Monmouth Museum facts for kids
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| Dissolved | 2022 |
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| Location | Market Hall, Monmouth, Wales |
The Monmouth Museum was a cool place in Monmouth, Wales. It used to be called The Nelson Museum and Local History Centre. This museum had amazing things, especially a huge collection about Admiral Horatio Nelson. He was a famous British naval hero! The museum also showed off the history of the local area. It was located in the Market Hall right in the town center. The museum closed during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom and didn't open again there. But don't worry! The museum's collection is moving to a new home. By 2027, a brand new museum will open at the Shire Hall. This big move is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Contents
Discovering the Museum's Past
The Amazing Nelson Collection
The Nelson collection came to Monmouth thanks to Lady Georgiana Llangattock. She was a very important person in the town. Lady Llangattock loved collecting things about Admiral Horatio Nelson. She gathered these items in the late 1800s and early 1900s. After she passed away in 1923, she left her entire collection to the town of Monmouth.
What You Could See
The collection included Nelson's naval officer's fighting sword. You could also see swords from French and Spanish commanders he defeated. There were letters Nelson wrote to his wife and to Lady Hamilton. Many items celebrated Nelson's victories and his time in the Royal Navy. You could even see things from his visit to Monmouth.
The museum also displayed special silverware, prints, paintings, glassware, pottery, and models. These models showed the famous Battle of Trafalgar. One cool item from Nelson's visit was the table he used for dinner at the Kymin Round House.
Spotting Fakes
Interestingly, the collection also had some Nelson fakes. One example was a glass eye. People thought it was Nelson's, but he had only lost his sight, not his actual eyeball. It was actually a teaching model for surgeons!
Monmouth's Local History
The museum also held many items about Monmouth town's history. It had things found from archaeology in the area. There was also an archive about Charles Rolls and his family. Charles Rolls was famous for co-founding Rolls-Royce.
One very special item was a Monmouth Cap. This cap is the only known original one from the 1500s. It's a rare piece of history!
Where the Museum Lived
The Monmouth Museum has been in three different places in town.
First Home: Glendower Street
In 1891, Lady Llangattock opened a gymnasium on Glendower Street. This building was a gift to the town. It celebrated her son, John Maclean Rolls, becoming an adult. After Lady Llangattock died in 1923, the gymnasium became the Nelson Museum in 1924. When the museum moved in 1969, this building was renamed the Nelson Rooms.
Second Home: Market Hall
In 1969, the museum moved to the Market Hall on Priory Street. The Market Hall had a big fire in 1963. The fire destroyed the top floor and the dome. After being fixed up, the museum reopened there. It was then called The Nelson Museum and Local History Centre.
Future Home: Shire Hall
In June 2021, the museum was closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. The Monmouthshire County Council then announced that the museum would not reopen at the Market Hall. Instead, all the collections will move to the Shire Hall in Agincourt Square. This is a five-year plan. The National Lottery Heritage Fund is helping with money for this project. A new museum is expected to open at the Shire Hall by 2027. The old Market Hall site will be rented out for businesses.
Museum Collection
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A model of HMS Victory
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Horatio Nelson's fighting sword
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Cabinet of Admiral Nelson fakes and forgeries
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The only known example of an original Monmouth cap, dating from the 16th century on display at the museum
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Keith Kissack with Charles III, then Prince of Wales, at the museum in its Priory Street location in 1975
