Viscount Horatio Nelson 1758-1805

Lord Nelson was born at Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk. He was the son of the local Clergyman. His father's 13th century church dominated his early life. Sadly his mother Catherine died in 1767. Nelson had been attending as a boarder the Royal Grammar School at Norwich, his father now decided to send him to Paston School, North Walsham.

Nelson's maternal uncle Captain Maurice Suckling RN influenced (Horace) on a naval career, and 1770 found Nelson at Chatham in the Navy, his experience widened rapidly, first on an expedition to the Caribbean and then in 1773 on an arduous expedition to the Arctic. After this he was off to India where he caught near fatal Malaria which left him with recurrent partial paralysis to endure with his incurable sea-sickness, he was at this time invalided home to Norfolk, after all Nelson always maintained he gloried in being a Norfolk man.

Nelson returned to duties and was promoted to Captain in 1779. He was deployed to the West Indies to enforce the Navigation Act, which prohibited British colonies trading with the Americas. He enforced the act with great vigour which obviously did not make him popular with the traders, nor as it happened with the establishment at home. While in the West Indies he met the widow Frances Nesbet, who had a son Josiah. He wed Frances Nesbet in 1787.

Nelson on his return to England found himself out of favour, and alas with no ship, he returned to Norfolk where he was often to be found at the Coaching House (now the Hoste Arms) at Burnham Market where he had arranged to pick up his mail, in the hope of a summons back to active service. He had to wait five long years. In fact, not until the outbreak of the revolutionary war with France (1792-1802).

On his return Nelson was given the task of securing Corsica as a Mediterranean base for the Navy. He had command of the 64 gun Agamemnon, the campaign was a success, but he was sadly blinded in his right eye.

The Fleet, on leaving the Mediterranean, encountered the Spanish Fleet at Cape St Vincent; the heavily outgunned British Fleet inflicted a decisive defeat (1797). Nelson was given the credit, a knight-hood, and was later promoted to Rear Admiral.

Nelson later held the blockade at Cadiz, but from here was sent to Santa Cruz in the Canaries, to find rumoured Spanish treasure. Alas here he lost the element of surprise, but being who he was he proceeded, which lost many of his mens' lives and himself his right arm.

In 1798 he was sent to locate the French. He found them in Abu Qir near Alexandria, Egypt. He boldly attacked at night and defeated the French. This was known as The Battle of the Nile. He returned to Naples and in need of medical attention, was nursed by Lady Hamilton, the wife of Sir William Hamilton, whom he had met on a previous recruiting visit. At this time Nelson was made a Baron.

This period in Nelson's life is marked by controversy, as he recommended an army be sent to recapture Rome from the French. Sadly the army was heavily defeated, but besides this disaster he was being heavily criticised for his public affair with Lady Hamilton. Nelson was still in very poor health, so at this time he returned overland with the Hamiltons to England. It was 1800 and in this year Lady Hamilton bore Nelson a daughter Horatia.

In 1801 he was promoted Vice-Admiral and was sent on an expedition to break up the neutrality of the Baltic States. During a battle off Copenhagen, a signal was sent to him to disengage, but by putting the telescope to his blind eye, he claimed not to have seen the signal. The battle was again a victory for Nelson within the hour. This time he was made a Viscount also Commander in Chief of the Fleet. Nelson called his Captains his Band of Brothers.

Nelson returned home but with renewed hostilities with France he returned to active service as Commander in Chief Mediterranean, he was on board HMS Victory.

Nelson loosely blockaded French ports in an endeavour to tease out the French and Spanish. This lasted for 18 months, then the French Fleet in Toulon under Admiral Villeneuve escaped. They were pursued by the British Fleet across the Atlantic and back again. This culminated at the Battle of Cape Trafalga, on October 21st 1805. The battle was won but Nelson was killed.

In 1806 Nelson's body was returned to Chatham from where it was taken up river to Greenwich to lie in state in the Painted Hall. Nelson's wishes were for his body to be buried near his father Edmund, at Burnham Thorpe, but King George III decreed otherwise and he lies at rest in St Paul's, London.

Nelson's daughter returned to Norfolk where she met and wed the curate at Burnham Westgate, regrettably Lady Hamilton died in poverty in France.

In 1999 the RN Museum commissioned Dr Colin White to uncover any new letters Nelson had written. He has uncovered over 1,300, and more are turning up. Dr White says the letters tell Nelson's story in his own words. A book will be published this summer called Nelson - The New Letters.

Hazel Lindsay

 Trafalgar Celebrations and enactment take place off Portsmouth on Tuesday 28th June.