Admiral Nelson paedophile slurs forces auction house to withdraw telescope from sale

Navy historians have attacked an auction house for repeating paedophile slurs about Admiral Lord Nelson, which forced them to withdraw a telescope from sale.

The telescope, said to have been gifted by Nelson to a cabin boy, was withdrawn as an upcoming lot after a claim made by the seller sparked outrage.

Australian vendor, Audrey Burns, consigned the instrument for sale after it had been handed down through her family from her great-great-great grandfather, William Thomas Cook.

Passed down with it were Cook's 'tales' that included him serving as cabin boy to Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar and being abused by him.

The allegations were repeated by Hansons Auctioneers of Derbyshire when they advertised the sale, prompting naval experts to intervene.

Professor Dominic Tweddle, director general of the National Museum of the Royal Navy in Portsmouth, labelled the remarks a 'ridiculous slur' on Nelson's memory.

He added there was no evidence Cook served on HMS Victory or any other ship at Trafalgar.

Hansons has now withdrawn the telescope from sale 'pending further investigations'.

The auctioneers acknowledged there was no evidence that Nelson had abused any boys in his charge and they 'deeply regretted' repeating the allegation.

Professor Dominic Tweddle

Prof Tweddle said: "As custodians of HMS Victory and a keeper of the flame of the immortal memory of Nelson, we consider this claim to be a ridiculous slur.

"We are pleased it has been withdrawn from sale."

William Thomas Cook was transported to Australia in 1820 after being convicted of theft and took with him a brass telescope.

His scurrilous stories, which probably earned him a few drinks back in the day, also included him being wounded in the face by a splinter at Trafalgar and ripping a piece of the Victory's flag off Nelson's coffin at his funeral.

Mrs Burns, 88, who lives in Southport in Queensland, had said: " It was whispered in our family that Cookie was abused.

"Lord Horatio Nelson may well have been called a paedophile today - that's the sad truth."

But respected Nelson expert Andrew Baines, the deputy director of heritage at the National Museum of the Royal Navy, said after conducting further research he could 'state categorically' Cook was not known to Nelson.

Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons, said in a statement: "We deeply regret any offence caused by stories relating to the sale of the telescope and bucket, particularly to members of Nelson's family.

"The information comes from stories passed through the generations in our vendor's family.

"Importantly, we are now fully investigating all the academic information we have received about the item's provenance and will consider all views with due care, respect and diligence.

"The item has now been withdrawn from sale pending further investigations."