Centuries-old relic from HMS Bounty kept in bubble wrap in Rugby woman's loft
A fragment from a ship involved in the mutiny on the Bounty has been kept in a Rugby woman’s attic.
The 237-year-old relic was initially salvaged from the wreckage of the HMS Bounty at Pitcairn Island in 1973, by then-RAF chief technician, John Coleman.
He brought it back to England after his posting and displayed it on his mantelpiece in a bespoke glazed frame.
After he died, John’s daughter, Michelle Childs, 57, inherited the piece - and kept it bubble wrapped in her loft for a decade.
The fragment has been valued at £1,000 to £1,500 by auction house Hansons Auctioneers, but its connections to the mutiny, which happened in 1789, could see it excel.
Michelle says she wants to preserve the artefact for the next generation of maritime enthusiasts.
The bookkeeper, from Rugby, said: “(My dad) used to say Pitcairn was paradise. I believe my father retrieved the piece himself from the seabed in the early 1970s.
“Dad made the casing for it. He was a good carpenter.
“The relic took pride of place on his mantelpiece for all to see - and begged a question. It was a good conversation starter.
“Sadly, I lost dad, an Essex boy born in Benfleet, at the age of 87 in 2014.
“For 10 years I kept his historical treasure carefully bubble wrapped in my loft for fear it may get broken or stolen.
“Now I’ve decided it’s time to part with it to preserve it for future generations.
“I would love it to go to someone who appreciates Bounty’s incredible story. It deserves to be displayed with pride.”