Items from Lincolnshire's Fulbeck Hall are expected to fetch around �1m when they go on sale at Sotheby's next week.

Fulbeck Hall, near Grantham, has been home to the Fane family for almost 400 years.

Among the collection are artefacts from the Duke of Wellington, the victor of Waterloo.

As well as a lock of his hair, there is a letter pleading with the family not to sue him over a promise to marry Lady Georgiana Fane.

Wellington was 80 at the time

The family produced several notable military leaders including General Sir Henry Fane who was commande-in-chief in India.

He was a close friend of the Duke of Wellington and a small lock of Wellington's hair, along with autographed letters from him, are estimated to fetch more than �1,000 as part of the sale.

Lady Georgiana Fane tried to sue Wellington for an earlier breach of promise to marry her, and threatened the publication of his love letters.

Wellington's annoyance at her attitude is forcibly expressed in a signed letter to her mother in which he also appeals to her to prevail upon her daughter to cease "molesting" him "with daily vituperative letters".

No elegance

Peter Beal, Sotheby's English Manuscript expert, said: "This is probably the best Wellington letter I have ever seen.

"He speaks straight from the mind - there is no elegance - demanding this case stop."

"Wellington always spoke his mind and at this time, he's 80 years old, he just wanted to be left alone."

The letter is expected to fetch as much as �4,000.

In all, 800 items from the estate are on offer, with a pre-sale exhibition starting in Sotheby's in London on Thursday with the auction on October 8.