORD NELSON'S GROG CHEST A cased decanter set, wine glasses and beaker circa 1800

the velvet-lined fitted rectangular casket with hinged lid and brass mounts to the edges, two swing handles to the sides, a small rectangular drawer below with key plate, the escutcheon on the lid inscribed Admiral Lord Nelson's Chest, the lock plate inscribed 'John Frederick Foster/ The Gift of his Aunt/ M.H.TODD/ May 1875', comprising five contemporary rectangular shouldered cannister flasks with narrow necks and everted rim, each engraved Glll within branches of lily-of-the-valley, the reverse with a stylised flower, the narrow sides with sprays of lily-of-the-valley, together with a later flask inscribed Vic, with similar floral engraving, a flared beaker and two earlier drawn-trumpet wine glasses, the beaker inscribed Glll, the wine glasses Vic within tied branches of lily-of the-valley, some chips to the flasks and typical wear to the chest 

With S.J.Phillips, London, circa 1985

On their receipt is written that 'This chest formerly belonged to Admiral Nelson, was inherited by his godson Horatio Nelson Atkinson, the son of the Master of the Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar. It came into the possession of M.H.Todd of Keswick, Cumberland and passed by descent from her nephew John Frederick Foster to Elizabeth Foster, Duchess of Devonshire. This chest was previously at Glyde Court, Ireland.'

According to R.Mackenzie, The Trafalgar Roll (1913) '(12) Mr.T.Atkinson was appointed Master, R.N., 1795 - Master of the Theseus at Tenerife, 1797; at the battle of the Nile, 1798; and commanded one of the boats at the siege of Acre in 1799 - wounded. Master of Elephant, under Nelson, at Copenhagen, 1801 and of the Victory at Trafalgar, 1805 - Carried a bannerol of lineage at Nelson's funeral, 1806. Master Attendant, Halifax Dockyard, 1806; 2nd Master-Attendant, Portsmouth Dockyard, 1810 and 1st  Attendant from 1823 until his death, which occurred there in June 1836, in the 69th year of his age. Held in great respect by Nelson, who stood godfather to his son, Horatio Nelson Atkinson, Lieut., R.N.'

A torn circular paper label indistinctly inscribed in ink See The Cumberland & Westmorland Advertiser, Tuesday. October 17th./ The death of Lord Nelson's Godson is recorded. His name was Horatio Nelson Atkinson, and he was a commander in the Royal Navy, and died at Great Yarmouth, aged 73. His father was master of the flagship Victory, at the Battle...... and  Mr.Todd ...Keswick....Aged 72 years 13th October...

Five of the cased bottles appear to be of Continental origin and are contemporary with the period of the chest. The wineglasses are, however, of an earlier date and of English manufacture. The additional flask is of more recent date and is the only one to bear a reference to HMS Victory. It is unlikely that the inscription to the Victory was present on the glasses at the time of Nelson and may have been added, along with the flask, in the 1870s.

A very similar grog chest is to be seen in an engraving entitled Midshipmans' Birth showing young officers at play, signed Williams, c.1800. There are two ship's decanters on the table and a decanter case labelled GROG on the floor (illustrated A.McConnell, op.cit., p.190).

R.Prentice, op.cit., p.150 makes reference to a further similar cased decanter set which reputedly belonged to Nelson and came to light in New Orleans, having passed through Admiral Lord Collingwood's hands.