Media and News

Nelson’s Captains at Trafalgar remembered in major research project by The 1805 Club

Press release: Tuesday 9th August 2005

Lord Nelson may have been the hero at the Battle of Trafalgar, but a major research project carried out by The 1805 Club has rediscovered the “forgotten” heroes of the battle – the men who commanded the ships of the British fleet.

To mark this year’s 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, the Club is rescuing these 38 men from virtual obscurity through The Trafalgar Captains’ Project.

The Club started the project two years ago instigating research into the whereabouts of the memorials and monuments to all the ships’ captains and their lieutenants, who in several cases took over command during the battle.

A team of voluntary researchers, mostly Club members, then identified and recorded the all their locations and their varying conditions of disrepair. The majority of the memorials are located at parish churches in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; others are as far afield as Naples in Italy, Pylos in Greece and Valletta in Malta.

The research and recording of all the memorials are now featured in a book “The Trafalgar Captains” written by Colin White and the 1805 Club, and is published by Chatham Publishing.

With stunning photography of all the memorials by Matthew Prince, the book tells the remarkable story of a band of brave men from all walks of life, each of whom played a pivotal role in the battle; and some of whom went on to even greater things after their hour of triumph.

Three admirals, 29 captains and six lieutenants are honoured and remembered in the project. They range from Admiral Thomas Masterman Hardy, flag captain of HMS Victory to Lt John Lapenotière, captain of the fast schooner HMS Pickle who brought home the news of Nelson’s death at Trafalgar. The roll of honour also includes two Americans and one peer.

The research work revealed seven of the graves were in need of urgent restoration and the Club is now seeking sponsorship from people and organisations willing to assist at this stage of the Project.

Colin White says in the book: “The hope of all of us who have been involved in the Trafalgar Captains’ Memorial Project is that, as a result of our work, these gallant men will never been allowed to fall into obscurity again.”

“We hope that instead, the communities among whom they now rest will claim them, and honour them – and not just in 2005 but for many years to come.”

Peter Warwick, Chairman of the 1805 Club, said: “In this bicentenary year, everyone thinks of Nelson but his victory was only as good as his fellow captains and those who served him.”

“They were a remarkable group of men whose names have long since been forgotten . . . until now. The 1805 Club has identified the location of all their monuments and memorials, seven of which require conservation, which the Club will undertake.”

“The Trafalgar Captains, Their Lives and Memorials” by Colin White and The 1805 Club, published by Chatham Publishing, August 2005, £12.99.

The Trafalgar Captains’ Project

The captains and their memorials are at the following locations:

Henry William Bayntun, captain HMS Leviathan
Buried: All Saints’ Church, Weston, Bath.

Edward Berry, captain HMS Agamemnon
Buried: St Swithin’s Church, Walcot, Bath. 
Wall plaque in St Swithin’s Church.

The Hon Henry Blackwood, captain HMS Euryalus
Buried: St John the Evangelist Church, Killyleagh, Co Down
Wall memorial in east corner of Killyleagh Church
Wall plaque in Westminster Abbey

Charles Bullen, captain HMS Britannia
Buried: St Mary’s Church, South Stoneham, Southampton
Wall plaque and painted hatchment: St James’s Church, Shirley, Southampton

The Hon Sir Thomas Bladen Capel, captain HMS Phoebe
Buried: Kensal Green Cemetery, London

Edward Codrington, captain HMS Orion
Buried: St Peter’s Church, Eaton Square, London
Wall plaque: St Mary’s Church, Dodington Park, South Gloucestershire
Memorial tablet: crypt of St Paul’s Cathedral, London
Monument at Pylos in Greece

Cuthbert, Lord Collingwood, vice-admiral and second-in-command HMS Royal Sovereign
Place of death: At sea in the Mediterranean
Buried: St Paul’s Cathedral, London
Memorial: south transept, St Paul’s Cathedral, London
Plaque: Family home, Morpeth, Northumberland
The Collingwood Monument: Tynemouth at mouth of River Tyne
Bust and memorial: Newcastle-upon-Tyne Cathedral

John Conn, captain HMS Dreadnought
Place of death: Off Bermuda Islands

John Cooke, captain HMS Bellerophon
Buried: At sea, off Cape Trafalgar
Wall plaque: St Andrew’s Church, Donhead St Andrew, Wiltshire
Wall plaque: crypt, St Paul’s Cathedral, London

William Cumby, first lieutenant, HMS Bellerophon
Buried: in Pembroke Dockyard graveyard, now Park Street, Pembroke Dock
Wall plaque: St Michael’s Church, Heighington, Co Durham

Henry Digby, captain HMS Africa
Buried: St Andrew’s Church, Minterne Magna, Dorset
Brass plaque: On wall of south side of St Andrew’s Church, Minterne Magna

George Duff, captain HMS Mars
Buried: At sea off Cape Trafalgar
Monument: crypt of St Paul’s Cathedral, London

Thomas Dundas, captain HMS Naiad
Buried: St Nicholas Church, Hurst, nr Reading, Berkshire

Philip Charles Durham, captain HMS Defiance
Buried: Largo and Newburn Parish Church, Upper Largo, Fife

Thomas Francis Fremantle, captain HMS Neptune
Buried: In the garden of Don Carlo Califano outside the gate of San Gennaro, Naples
Monument: Upper Barracca Garden, Valletta, Malta

Richard Grindall, captain HMS Prince
Buried: St Nicholas Church, Wickham, Hampshire

Thomas Masterman Hardy, captain HMS Victory
Buried: The Mausoleum, Greenwich
Bust: Chapel of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich

William Hargood, captain HMS Belleisle
Buried: Bath Abbey, under nave
Wall plaque: Bath Abbey

Eliab Harvey, captain HMS Temeraire
Buried: St Andrew’s Church, Hempstead, nr Saffron Walden, Essex
Hatchment and wall plaque: St Andrew’s Church, Hempstead

William Hennah, first lieutenant HMS Mars
Buried: St Cuby Parish Church, Tregony, Cornwall

George Johnstone Hope, captain HMS Defence
Buried: Westminster Abbey
Wall monument: Westminster Abbey

Richard King, captain HMS Achilles
Buried: All Saints’ Church, Eastchurch, Isle of Sheppey
Wall monument: All Saints’ Church

Francis Laforey, captain HMS Spartiate
Buried: St Nicholas Church, Brighton

John Richards Lapenotière, HM Schooner Pickle
Buried: Menheniot Parish Church, Cornwall

Charles John Moore Mansfield, captain HMS Minotaur
Buried: St Margaret’s Church, Rochester, Kent
Wall monument: St Margaret’s Church

Robert Moorsom, captain HMS Revenge
Buried: St Peter’s Church, Cosgrove, Northamptonshire
Memorial plaque: St Peter’s Church

James Nicholl Morris, captain HMS Colossus
Buried: All Saints’ Church, Marlow, Bucks
Memorial tablet: All Saints’ Church

Horatio, Lord Nelson, commander British fleet
Place of death: Trafalgar
Buried: St Paul’s Cathedral, London
Marble statue: south transept, St Paul’s Cathedral

William Carnegie, Earl of Northesk, third in command, HMS Britannia
Buried: The crypt of St Paul’s Cathedral

Israel Pellew, captain HMS Conqueror
Buried: Charles the Martyr Church, Plymouth

John Pilfold, acting captain HMS Ajax
Buried: St George’s Church, Plymouth

William Prowse, captain HMS Sirius
Buried: St Pancras New Church, Euston Road, London

Robert Redmill, captain HMS Polyphemus
Buried: St Nicholas Church, Stevenage

Edward Rotheram, captain HMS Royal Sovereign
Buried: St Mary Magdalene Church, Bildeston, Suffolk
Marble plaque: On south wall of St Mary Magdalene Church

William Gordon Rutherfurd, captain HMS Swiftsure
Buried: St Margaret’s Church, Westminster, London
Wall marble tablet: St Margaret’s Church

John Stockham, acting captain HMS Thunderer
Buried: St Sidwell’s Church, Exeter

Charles Tyler, captain HMS Tonnant
Buried: St Nicholas Church, St Nicholas, Glamorgan
Wall monument: St Nicholas Church

Robert Young, lieutenant commanding HMS Entreprenante
Buried: St James’ Church, Exeter

Graves being restored by the 1805 Club

• Henry Willian Bayntun – Weston Church, Bath
• Edward Berry – Walcot Church, Bath
• Charles Bullen – South Stoneham, Southampton
• Sir Thomas Capel – Kensal Green Cemetery
• Thomas Dundas – Hurst, near Reading
• Richard Grindall – Wickham, Hampshire
• John Lapenotière – Menheniot, Cornwall