Mystery of the Kris: Was Admiral Nelson’s Sword a Gift from Timor?
A traditional Indonesian sword, purchased at a Brisbane gun show in the late 1980s, may once have belonged to British naval hero Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson.
Archaeologist Adam Brumm is investigating a kris sword—a traditional Indonesian weapon—that may have been owned by Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson. Brumm acquired the artifact from a collector who originally purchased it at a Brisbane gun show decades ago.
The Sword’s Distinctive Features
- The weapon features a wavy blade and intricate carvings.
- It is a longer, heavier variant typical of the Moro people from the southern Philippines.
- Moro warriors used such weapons in maritime raids against Spanish colonizers from the 16th to the 19th centuries.
A label on the sheath states the sword was a present from someone in Timor to Nelson.
The Moro Context
The Moro resistance was so fierce that it influenced the development of the .45-caliber pistol by the U.S. military.
The Nelson Connection
- Nelson died at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 and never traveled to Timor.
- Initially skeptical, Nelson expert Martyn Downer later considered the sword authentic after handling it.
- Downer noted the label’s specific reference to "Lord Nelson"—a title Nelson held from 1798 to 1805—narrowing the window for the gift.
“The label suggests the gift may have been given during the 1802–1803 Treaty of Amiens, when Dutch and British hostilities were suspended.”
Possible Journey to England
Several theories explain how the sword reached Nelson:
- It may have been transported by Matthew Flinders, who visited Timor in 1802 during his circumnavigation of Australia.
- Alternatively, it could have been brought to Australia by one of Nelson’s nephews who moved to New South Wales in the 1820s.
The sword is currently being kept in a safe in London as further verification proceeds.
Future Research
Brumm plans to use carbon dating and DNA analysis on the sword to determine its age and trace its previous handlers. He considers the object an enigmatic mystery he wishes to investigate scientifically.