Portsmouth UK Treasure Hunt Mystery: Nelson’s Stolen Diamonds

Have you ever heard of Portsmouth’s mysterious missing diamond treasure? It all started during the 19th century when Vice-Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson brought a small wooden chest to the Treasurer’s Office at Portsmouth Dockyard, which he famously said ‘contains my fortune’. Inside were two diamond rings and two necklaces, plus several coins and pearls said to be worth £25,000.

But although they survived the journey across the Atlantic, these jewels were soonafter reported missing. Many theories have been put forward over the years as to what happened to them- from them being accidentally thrown away to them being spirited away by smugglers.

So what’s the truth about this unsolved mystery? Where are the lost diamonds hidden and could you find them? Let’s take a closer look to discover the hidden facts behind this mysterious case…

The Origins of Nelson’s Missing Jewels

Nelson’s jewels were composed of two diamond rings, two necklaces, several coins and pearls. These precious items were said to be worth £25,000 at the time, although they could fetch up to around £150,000 today. In 1802, they were placed in a small wooden chest by Nelson himself, shortly before he left Britain to take part in the Battle of Trafalgar.

The chest was placed in the Treasurer’s Office at Portsmouth Dockyard. Despite his own legendary status, Nelson didn’t explain the details of his jewels – and no one involved in the transaction wrote anything down.

He simply handed over the chest and asked that it be safeguarded whilst he was away at sea. Unfortunately, his words would seem to be almost prophetic as he never did return; Nelson was killed in action at the Battle of Trafalgar in October 1805 and subsequently buried in St Paul’s Cathedral.

Suspicions and Allegations

The precious chest seemed to have miraculously survived the battle unscathed but its contents weren’t so lucky. Not long after Nelson left, rumours started circulating that his jewels had gone missing, along with £30 of coins.

Because there were no records kept of what was contained within the chest it was difficult to prove whether or notit was really missing. It wasn’t until 1808 that people started wondering where it had gone; this suspicion increased heavily following the death of Whitehead Stone, a former clerk in the Treasurer’s Office who may have had knowledge of the whereabouts of Nelson’s precious items.

The jeweller who had made the rings also came under suspicion after they failed to show up and their maker remained silent on the matter. But despite these suspicions, there was no concrete proof as to who stole them nor whether or notthey had been taken at all.

The Bitter Struggle for Ownership

Nelson’s jewels remained missing until 1834, when they were finally found hidden within a cupboard of one of Nelson’s own Captains, John Betts, who was serving in Halifax Naval Yard at the time.

Betts had some diamond jewellery inscribed with the name ‘HN’ – Horatio Nelson – and it raised suspicions that they may have been the very same jewels that Nelson himself had owned. However, upon inspection the jewellery was revealed to be counterfeit and not genuine diamonds after all.

When Betts was questioned about these fake jewellery pieces, he simply stated that Nelson had given them to him as a gift – something that Horatio’s children and legal representatives vigorously disputed with mounting evidence of their father’s will.

By 1857,his legal representatives had persuaded a court to award them title and ownership of the diamonds and jewellery – something which Betts strongly rejected, causing a bitter thirty-year dispute between Betts and the heirs of Horatio Nelson.

The Final Chapter?

By 1860 all of Nelson’s heirs were dead and, curiously enough, so were all potential heirs of Betts himself- perhaps ruling out any motives for theft and squabbles over inheritance between them.

In this case it has never been proven who took Nelson’s original diamonds in 1808 but there are some interesting theories which could shine some light on this unusual mystery.

One popular theory is that Betts acquired the ‘fake’ jewellery pieces as part of a Master Plan to deter suspicion away from him for stealing them. This would explain why he refused to accept ownership by any court ruling; if he had possession of counterfeit items he would be liable for prosecution unless he could find genuine antique pieces from another source.

This would explain why Betts vehemently rejected ownership of these fake jewellery pieces; if he could prove he only had phoney pieces rather than genuine antiques then he couldn’t be prosecuted for any illegal activities.

However, as with every unsolved mystery- we may never truly know what happened to Lord Horatio Nelson’s Diamonds. What we do know is that this part of history continues to fascinate readers in search of a long-lost treasure.

If you are looking for an exciting yet educational activity in Portsmouth UK- why not try an Old Portsmouth Pub and History Treasure Hunt activity? Find out more by booking a treasure hunt why discovering more about Portsmouth’s past.