Object Description
A Small Revolving Bookcase made from Oak and Pine Timbers and Copper Salvaged from HMS Foudroyant and made by Goodall, Lamb and Heighway c.1900
This fine and small revolving bookcase was made by the Manchester-based firm of Goodall, Lamb and Heighway c.1900 from salvaged materials taken from Lord Nelson’s former flagship the Foudroyant which had been smashed to pieces in a storm off of Blackpool beach in 1897. Lambs managed to acquire much of the salvageable material from the wreck and by 1900 they were advertising this widely in the newspapers, producing a Book of Foudroyant to explain this new line. The present piece has a plaque on it which reads:
‘Made by Goodall, Lamb and Heighway Ltd, Manchester. This bookcase is made from the oak and pine salved (sic) from the “Foudroyant”, Nelson’s Flagship, of which this disc of copper formed a part’.
We have handled many pieces of Foudroyant timber furniture over the years, as well as smaller items such as snuff boxes or napkin rings, but the present piece is a rare and unusual design.
HMS Foudroyant
HMS Foudroyant was an 80-gun third-rate ship of the line of French origin, captured by the Royal Navy from the French in 1798 during the Battle of the Nile. Originally launched by France in 1798, she was taken into British service after her capture and quickly became known as one of the finest ships in the Royal Navy. Between 1799 and 1801, she served as the flagship of Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson in the Mediterranean, carrying him during the campaigns that followed his victory at the Nile. It was from her quarterdeck that Nelson directed naval operations, supported the Kingdom of Naples, and continued the blockade of French forces, cementing Foudroyant’s place in British naval history as one of his most celebrated command ships.
Following her active naval career, Foudroyant served in a variety of roles before being retired from frontline service in the nineteenth century. Saved from scrapping in 1891 through a public campaign led by the philanthropist Wheatley Cobb, she became a training ship for boys and a symbol of Britain’s maritime heritage. Tragically, while being towed to Blackpool in June 1897 as a public attraction, Foudroyant was driven ashore by a violent storm at Blackpool Sands. Despite determined efforts to refloat her, the damage proved irreparable, and the ship was broken up on the beach. Although she no longer survives, HMS Foudroyant remains remembered as Nelson’s beloved flagship and one of the most famous ships of the age of sail.