These instruments were used by Sir William Beatty (d.1842), the surgeon on board the H.M.S Victory at the battle of Trafalgar, fought between the fleets of Spain and France and the Royal Navy on 21 October 1805 off Cape Trafalgar on the Spanish Coast.

Sir William Beatty attended Lord Nelson after he had received his mortal wound and he wrote an account of the death of Nelson, entitled An Authentic Narrative of the Death of Lord Nelson, with the Circumstances preceding, attending and subsequent to that Event; the Professional Report of his Lordship’s Wound; and several Interesting Anecdotes, in 1807. Mr W. E Gilmour donated this case of instruments to the College in 1921. Beatty's instruments are contained in a wooden box which has an inscribed plaque on the top which reads “William Beatty, Royal Navy”.

The maker of the instruments was Laundy of London. This marking can be read on some of the implements although it cannot be seen on the majority of them. Inside the container there is a screw tourniquet, a long knife blade, two trephines, forceps, and two detachable handles. Inset into the box lid, behind the fabric covered panel are more instruments, including a fine-toothed bow saw, a knife, a hook and forceps. The set also includes various other surgical instrument heads which can be fitted onto a small handle.

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The College holds the 2nd edition of Sir William Beatty's Narrative of the Death of Lord Nelson, (1808).