THE TRAFALGAR CHRONICLE TRAFALGAR CHRONICLE Yearbook of THE 1805 CLUB No. 18, 2008 TRAFALGAR CHRONICLE
ii Cover Illustration: HMSVictory in her final berth at Portsmouth, from an original drawing by Hanslip Fletcher, 1932. Courtesy Michael A. Nash Archive. Published by The 1805 Club, 2008, Cranbrook, Kent, TN17 2QD. Publication Design by Bumblebee www.bumblebeedesign.net Printed by B D&H, Litho and Screen Printers, Norwich. ISBN: 978-1-902392-18-9 Birthday card for Admiral Nelson in his 250th year. Clare House Primary School, Bromley, Kent. Courtesy Susan Amos.
THE TRAFALGAR CHRONICLE Yearbook of The 1805 Club. No.18, 2008 Editorial: ‘More Fortunate Than Common Days’ – Anthony Cross and Huw Lewis-Jones vi Chairman’s Dispatch: Happy Birthday, Nelson! – Peter Warwick viii Nelson and HMSBoreas: Beyond Physical Courage – Joseph F. Callo 1 The Early Career of a Trafalgar Captain: Charles Mansfield at the Battle of Frigate Bay and the Siege of Brimstone Hill, 1782 – Tony Beales 11 ‘That very active officer, Captain Seymour’ – Tom Wareham 26 Pistols For Two, Champagne For One – Liza Verity 45 Emma’s Early Antics: The True Story of Dr James Graham and his Temple of Health– Lydia Syson 54 Further Unpublished Letters by Nelson and Emma Hamilton– Colin White 66 From Armchair to Archive: Intercepted Foreign Letters from 1804 – Jon Harrison 72 ‘Fine Colt’, ‘Cub’, or ‘Vile Spue’? – Recovering Captain Josiah Nisbet: Part II – John Sugden 80 The Brief Life of Captain Lord Robert Manners: Part II – Stephen Howarth 100 Napoleon and the Guinea Smugglers – Gavin Daly 117 Napoleon, Tilsit, Copenhagen, and Portugal – Peter Hicks 126 ‘The high raised Nelsonian star’: Turner, Nelson and the Royal Navy – J.R. Piggott 138 Treasures from the British Museum Print Collections: Nelson, the Navy and Napoleon– Sheila O’Connell 161 ‘To succeed, or perish’: Memorial of Services, Captain George Cheyne – Huw Lewis-Jones 173 Rear Admiral Thomas Fremantle and the Adriatic Campaign, 1812-14 – Charles Fremantle 193 The Use of Patronage during the War of 1812: Central versus Local Patronage Power – Tom Malcomson 203 The Royal Navy and the Rise of Modern Geophysics – Michael S. Reidy 222 ‘This ship is England’ – Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World – James Chapman 237 Admiral Collingwood: The Real Jack Aubrey? –MaxAdams 247 ‘Nautical, but Nice’: The Influence of the Lower Deck on High Fashion– Veronica Horwell 255 Life on the Square: The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography inWC2 – Philip Carter 264 Captain Hardy’s Reward of Merit Medal – Sim Comfort 272 Sons of Nelson: The Cecil Isaacson Lecture, 2008 – Peter Hore 276 Contributors’ Biographies 290 Notes for Contributors 293 iii
THE 1805 CLUB THE 18 05 CLUB Past President Mrs. Lily McCarthy, CBE (1914-2005) Vice Presidents Mr. K Flemming*, Mrs. J Kislak, Mr. M Nash*, Mrs. W J F Tribe, OBE JP, Mr T Vincent*, Mr K Evans*, Dr Colin White Hon Chairman Peter Warwick 4A Camp Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19 4UL Hon Vice-Chairman BillWhite Hon Secretary John Curtis 9 Brittains Lane, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 2JN Hon North American Secretary Randy B Mafit Hon Treasurer Lt. Cdr. David Harris, MBE RN Hon Editors, The Trafalgar Chronicle Anthony Cross Dr Huw Lewis-Jones, MA MPhil PhD FRGS Hon Membership Secretary Linda Ebrey Friston Down, Jevington Road, Friston, East Sussex BN20 0AW Hon Events Officer Barry Coombs Hon Asst Events Officer Lynda Sebbage Chaplain to The 1805 Club (Ex officio) Reverend Peter Wadsworth, MA Hon Editors, The Kedge Anchor Randy and Dana Mafit Paul and Penny Dalton Hon Publications Officer Stephen Howarth, FRHistS FRGS AMNI iv
Hon PR and Media Officer Alison Henderson Hon Education Officer Dianne Smith Hon Webmistress Josephine Birtwhistle Research Advisor Professor Leslie P LeQuesne, CBE FRCS * Indicates Founder Member. All posts listed above are honorary. The Club’s Bank TSB, 27, High Street, Whitchurch, Shropshire, SY13 1AX Account Number: 11193060 Annual Subscription Rates Members: £35 / US$70 Schools: £50 / US$100 Corporate Members: £100 / US$200 Membership of The 1805 Club The 1805 Club is a non-profit-making voluntary association dedicated for the benefit of the public to the preservation and maintenance of Nelson-related graves and monuments. The 1805 Club also publishes original Nelson-related research, reprints rare Nelson-related documents and organises events of interest to students of the Royal Navy in the age of sail. Membership of The 1805 Club is open to all and is by direct application to, or special invitation from, its governing Council. Subscriptions are due on 1 January each year. All members receive, post-free, the Club’s Newsletter, the Club’s Yearbook The Trafalgar Chronicle, the Club’s Occasional Papers and the Club’s Nelson 2005 Commemoration series of booklets published at intervals during the Nelson Decade. A charge may be made for other special publications. A prospectus is available on request from the Membership Secretary or the North American Secretary. For economy of administration, members are encouraged to pay their subscriptions by Direct Debit. Disclaimer The opinions expressed in The Trafalgar Chronicle are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The 1805 Club as a whole. Registered as a Charity in England and Wales Registered Charity No. 1071871 v
Editorial This day, my dearest Emma, which gave me birth, I consider as more fortunate than common days, as, by my coming into this world, it has brought me so intimately acquainted with you, who holds most dear. I well know that you will keep it, and have my dear Horatia to drink my health. Forty-six years of toil and trouble! How few more the common lot of mankind leads us to expect; and, therefore, it is almost time to think of spending the few last years in peace and quietness! Victory, 29 September 1804 Inevitably – indeed, quite properly – the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of Horatio Nelson’s birth is a keynote of this year’s Trafalgar Chronicle. Whilst this presents an opportunity to remind ourselves there once was a living, breathing Nelson equally we remember that it is his enduring legacy that is also of vital interest to a variety of historians and researchers. We are encouraged to concentrate on his varied achievements than solely on the manner of his triumphant death. Sooner a christening than a wake, and, best of all, a birthday! It is ironic therefore, at least according to the evidence of his letters and dispatches, that Nelson rarely saw 29 September as ‘more fortunate than common days’. Indeed, he seldom if ever remarked upon it; it was just another day upon which to carry out his duty. A notable exception to this rule however can be found in the letter he addressed to Emma Hamilton on his birthday in 1804 and which forms the preface to this editorial. He recounts various diplomatic movements, he describes the weather, he sends a kiss to his dear Horatia. He also looks forward to the time he may see his beloved again, perhaps ‘next summer; when, I hope, we shall have peace, or such a universal war as will upset that vagabond, Buonaparte’. Yet, it reads very like a memento mori. Of course, Nelson knew his days were numbered, and this letter seems written with mortality in sight; but beyond death his good eye is focused on posterity. How keen his vision was. In a recent television broadcast the writer Margaret Atwood, with reference to the fateful Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin, cited a book by Marcus Greil entitled Dead Elvis. In it the author suggests that far more things have happened to Elvis post mortem than ever did before he left the proverbial building. In death – recalled in the memories of their fans, in the ways that they are written about, or portrayed in art, in popular song, on television – the famous departed lead lives as miraculous, perhaps even more eventful, than when they were alive. Never mind Franklin, the parallel with Nelson pre- and post- his apotheosis is blindingly obvious. The subtitle of Greil’s book was A Chronicle of Cultural Obsession. Strong stuff, but is it not something very similar, perhaps even more potent, which has kept the vi
Immortal Memory so alive into the twenty-first century? Lord Nelson is among the few figures that are able to boast such an enduring legacy after two and half centuries. And there are fewer still that continue to offer researchers and enthusiasts such good material for a rich variety of perspectives within a multiplicity of disciplines. Surely The Trafalgar Chronicle’s pages are a testament to this. This year, once again, the Editors take pride that the subject matter contained within reflects the wide scope these intellects have explored. Biographical studies of those whose lives were intertwined with Nelson before, during or after his lifetime appear to remain our core material. Equal consideration is given to the publication of essays of socio-cultural flavour and likewise those of a literary, art historical, even a scientific focus. That the contents of this edition of The Trafalgar Chronicle is the result of a happy combination of the research and expertise of amateurs and professionals, enthusiasts and academics, is a perennial pleasure to report. A pleasure also to report the range and quality of papers submitted that now begin to form a group for next year’s Chronicle. We thank those authors who have been happy to develop their articles with our advice, and we appreciate the understanding of a number who were willing to see their papers published not this year, but next, owing to our restrictions on space. With the international profile of the journal now established, and its reputation growing every year, we would especially encourage Club members to meet our submissions deadline of 1 August. This has been a touch flexible in the past, but our success demands us now to treat the date with a strictness that is not familiar to us, yet with a consistency that we trust will be of great benefit to future editions. We grow and we rejoice in our luck to have such warm support. As we also look to our own birthday celebrations – our twentieth edition is in 2010 – we are confident that the quality of contributions within this journal will continue to be a fine testament to the memory of Nelson, and those who served with him. Given the nature of this birthday celebration the reader will forgive our indulgence in using the metaphor of a cake. The body of this Chronicle is made up of the flour and eggs of real lives into which is beaten the fruity and spicy, cultural and quirky ingredients. The whole thing is then infused with a noble spirit – we suggest this may be likened to the lashing of colour plates from the well-stocked cellars of the British Museum. As for the icing, we leave it to our individual readers to decide, likewise confident of a fair wind to blow out every candle. Happy Birthday, Horatio! 250 happy returns! Anthony Cross Huw Lewis-Jones vii
viii Chairman’s Dispatch: Happy Birthday, Nelson! Peter Warwick What day more fit the birth to solemnize Of the greatest hero you can surmise? ’Tis that consecrated to the Prince of Hosts Of whose strong protection each Christian boasts. That noble Nelson on this day was born Most clearly showed he would the world adorn, The warrior of Heaven, hurl’d headlong from the sky. Anon., On the Birth Day of … Admiral Nelson Heroes are born before they are made. Imagine the scene. 29 September 1758. It is, according to the local Rector of All Saints’ Church in the Norfolk village of Burnham Thorpe, a ‘very fair’ day and the ‘the air from our light gravell soil, impregnated with the sweet Farinæof the field, is as healthy as any spott whatever’. At the Parsonage House his wife, Catherine, has given birth to her sixth child – a son, small and frail. The anxious parents are probably wondering whether he will suffer the same fate as their first two sons who died within a few months of their being born. Fortunately, Horatio survives. Who could have guessed then, least of all his parents, that he was destined for a remarkable action-packed life that would leave a stunning and indelible mark on history. Horatio Nelson’s deeds were celebrated less than three years ago under the banner of the Battle of Trafalgar but that is no excuse for the close proximity of the 250th anniversary of his birthday to be overlooked, if only because in Nelson we have an immortal hero. The anniversary gives us an opportunity to celebrate his life rather than his battles and allows us to focus on his early and formative years. There are few, if any, British historical figures from 250 years ago who continue to have such an enduring, pervasive and iconic impact. This durability and fascination is based on the strength of his qualities and, in particular, the combination of his humanity and optimistic spirit. Optimism is the ultimate foundation for the many reasons people have for celebrating birthdays and anniversaries. And so it is with Nelson. His personal story seems to focus on the day that is coming and not on the day that is gone. Hope inspires us all and this shared sense of optimism probably explains why the Nelson legacy sits so comfortably in the modern setting. In the words of Carola Oman, writing in her much-loved biography Nelson, published
ix in 1947, ‘the auspices were propitious’. Certainly, on leaving Norfolk Horatio entered a vibrant, powerful and professional fraternity of the utmost importance to his country: the Royal Navy. It shielded the realm. In 1758, Britain was a relatively poor under-populated country of only eight million people. She was militarily weak, but with the sea for her borders and a powerful navy to protect her from invasion she could distance herself from the many continental wars that afflicted her neighbours; conflicts such as the War of Austrian Succession and the Seven Years War. The latter finished when Nelson was only five years of age and from it Britain emerged as the most powerful of all the maritime and colonial powers with one hundred and thirty ships-of-the-line manned and supported by eighty thousand men. The Royal Navy was the protector of Britain’s burgeoning trade with its abundant overseas possessions, which were the source of demand for textiles and other manufactured goods that were driving the Industrial Revolution. Everyone in the country recognized that naval power was essential to this wealth creation and Britain willingly channelled substantial resources into her navy. By the time Nelson first achieved public fame it had become the largest industrial organization in the western world. The size and status of today’s Royal Navy is very different from Nelson’s day. Britain’s position in the world has changed dramatically and she no longer willingly channels resources into her armed services. No more does everyone recognise how the prosperity of the country depends on the sea – it accounts for nearly 90 per cent of our trade. Successive defence reviews have had such a major impact on the size of the Fleet to the point that there are now fears that, in spite of the way technology ‘fills the gap’, there will very soon be too few fully operational ships to meet future global requirements and on-going challenges. The latest equipment cuts include another two of the new, and splendid, Type 42 destroyers. By 2018, the Royal Navy will have, at best, 19 destroyers and frigates in service compared with 35 in 1998. It was twice this number in the 1970s. Realistically, the number available for global presence is even lower because of the refit programme and the need to allocate escorts to the new carriers and the amphibious task group. Yet, as ever, the United Kingdom relies on a global presence to protect its political, security and economic interests. The 1805 Club cannot (and should not) enter the political debate about the current situation and outlook. However, the Club can continue to promote the essence of Nelson’s leadership and the qualities he displayed – they still infuse the traditions of the Service. Moreover, the monuments and memorials of the Georgian sailing navy contribute to the wider naval heritage and play a significant part in defining the Royal Navy’s distinctive ethos, core values, reputation and image. The monuments are also widely accessible and can help to remind the public of the importance of the ‘maritime’ to the United Kingdom; reminders of what the Royal Navy and Royal
Marines have done, and how they will continue to provide for the nation’s security, if suitably funded. These features furnish the Club’s charitable objects with a crucial and relevant meaning. To help promote this ethos, The 1805 Club organised a major three-day birthday celebration in Norfolk between 26-28 September, including a civic dinner at King’s Lynn and a Service of Thanksgiving, led by the Dean of Norwich Cathedral, at All Saints’ Church, Burnham Thorpe. Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope KCB OBE, Commanderin-Chief-Fleet, represented the Royal Navy. The Club also created the NELSON 250 logo, which has been made freely available to all bodies and organisations wishing to join a ‘national’ celebration of Nelson’s birthday. We believed that the more it was used, the more likely it was that the anniversary would have an impact on the wider consciousness of the country. As a further way of marking the anniversary, The 1805 Club organised two naval historical conferences in 2008, The Anson Watershed and The Collingwood Years: Naval Strategy against Napoléon 1806-1810. This ambitious programme reflected the Club’s commitment to stimulating research into the Georgian sailing navy as a whole. Nor have these activities diminished its enthusiastic participation in The Nelson Legacy Conference Series, which is preparing for its second conference, appropriately about naval power projection, in September 2009. These special occasions have all been part of a very busy events calendar this year, including national as well as informal events organised by the Club’s burgeoning ‘regional groups’ in the South East, South West and North East. Highlights included the exceptional reception at Windsor Castle in the presence of His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh KG KT celebrating the delivery of the news of the Battle of Trafalgar by Post-chaise to His Majesty King George III on 6 November 1806; the x Birthday card for Admiral Nelson in his 250th year. Year 5 pupil, Clare House Primary School, Bromley, Kent, Courtesy Susan Amos.
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