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Trafalgar Heroes’ graves to be rescued

Press release: Thursday 1st December 2005

The Trafalgar bicentenary is ending on a high note for the 1805 Club, which has been given the go-ahead to start conservation work on graves of the captains who served with Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson at the battle.

This has been made possible through more than £11,000 in grant aid donated to the Club by three separate charitable trusts towards its Trafalgar Captains’ Memorial Project.

As a result, it is hoped that work can start by the end of the year on the tomb of Lt John Richards Lapenotière at Menheniot Parish Church in Cornwall.

It was Lapenotière who delivered Vice-Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood’s historic dispatch from Cape Trafalgar to the Admiralty in London giving the bittersweet news of victory in the decisive battle and the death of Nelson.

The only organisation that conserves monuments and memorials relating to Lord Nelson and seafarers from the Georgian era, the club embarked on the two year captains’ research project as its major contribution towards the battle's 200th anniversary.

The project located and recorded the graves and memorials of the 38 captains and lieutenants, all potentially forgotten heroes, who commanded the ships at the battle alongside Nelson. The memorials were discovered across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and as far afield as Malta, Greece and Italy.

Seven of the graves were identified as potentially at risk – with Lapenotière’s being the one most in need of urgent attention – so the club sought funding from other outside charitable trusts.

Thanks to the grants totalling £6,000 from the Leche Trust and Manifold Trust, the club has earmarked £5240 towards the conservation of the grave in Cornwall, the remainder of the money being allocated to one of the other “at risk” graves.

Another £5,452 was granted by the Francis Coales Charitable Foundation, whose express wish was that the funds were used for the conservation of the grave of Capt Thomas Dundas of the frigate HMS Naiad whose memorial is at St Nicholas Church at Hurst near Reading.

Peter Warwick, Chairman of the 1805 Club, believes: “This is a marvellous way to end the Trafalgar bicentenary year. The extremely generous donations from the Leche and Manifold Trusts and the Francis Coales Charitable Foundation allow us to conserve the tombs of two very contrasting captains at the Battle.”

“Lapenotière became a pivotal figure in the story with his extraordinary journey by sea and land to deliver news of the battle and Nelson from Cape Trafalgar to the Admiralty in London.”

“Dundas was one of the less well-known but nevertheless brave men who was with Nelson at the Battle. He and his ship played a very important intelligence and communications role at the battle, which was of vital support to the battleships engaged in the fighting.”

Peter added: “We are also impressed at the way the Trafalgar Captains’ Memorial Project has caught the imagination of so many people and we hope they will come to regard the captains as their own local heroes.”

To accompany the project, a book ‘The Trafalgar Captains, Their Lives and Memorials’ was published this year (2005) giving details of the research and recording of the monuments and telling the remarkable stories of each of the men.

Parish Register containing Marriage Record of Lord Nelson travels to the UK for urgent conservation work

Press release: Thursday 18th October 2018

Schoolchildren and the Royal Navy could create history in The Trafalgar Way’s first ever short story competition

Press release: Saturday 13th October 2018

Naval heritage charity to host ground-breaking conservation symposium

Press release: Monday 13th November 2017

The 1805 Club rededicates tombs at Kensal Green Cemetery of two Georgian Naval officers who served under the command of Admiral Lord Nelson at two of his most important battles

Press release: Monday 5th July 2010

The 1805 Club on Pilgrimage to Norfolk to mark Nelson’s 250th Anniversary

Press release: Wednesday 3rd September 2008

First British Memorial to Copenhagen Heroes unveiled 200 years later

Press release: Tuesday 20th March 2007

Trafalgar Heroes’ Tombs Rescued in Hampshire

Press release: Sunday 1st October 2006

The 1805 Club to follow in Nelson’s footsteps at Monmouth

Press release: Saturday 3rd June 2006

Rededication ceremony of Cornwall’s very own Trafalgar Dispatch hero

Press release: Monday 1st May 2006

Christie’s Auctioneers become 500th member of The 1805 Club

Press release: Wednesday 1st March 2006

Trafalgar Bicentenary laid to Rest at St Paul’s Cathedral

Press release: Thursday 5th January 2006

“Trafalgar Dispatch” Hero’s grave in Cornwall to be rescued

Press release: Monday 12th December 2005

Trafalgar Heroes’ graves to be rescued

Press release: Thursday 1st December 2005

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

Press release: Tuesday 9th August 2005

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The 1805 Club is a charity registered in England and Wales: No. 1071871
President : Admiral Sir Jonathon Band GCB DL Chairman : Capt. John Rodgaard USN (Ret)

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