A guest on Antiques Roadshow was left in total shock after an expert shared that their rare artefact could be worth a whopping £50,000.

The roadshow headed back to Wales for Sunday night’s instalment as they travelled to Beaumaris Castle on the island of Anglesey. 

Antiques expert Hilary Kay was left in awe as a guest presented her with an oar rollock – a brace that attaches an oar to a boat – which they claimed was from one of the Titanic’s lifeboats.

Hilary was keen to know if there was a family connection to the Titanic – but the guest revealed that they had simply found the artefact in a house they bought.

The expert went on to share that if it was a genuine article that had truly come from one of the Titanic’s lifeboats, the artefact could be worth as much as £50,000. 

But she later dashed the guest’s hopes as she said she couldn’t confirm its authenticity – so its true worth would remain a mystery.  

A guest on Antiques Roadshow was left in total shock after an expert shared that their rare artefact could be worth a whopping £50,000

Antiques expert Hilary Kay was left in awe as a guest presented her with an oar rollock – a brace that attaches an oar to a boat – which they claimed was from one of the Titanic’s lifeboats

‘When I woke up this morning, I can assure you I didn’t expect to see this,’ Hilary told the guest. ‘Which is a brass rowlock on a board which says, Titanic Lifeboat No.3. So I have to ask you, which member of your family was on the Titanic, and obviously survived?’

‘None of us,’ the guest replied, leaving Hilary to probe that their had to be another explanation.

The guest continued: ‘We recently purchased a house in Llandudno last year and as we was sifting through the house, we obviously took the contents as well.

‘And we came across this in the corner of the garage, really. It was just in a corner. As we were rummaging around in the corner, we pulled it out and it was just like… yeah.’

But the guest added that he would have had no idea what it was if the plaque wasn’t attached, and asked Kay to divulge more information if she could. 

‘Everybody knows the history of the Titanic,’ Kay said. ‘Lifeboats were launched. Now, lifeboat number three was on the starboard side and although it could have held 65 people, it’s believed there were only between 36 and 38 on board. 

‘When one looks at what happened to those lifeboats, they were brought on board the Carpathia, the ship that rescued all those folks in lifeboats. And then the Carpathia took it to pier number 59, the White Star Pier at New York.

‘And then all the name boards that said Titanic were taken off. And those lifeboats sat there, until – well, for another six months and then they were dispersed.

Hilary was keen to know if there was a family connection to the Titanic – but the guest revealed that they had simply found the artefact in a house they bought

‘When I woke up this morning, I can assure you I didn’t expect to see this,’ Hilary told the guest. ‘Which is a brass rowlock on a board which says, Titanic Lifeboat No.3’

‘Harland and Wolff, the maker of Titanic, produced all the clinker-built lifeboats to go with them and every lifeboat had 10 oars, so presumably 10 rowlocks.

‘Whether there were on the Olympic or on the Titanic or later on the Britannic, they were just generic rowlocks.’

Hilary moved on to the discussing if it was a genuine article from the Titanic as she said: ‘Wouldn’t it be wonderful if I could categorically say that this is from lifeboat number three on the Titanic?

‘And if it was, we could be talking about in excess of £50,000 for value.’

The expert went on to share that if it was a genuine article that had truly come from one of the Titanic’s lifeboats, the artefact could be worth as much as £50,000

In response to gasps from both the guest and crowd, Hilary was keen to lower expectations.

Dashing the guest’s hopes, she added: ‘But, although there’s probably some fairy dust sprinkled over it, we can’t say it for sure.

‘So I’m afraid we’ve got to leave it out there as a mystery as to where it ultimately came from. Thanks so much indeed.’

Left without a definitive answer, the guest thanked Hilary and went on his way.