Rare figurehead goes under hammer

The manuscript describes Trafalgar from the lower decks

A rare model of a ship's figurehead is expected to fetch more than £70,000 when it goes under the hammer.

The wooden model was made at the Royal Dockyard in Chatham, Kent as a trial carving for the figurehead for HMS Queen Charlotte, George III's flagship.

It is among memorabilia connected with Nelson and the Royal Navy being auctioned by Bonhams next month.

Also in the sale is an account of the Battle of Trafalgar written by a 17-year-old deckhand from Rochester.

The Queen Charlotte figurehead is one of only three such models known to exist in the world.

One is in America and the other, for Nelson's Victory, is in the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich.

"The model was made to present to the Admiralty and probably the King for approval," said Mr Willis.

"Once they got approval they would go ahead and carve the full-size model."