The 1805 Dispatches #26.04 August 2026 1 of 8 THE 1805 DISPATCHES Newsletter of The 1805 Club RALLYING CRY EDITORIAL This newsletter is currently prepared in England, where we have been experiencing an extraordinary period of hot weather, resulting in a slowing down of normal functions – at least, in your Editor, who claims to like hot weather, within limits that have been threatened lately. We are told to expect more of the same in the future. Contrarily, this week I took delivery of a cubic metre of firewood for use in my winter logburner – and it has been simply too hot to transport them through my cottage and into the log store in the rear garden. Delivery was also taken of a new laptop, resulting in Gremlins appearing in the desktop where things are usually done. A problem subsequently resolved, but requiring a 'proper man' to be brought in. Finally, energy was found to do some 'editoring', so here is the August edition of The 1805 Dispatches, with a wide variety of interesting items. A rallying cry is meant to inspire; we hope this one does just that. We all of us aspire to matter. All of us, that is, who are not currently preoccupied with day-to-day survival. Not everyone is privileged to have the leisure to consider our futures, but those of us so blessed invariable wonder whether we matter. And whether or not we will matter after we have gone. We hope so. Most of us will live our natural lifespan, and some will have achieved something memorable before the end. Most of us will reach the end without being aware of whether or not we will be remembered beyond our immediate loved ones. Wars tend to accelerate the numbers of people reaching the end of their lives earlier than they would otherwise have expected. Wars are pointless, in the sense that they are usually started when politicians fail to agree, and those politicians then send young fighters to ‘argue’ on their behalf. Many of the fighters, on both sides, fail to convince the enemies of their politicians. What they were attempting to do, by fighting for their politicians, was to make a difference, and consequently for their deaths to matter. But, nothing about their lives will be remembered beyond the futility of their deaths. Most of them are forgotten, except by those few who mourn them. Some are lucky to have a memorial raised to their memories, either singly or as a member of a remembered group, often devoid of any real heart or actual meaning. Our job, as members of The 1805 Club, is to do our best to ensure that they are remembered, and continue to be remembered. That they mattered. Many memorials and monuments commemorating those who served during the Georgian sailing era, are neglected and have been crumbling for decades. Throughout Britain, and in other countries near and far, are found the memorials to these [usually] men: everyone – ordinary seamen and marines and their officers. Their memorials are the very stuff of history – yet they are so often left to decay through lack of ability to give suitable care and maintenance. The 1805 Club was founded in 1990 to preserve, conserve and maintain these vital parts of Britain’s naval heritage. Over the years since 1990 many such conservation projects have been successfully completed, but it became apparent that strict conservation of old memorials is not always the best solution. Consequently, the Club has changed it’s priority into installing a suitably permanent memorial plaque, recording, where possible, the weatherworn original information, or providing new information about whom the memorial commemorates and why. Few other organisations have this as part of their constitution. And we do not only seek memorials. The Club recently restored the Parish Register for St John's Figtree parish on Nevis, where Nelson married Francis Nisbet, and where we supplied an historically accurate copy of Nelson's uniform for display in the local museum there. The Club is currently also helping to restore the ship's bell recovered from the wreck of HMS De Braak in the USA. If you know of a memorial or artifact from states navies, anywhere in the world, that is being neglected, please contact the Club Secretary with details, when the case will be considered. Whether or not you are already a member of The 1805 club it is recommended that you take a few moments to visit/revisit the Club website to familiarise yourself with the other aims and advantages of membership – we have top class publications (especially, see page 6), original research, extensive databases, material for educators, special social events and lots of fun. See page 5
The 1805 Dispatches #26.04 August 2026 2 of 8 CLUB VISIT TO HASLAR HOSPITAL & BUCKLER'S HARD A very successful and enjoyable weekend trip to the south coast of England was undertaken by Club members and friends on 25/26 July. This is a brief note and photos, as a fuller report will be found in the Autumn edition of The Kedge Anchor. On the Saturday, eighteen of us were given a private tour of the Haslar's 62 acres by Club member Mark Trasler (Chairman of the Haslar Heritage Group) and his two assistants, Penny Trasler and Bobbie Johnson (Secretary of the HHG). On the Sunday, fifteen travelled to Buckler's Hard, where Mary Montagu-Scott (Club member and Director of Buckler's Hard) also gave us a private tour, including a fascinating talk about the current archeaological digs under way and her confessed lifelong fascination with HMS Agamemnon, Nelson's favourite ship. The organised part of the day culminated in a boat trip along the River Beaulieu. Both days were blessed with splendid weather a were very interesting, with much to learn, even by 'old hands'.
The 1805 Dispatches #26.04 August 2026 3 of 8 (The 1805 Club is a British charity, but it is neither nationalist nor triumphalist, and here we include an item on our traditional enemy, but now friend.) The tears of our sovereigns have the salted taste of the sea that they ignored. Cardinal Richelieu The first true French Royal Navy (la Marine Royale) was established in 1626 by Cardinal Richelieu, chief minister to King Louis XIII. During the French Revolution, la Marine Royale was formally renamed la Marine Nationale. Under the First French Empire and the Second French Empire, the navy was designated as the Imperial French Navy (la Marine impériale française). Institutionally, however, the navy has never lost its short familiar nickname, la Royale. During the reign of Henry IV, France was in an unstable state, and striving to guarantee her independence from Spanish and papal influences. This prompted both an emphasis on land forces, which drained resources, and an alliance with England, which would have unfavourably seen France challenging her naval supremacy. When Richelieu became Minister of the Navy, he decided on a plan to rebuild a powerful navy, divided into two distinct forces. The Mediterranean force was to be completely composed of galleys, to take advantage of the relatively calm sea. Initially, the plan called for 40 galleys, but was downsized to 24 of them, notably because of a lack of galley slaves — each galley was 400 or 500 slave strong. The oceanic force was to be composed of men-of-war. The designs were moderately large ships, for a lack of harbours fit for very large units, but very heavily armed with large calibre guns; these ships displaced between 300 and 2000 tonnes and bore up to 50 24-pound cannons, firing 150mm-round shots. The first ships were ordered from the Dutch, and French production started with the famous Couronne, a prestige ship typical of this era. In 1627, the Navy was not ready to challenge the English fleet at the Siege of La Rochelle, which led to the construction of a seawall to establish a blockade. Fleets of this period were often largely composed of merchant vessels, hastily loaded with cannons, undercrewed and poorly handled. With newly built ships, designed as ships of war and crewed by sailors and trained gunners, fighting experience was gained in the Franco-Spanish War and the Thirty Years' War with notable victories at the Battle of Cádiz (1640) won by France's first Grand Admiral Jean Armand de MailléBrézé, son of Marshall Urbain de Maillé-Brézé and nephew of Cardinal Richelieu. The Navy built a French empire, conquering the "Nouvelle-Guyenne" (now Acadia), "Nouvelle France" (now Canada), Tortuga, Martinique, Guadeloupe, several other islands in the Caribbean, the Bahamas, and Madagascar. 400th ANNIVERSARY OF THE FRENCH ROYAL NAVY A warship, built in 1626 on orders of Louis XIII in a Dutch yard, arriving in a Dutch port under guidance of a Dutch ship, Jacob Gerritsz Loef
The 1805 Dispatches #26.04 August 2026 4 of 8 PROPOSED MEMORIAL LISTING THE PERSONNEL OF THE BRITISH FLEET WHO DIED AT THE BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR. The 1805 Club has offered support to an ambitious proposal to erect a memorial listing the officers and men of the British fleet who died at the Battle of Trafalgar. The plan for a permanent memorial in Portsmouth was suggested by retired journalist and local historian Mark Acheson in an address to the senior rates and warrant officer's mess in HMS Victory. There was a warm response from mess members, who spoke of their hopes that the plan would reach fruition. As a result an ad hoc working party comprising Mark and mess members Martyn Webb and Wilf Pickles has started work on seeking to turn the dream into a reality. A local stonemason has volunteered his services and Portsmouth City Council is considering draft proposals for the monument itself. The working plan envisages an angled slab of black polished granite, around 1.2 metres high and 2.6 metres wide, etched with the gold-engraved names of the 458 officers and men of the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines who died during or after the battle. The names would be listed ship by ship. The name, rank and, where known, age and place of origin of each man were kindly supplied to the organisers by The 1805 Club’s webmaster Josephine Birtwhistle, who has had initial discussions with the working party. Former Portsmouth North MP Dame Penny Mordaunt, an honorary captain in the Royal Naval Reserve and onetime Secretary of State for Defence and Leader of the House of Commons, has also pledged whatever support she can give. At present the preferred site for the memorial – subject to city council consent – is adjacent to the statue of Horatio Nelson, which stands looking out to sea between the Hot Walls and Governor's Green in Old Portsmouth. Alternative settings yet to be considered in detail include the Victory Anchor monument at the western end of Southsea seafront in Portsmouth and the area of the Historic Dockyard around HMS Victory itself. It is hoped that sufficient progress will be made in order to be able to announce the proposal publicly on or around Trafalgar Day on October 21st this year, in which Portsmouth is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its elevation to city status. Mark Acheson said: ‘For my talk to the mess, I researched the lives and deaths of some of the 57 crew members of HMS Victory who died during or after the Battle of Trafalgar. 'The more I discovered about them, the more I began to consider that a special case for retrospective remembrance could be made for them in Portsmouth, the home of Royal Navy. 'Here, and universally, there can be no doubt that the majority of people regard Trafalgar as Britain’s greatest sea victory and Nelson as our greatest naval hero. ‘Many bridges have yet to be crossed, including funding, but I and my colleagues are hugely encouraged by the support instantly shown from The 1805 Club and elsewhere. ‘I hope that the plan will be welcomed by members of The 1805 Club, and would be delighted to hear the views and comments of as many as possible.’ Mark’s email address is mark_acheson@yahoo.co.uk NB An expanded article, and more news, will appear in the autumn edition of The Kedge Anchor. SHIP’S WORD WHEEL Take a ten-minute break and find as many words as possible, using the letters in the wheel. Each must use the hub letter and at least 3 others, used only once. No plurals (if only made by adding an ‘s’ or ‘es’), no foreign words not in common usage in English, nor proper nouns. There is at least one nine-letter word to be found. 15 = Average; 20 = Good; 30 = V Good; 50+ = Amazing! Answers on last page
The 1805 Dispatches #26.04 August 2026 5 of 8 NELSON AND MURRAY MAY BE REMOVED ‘The Argus’, a Brighton (UK) local newspaper, reports: A statue of a war hero may have to be removed after a council refused plans for it to remain on public display permanently. The resin sculpture, depicting Admiral Lord Nelson and Admiral Sir George Murray, has been positioned outside Chichester City Council’s North Street offices on a temporary basis since May 2020. However, a recent application by the city council to retain it permanently has been refused by Chichester District Council. The artwork, created by sculptor Vincent Gray, was installed with a five-year temporary planning permission, which was extended by one year in 2025. The city council had argued that the statue was of public value and enhances the area’s heritage. In a planning statement, it said: "The proposed sculpture reflects part of Chichester’s unique heritage and is, therefore, of great public interest. It also provides a focus and appropriate point of interest within the open civic space. The location has a strong connection with the sculpture’s subject matter." Admiral Murray, who was born in Chichester in 1759, became a close friend of Nelson and captain of his fleet. He was later knighted and served as Mayor of Chichester in 1815. Admiral Sir George Murray did not participate in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, because he had to return to England in July 1805 to serve as the executor of his father-in-law's estate. Nelson refused to appoint a replacement for his position, famously stating it was "Murray or None". Had Murray been present, he would have served as Nelson's Chief of Staff equivalent directly aboard HMS Victory during the historic engagement. However, the district council's conservation and design officer raised concerns about the statue’s longterm suitability due to its material. They said deterioration associated with the resin used to make the statue would cause harm to the Conservation Area and setting of the Grade II* listed City Council Building. They also added that the statue appeared to have originally been built to be located within the grounds of a private dwelling and was less appropriate in a streetscape setting. Several members of the public also objected to the retention of the statue, deeming it an unwelcome nod to British imperialism. Christopher Downs said: "It is simply inappropriate to be raising new monuments to significant figures from Britain's imperial past in the 2020s." Meanwhile Brian Clark said: "This should be in the museum. Statues of Nelson relate to the imperialist past and have negative connotations. This is not the perception of modern Chichester that forward-looking residents want." The City Council may now apply for a further temporary extension or propose an alternative site for the statue. As members of The 1805 Club already know, we do not usually take sides in the often fractious debate about past attitudes that seem inappropiate to some today, such as the often inaccurate assumptions about Nelson's attitude to colonialism and slavery, and his duty as a serving officer of the Crown. Stephen Howarth's comment about this statue, made to the Editor sums up the situation nicely: "Seems sensible to me. The statue has already had a one-year extension over its original permitted period, and is not made of materials suitable for very long term external display. A pity that some critics see it as imperialistic. But it would actually be better off indoors."
The 1805 Dispatches #26.04 August 2026 6 of 8 RECRUITMENT You have read elsewhere of the changes that have taken place in the Board of Trustees and those Associated to the Board. We have a fresh set of Trustees – not all new, as experienced Trustees form the majority, but still a fresh grouping. This is an opportunity for those members who feel they can contribute to the running of The 1805 Club to step up to the mark. Please either use the Skills button on our website, or contact our new Secretary, Trustee Jude Wilson, at secretary@1805club.org, and express your interest. Various roles wait to be filled, or refilled. You will never be expected to commit more time and effort than you are comfortable with. The ongoing vitality of the Club is important, and you may be one of those who help maintain it. And have more fun as a result! The 1805 Club is a club, the clue is in the name. But what all of us must remember is that the Club is a charity, originally created to finding memorials to past naval personnel of the long Georgian period and to try our best to ensure that they be properly remembered. To further this end we also encourage and support research into naval history and find ways to improve its education. None of this is cheap if it is to be done well, and ‘done well’ is the only way to do things. In common with all other charities, we can only fully carry out our promises if we can raise enough funds to do so. In future publications you will see a reminder that there are ways to make a donation, whenever you might find a bit of surplus cash, together with ways to purchase merchandise and secondhand books that have been kindly donated to the Club for the very purpose of fundraising. Give at our main website: http://1805club.org/ or use these links: For the Flagship Fund go to http://bit.ly/ 1805ClubFlagshipFund or for The Trafalgar Way go to http://thetrafalgarway.org/ For our shop, try https://www.1805club.org/shop, or click on one of the images opposite . . . Nelson Portrait At His Desk on Victory £100 Used Books £10 each Past copies of Trafalgar Chronicle £15 each The Trafalgar Way Official Storymap £19.99 Nelson Portrait No.2 £100 (Both portraits by Jessica Turgoose) Club members already know that we publish a scholarly yearbook, The Trafalgar Chronicle, a twice-yearly magazine, The Kedge Anchor, and a two-monthly digital newsletter, The 1805 Dispatches (this one). All issued free to members. Following last September's very successful first of our 'New Series' of conferences, we are currently preparing the publication of a book of The 1805 Club Conference Proceedings 2025, which will include the fully illustrated complete transcript of all papers presented therein. This will be received free of charge by all Club members and will be available for purchase by non-members. On 1 June this year a gathering of members and friends were privileged to attend the presentation of a paper about Admiral Lord Howe at the Lord Speaker's River Room in the House of Lords, by Club Trustee, Natacha Abriat. It was very ably presented in English, despite French being Natacha's native tongue. The paper provided new knowledge (as even the present Earl Howe was happy to admit) of the Battle of the Glorious First of June, and the British admiral, from the French national point of view. On the day, Natacha's excellent presentation was limited by time. We are very pleased to announce that an enhanced version of her paper will be published in book form, incliding the many illustrations used in the presentation, together with additional material offered by the Earl Howe from his family archives, some of which has not previously been published. This will also be received free of charge by all Club members and will be available for purchase by non-members. FUTURE PUBLICATIONS
The 1805 Dispatches #26.04 August 2026 7 of 8 EVENTS DIARY Of recent times it ha become the habit that events have invariably been organised by what was the Council and is now the Board of Trustees, and usually just one or two of this group. For the Club to prosper it is of utmost importance that events are organised locally by members who find destinations and/or events that will interest their fellow members. Your Editor respectfully suggests that it is too much to expect one small group to bear the total load of organising events. The 1805 Club is widespread, and would welcome any suggestions for relevant local events that could be of interest to other local members, and that could be organised by those local members. EVENT DATE EVENT TITLE EVENT DESCRIPTION CLUB LEAD Wed 23 Sep Visit to Woodbridge Riverside Complex. Day visit to four venues: Sutton Hoo Ship’s Company (SHSC) + Tapestries Gallery + Woodbridge Tide Mill + Woodbridge Museum Martin Sutor (SHSC Crew Mate) and Peter Turner (Tide Mill Miller) Wed 21 Oct Annual Wreath-laying at Nelson's Tomb Annual Wreath-laying at Nelson's Tomb, St Paul's Cathedral 1100-1200 Stephen Howarth Sat 24 Oct Trafalgar Night Dinner HMS NELSON WARDROOM, Portsmouth, 1800-2230+ Stephen Howarth As you can see in the Events Diary above, we have arranged a Club visit to see the nationally important Sutton Hoo Ship Construction in Woodbridge, Suffolk, UK. Full details of the visit have ben sent out by email to all members, but some of you may be wondering why a replica Anglo-Saxon ship is relevant to The 1805 Club, falling nearly 1,100 years before the start of our primary period of interest. There are three main reasons to make the trip: 1. Because this ship represents the birth of wooden ship and boat building. Many of the techniques developed by the Anglo-Saxons continued through 'our' period, and Martin Sutor, Club member and boat builder will lecture us about those techniques. 2. Because, as is often acknowleged, without what went before evolving into the great sailing ships, they would not have existed, and we would have to find other interests. 3. This, together with the other attractions in Woodbridge, will make it a delightful day out. Be quick – few places are left available.
The 1805 Dispatches #26.04 August 2026 8 of 8 Newsletter for Anyone Interested in The 1805 Club PURPOSE. The purpose of this newsletter is to support and advance the Club’s objectives. The newsletter provides anyone who is interested with brief items of news about the club and its activities, in the hope that the it can help the club attract wider interest in naval history and new members. Much of the content will be a précis of articles that will appear in The Kedge Anchor, the six-monthly Club magazine. EDITORIAL POLICY. The editor has full editorial responsibility for the newsletter. Views expressed in the newsletter are those of individual authors, unless claimed by the editor. Articles which appear do not express the official position of The 1805 Club on any subject unless specifically noted as such. Content of contributions to the newsletter may be edited for grammar, space allocation, or to better serve the purpose of the newsletter. Contributors wishing to be alerted to editorial decisions should notify the editor at the time that their contribution is submitted. Otherwise the submission will be published within the scope of the editorial policy. ISSUE AND COPY DATES The proposed issue dates for The 1805 Dispatches are: February, April, June, August, October and December. Anyone wishing to contribute an article or news item to the editor for inclusion in the newsletter should do so by the beginning of the month preceding the issue in which it is to be inserted. Any articles that are not time-specific can be submitted at any time, with a note advising him of that fact. All copy is welcome, but not all copy may be used! THE 1805 CLUB Founded in 1990, the Club: ·Promotes research into and education about the Royal Navy, merchant maritime service and other state navies of the same era; and ·Promotes and engages in the preservation of monuments and memorials relating to the Royal Navy and seafaring people of the later sailingnavy era; and ·Organises relevant cultural, historical and social events. The Club is charity No. 1201272, registered in England and Wales. Individuals desiring further information may contact: Stephen Howarth, Hon. Club Secretary, The 1805 Club Shelton, Notts, UK Email: secretary@1805club.org For a membership application form please contact: Dr Sue Carr, Hon. Membership Secretary, The 1805 Club London, UK Email: membership.secretary@1805club.org Or: Harold E (Pete) Stark, Hon US Secretary, The 1805 Club Annapolis, MD, USA Email: the.americas.membership.secretary@1805club.org Telephone: 410-269-9760 (mobile) Or: Mark Billings, Hon Canadian Secretary, The 1805 Club Montreal, Quebec, Canada Email: canadian.membership.secretary@1805club.org Telephone: 1-514-296-1641 Peter Turner, Editor of The Kedge Anchor Aldeburgh, Suffolk, UK Email: ka.editor@1805club.org Telephone: +(44) 7903 251008 Jude Wilson Hon Club Secretary, The 1805 Club UK secretary@1805club.org For a membership application form please contact: Dr Sue Carr Hon Membership Secretary, The 1805 Club London, UK Email: membership.secretary@1805club.org Or: Mark Billings, Hon Canadian Secretary, The 1805 Club Montreal, Quebec, Canada Email: canadian.membership.secretary@1805club.org Telephone: 1-514-296-1641 Peter Turner, Hon Editor of The Kedge Anchor Eyke, Suffolk, UK gammoning, gamming, manging, moaning, agoing, ammino, amnion, gaming, ganoin, gigman, mignon, minoan, minong, naming, noggin, nomina, aging, amigo, amino, amnio, anion, gamin, going, gonia, imago, ingan, mingo, minna, minoa, naomi, ngaio, ngoni, nigga, oggin, agin, agio, agni, amin, gain, giga, ginn, imam, inga, ingo, iona, magi, maim, main, miao, migg, mima, mina, ming, moai, nain, naoi, nina, noni, onia Slightly different slant this time. Here is an expression that has a completely different meaning to that at sea. 'Come to' At sea: To stop a sailing vessel, especially by turning into the wind. Ashore: to become conscious again after an accident or operation. (Image: New single by Transpose, "Regaining Consciousness.") NAVAL TERMS THAT HAVE ‘COME ASHORE’ SHIP’S WORD WHEEL ANSWERS USS BONHOMME RICHARD Originally built in France in 1765 as a merchant ship named Duc de Duras, she was gifted to the United States in 1779 by King Louis XVI. Captain John Paul Jones renamed her the Bonhomme Richard (which translates to "Goodman Richard" in English, a nod to Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanack) The exact location of the Revolutionary War ship USS Bonhomme Richard remains unconfirmed, though a highly debated wreck discovered off Flamborough Head, Yorkshire in 2002 is the leading candidate. Commanded by John Paul Jones, the vessel sank on September 25, 1779, after a legendary battle with the HMS Serapis. The 1779 Sinking On September 23, 1779, the Continental Navy ship Bonhomme Richard engaged the British warship HMS Serapis in one of the most famous naval battles of the American Revolution. Though heavily outgunned and taking catastrophic damage, John Paul Jones famously declared, "I have not yet begun to fight!" His crew eventually forced the surrender of the Serapis. The Bonhomme Richard was so badly damaged and ablaze that it sank roughly 36 hours later. The Search for the Wreck For decades, the exact resting place of the vessel remained a mystery. Over the years, several expeditions and marine organizations have scoured the North Sea off the coast of England to locate the legendary ship. The 2002 Candidate: A wreck located off Flamborough Head in 1974 was deemed by experts in 2001 to have a "high possibility" of being the Bonhomme Richard. This site is currently designated as a Protected Wreck by Historic England. The 2018 Discovery Claim: In late 2018, a British satellite and marine research firm known as Merlin Burrows claimed to have discovered the remains of the vessel closer to the shore off Filey, Yorkshire. However, official organizations like the U.S. Navy and maritime experts expressed skepticism regarding these claims pending further artifact verification. Artist unknown. Public domain
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