President’s Foreword With its 2020 issue, the Trafalgar Chronicle stands at the threshold of its fourth decade. The journal has now transitioned to a new team of editors in Dr Judith E. Pearson, Dr Sean Heuvel, and Captain John Rodgaard USN, Ret. These three come from varied academic backgrounds and experience and are well-qualified for the task. They will most certainly carry on the fine work of the previous editor, Captain Peter Hore RN, Rtd. Judy, Sean, and John live in the US, where over 100 members of the 1805 Club now reside; almost a quarter of the club’s membership. The central theme for the current issue is the portrayal of the Georgian Navy era in art, literature, and film. The contributions by writer–historians are impressive, demonstrating the enduring influence of that era in portraits, caricatures, and films of Nelson and the Royal Navy, as well as mythological depictions, nautical symbolism, and historic novels about the Age of Sail. The writers and editors have drawn from their experience, education, and talents in diverse fields such as military/naval history, medicine, the fine arts, and journalism to bring forth a quality product. Much of the content is new research that has not been published elsewhere. Some of it revises and expands on what most readers already know about the era of the Georgian Navy. You cannot read this issue without finding something that is intriguing, surprising, memorable, and noteworthy! The editors have also decided that this issue and future issues of the Trafalgar Chronicle will continue to include biographic portraits of Nelson’s contemporaries, articles about technological advances in naval warfare of the era, battles at sea and their aftermaths, and the monuments and artefacts that help us to remember the Georgian era of the Royal Navy and Nelson. The theme for the upcoming 2021 issue will concern the Georgian Navy’s encounters with indigenous cultures and enslaved populations. The Trafalgar Chronicle is a vital aspect of The 1805 Club’s mission to preserve the naval history and memorials of the Georgian era and Nelson’s memory through conservation, education, research, and commemorative events. My hearty kudos (or should I say ‘Bravo Zulu’?) to the editors and my heartfelt thanks to the writers who contributed so generously to this year’s volume. ADMIRALSIRJONATHONBANDGCBDL Former First Sea Lord President of the 1805 Club 5
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