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 museum in Monmouth, a town in south east Wales. It used to be called The Nelson Museum and Local History Centre. The museum had a special collection of items linked to Admiral Horatio Nelson. It also showed things about the local history of Monmouth.
The museum was located in the Market Hall in the town centre. It closed during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. It did not open again after that time. In 2021, the Monmouthshire County Council shared plans to move the museum's collection. The new home for the collection is the Shire Hall in Agincourt Square. A new museum is expected to open at the Shire Hall by 2027. This project has support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The old Market Hall building is now available for businesses to rent.
Contents
Exploring the Museum's History
The Nelson Collection
The Nelson collection was given to Monmouth town after Lady Georgiana Llangattock passed away in 1923. Lady Llangattock was married to John Rolls, 1st Baron Llangattock. He was a local landowner and helped the town a lot. She was also the mother of Charles Rolls.
Lady Llangattock gathered many items related to Admiral Horatio Nelson. She collected these items in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
What Was in the Collection?
The collection included Nelson's naval officer's fighting sword. It also had the swords of French and Spanish naval commanders. These commanders surrendered at the Battle of Trafalgar. There were letters from Nelson to his wife and to Lady Hamilton.
Many items celebrated Nelson's victories and his career in the Royal Navy. There were also things from his visit to Monmouth town with the Hamiltons. They visited The Kymin and other places in South Wales. The collection also featured special silverware, prints, paintings, glassware, pottery, and models of the Battle of Trafalgar. A table used by Nelson when he dined at the Kymin Round House was also on display.
Nelson Fakes and Local History
The museum also had some items that were not real Nelson items, called "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.
The museum also kept items about Monmouth town's history and archaeology. There was also an archive about Charles Rolls and his family. A very special item was the only known original Monmouth Cap. This cap dates back to the 1500s.
Museum Locations Over Time
The Monmouth Museum has been in three different places in the 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 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, the Glendower Street building was renamed Nelson Rooms.
Second Home: Market Hall
In 1969, the museum moved to the Market Hall on Priory Street. A big fire in 1963 had damaged the Market Hall. The upper floor and the cupola (a small dome) were destroyed. The building was repaired and redesigned. The museum reopened in the Market Hall and was called The Nelson Museum and Local History Centre.
Moving to Shire Hall
In June 2021, the museum was closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. At that time, the Monmouthshire County Council announced that the museum would not reopen in the Market Hall. The collections were to be moved to the Shire Hall in Agincourt Square. This project, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, is a five-year plan. A new museum is expected to open at the Shire Hall by 2027. The Market Hall building is now available for businesses.
Museum Collection Images
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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
