Ivory-headed Malacca cane of Nelson. ANMM PROGRAM OF EVENTSagostini/Newsletters/13 nelson newsletter... · NEWSLETTER THE NELSON SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA INC. JULY 2007 Ivory-headed Malacca

NEWSLETTER THE NELSON SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA INC.

JULY 2007

Ivory-headed Malacca cane of Nelson. ANMM

PROGRAM OF EVENTS All meetings begin at 7pm for a 7.30 start unless otherwise stated.

St Michael’s Church Hall, Cnr The Promenade & Gunbower Rd, Mt Pleasant Bring a plate for supper

Mon Sept 10th: The Battle of Trafalgar - Some New Prospectives A Presentation by David Shannon. NB Change of Date and Venue back to Church Hall Fri. 19 Oct: Nelson Sword Presentation - HMAS Stirling Details later. *Sun. 21 Oct 12pm: Memorial Service — St George’s Cathedral* Fri 26 Oct: 6pm Standing in the Shadows: The Life and Career of Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood. - Mike Sargeant NB at Maritime Museum Fremantle $10 entry. Bookings essential 9431 8455

*Fri 9 Nov. 7pm Pickle Night Mon 19 Nov 7pm Beatty’s ‘Death of Nelson” - T ed Collinson (TBC)

* Application forms enclosed

Page 1 The Nelson Society of Australia. Newsletter, July 2007

In the bicentenary of Nelson's death at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, Professor Andrew Lambert, the Laughton Professor of Naval History at King's College Cambridge, explains why he believes that Nelson should be considered one of the greatest warriors that Britain has ever produced. Horatio Nelson has been many things in the two hundred years that have passed since his rise to international celebrity. The first national hero was by turns a patriot, war god, saviour of the nation, and talisman of victory; and yet to others a villain, hypocrite, philanderer and fool. Just as he was the first super hero, so he was the first to find his celebrity turned to vilification in pursuit of fresh copy. Where his predecessors saw battle as an end in itself, Nelson was always aware that the purpose of battle was strategic exploitation, and the object of war, peace. He was the man the navy and the nation loved, uninfluenced by protocol or convention he secured a place in the hearts of the English that no tawdry trifle could ever upset. Born in the middle of a large family Horatio, named for a wealthy Walpole relative, lost his mother when he was six, and spent the rest of his life craving the unthinking worship of others. The emotional damage was immense, leaving him prey to violent mood swings, and utterly dependent on his feelings, when cooler men trusted their reason. Nelson joined the Royal Navy under the protection of his mother's relative Captain Maurice Suckling, an officer greatly admired for courage and determination, and resolved to follow the example. After Suckling's early death Nelson's quick understanding and professional skill, allied to the sense of obligation that many owed to his uncle, secured the early promotion to Captain that was vital to his career. Quick to see the greatness in others Nelson soon joined the school of Samuel, Lord Hood, the acerbic Admiral whose biting pen and brilliant insight punctured the mediocrity of the British war effort between 1778 and 1782. When the French Revolutionary war broke out Hood summoned Nelson back to sea, and under his leadership the young Captain took the leading part in the capture of Corsica, and after Hood was dismissed, for insubordination it should be noted, pushed himself forward at every opportunity around the Mediterranean. The defining moment came on 13 February 1797, when after a taste of independent command Nelson rejoined Admiral Sir John Jervis's fleet off Cape St Vincent. In the battle that took place the following day Nelson


deliberately and consciously broke the standing order to maintain the line of battle, for which lesser men had been dismissed from the service in disgrace, to prevent the Spanish fleet from escaping. Jervis was big enough to recognise the genius of his subordinate, and quickly signalled for other ships

to follow Nelson. Not content with this demonstration of insight and moral courage Nelson engaged the Spanish fleet. His ship crippled by enemy fire Nelson ran her into an enemy ship, which he boarded, and when that ship crashed into another Spanish vessel, a towering three-decker, carried on to seize her as well. This dynamic thinking and personal courage reinforced the impression already made, and together provided the raw material for the elevation of Nelson to popular fame. The public soon knew of his brilliance, despite Jervis ignoring his efforts in the official dispatch.

1797 was a year for heroes. The war with France was going badly, Britain's allies had been defeated, the Channel fleet was soon to mutiny, Ireland was in revolt and even India was not secure. Furthermore the nation had no obvious focus for the sort of individual, romantic adulation that the crisis required. King George the Third was intermittently insane, his sons were a dissolute and disreputable crew, Prime Minister Pitt the Younger had lost his popularity with repressive measures against domestic dissent, and the senior officers of the Navy were simply too old to be modern heroes. Little wonder the Nation chose Nelson to be their talisman. His actions had won a vital and timely battle, providing the first good news for a long time. When the details appeared in the key newspapers, above all The Times, Nelson's name was on everyone's lips. St Vincent and Spencer decided that Nelson should lead a reconnaissance mission into the French controlled Mediterranean, to determine the object of the vast expedition Napoleon Bonaparte was gathering at Toulon. Their confidence, or desperation, led them to give Nelson, the youngest Admiral in the Navy, a mission of the utmost national importance. Reinforced by the elite squadron of St Vincent's fleet he was to seek out and destroy the French expedition. Armed only with his intuition, piecemeal intelligence and guess-work Nelson divined the purpose of the enemy perfectly and he annihilated the French fleet in Aboukir Bay, destroying Bonaparte's dreams of Asian empire and re-opening the war in Europe. It was, as St Vincent saw at once, a stupendous victory in its probable strategic consequences. Once the news reached London the rewards flowed, a peerage, riches from the East India Company, Turkish decorations, a Neapolitan Dukedom, and popular fame.

NELSON AND THE PURSUIT OF VICTORY

Despite a severe wound to the head, one that left him badly concussed, Nelson immediately followed up his victory. Seizing the initiative he took the war to France, raising fresh allies and opening new theatres of war. At the. Bourbon Court of Naples he met Lady Hamilton, the first woman in his adult life to truly worship him, and was swept up in an emotional whirlwind. With St Vincent retired to recover his health, Nelson was now under the command of Admiral Lord Keith, a dour and uninspiring Scotsman, whom Nelson rightly considered his inferior in all aspects of the service, save rank. Disagreeing with Keith strategic judgment and relying on his own insight he deliberately disobeyed an order, normally a Court Martial offence. On arriving in England he was studiously ignored by the Court, and hardly accorded a welcome at the Admiralty, but his public reception exceeded anything previously seen. He was the hero, and the hour had need of him. In many ways Trafalgar was the ideal end to the life of the hero. He died in the moment that the war at sea was put beyond the French, when his own genius had denied him any further useful role. Nelson's death also allowed his political masters to avoid the embarrassment of his insubordination and his private life, recovering him for the nation. Given the grandest funeral yet accorded to a commoner, and the prime location in the new national pantheon of St Paul's, Nelson was once again at the service of an establishment that ignored his wishes for Lady Hamilton, and privately loathed and feared him. Thereafter his memory, as ill-served as his mistress, was the sharpest weapon in Britannia's armoury.

Three decades later, although still personally unpopular he was turned to s t o n e a n d e l e v a t e d t o t h e pinnacle of Trafalgar Square above mortal hand or eye. A fitting place for the man Byron called, 'Britannia's God of War'.

Professor A Lambert King’s College London,

magazine In Touch Spring 2005


250TH ANNIVERSARY OF NELSON‘S BIRTH Monday 29th September 2008

Later this year when planning the Society’s programme for 2008, the committee will be considering ways in which we might celebrate this important occasion. 1. Nelson Dinner, in place of or as well as, the traditional Pickle night in

November ? 2. A General meeting with appropriate talk eg Nelson and Norfolk, with a

special supper and a toast to the Immortal Memory? 3. A celebration as part of the Presentation of the Sword of

Excellence ? 4. A public lecture and function at the Maritime Museum Fremantle? 5. Any other ideas? The committee would welcome comments and suggestions from members about the form you would like our celebration to take. Please contact the Secretary on 93357451 with your thoughts. Suggestions for the form and content of the five general meetings for 2008 would also be welcome.

THANK YOU, SIR EDWIN. (Landseer) ENGLAND AT LAST HAS DONE HER DUTY Punch or the London Charivari Feb. 9 1867


THOMAS ALLEN, PERSONAL SERVANT TO NELSON

Taken from Nelson’s Heroes by Graham Dean, Keith Evans. Published by the Nelson Society, 1994

Thomas Allen was born in the village of Sculthorpe, near Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk, in the year 1771. From his earliest years, Tom was in the service of the Nelson family , and when Horatio took command of the Agamemnon (64), Tom Allen, with others from the area, went along with the young captain to start his career in the Royal Navy. On board the Agamemnon, Tom was rated as Nelson's servant and accompanied him at all times. During action he would be stationed at one of the upper deck guns close to his master; on more than one occasion, when under fire, he interposed his bulky form to shield the much smaller Nelson. It is said that once during a desperate boat action, he actually placed his own head between Nelson and an attacker and received a severe wound in doing so. Tom Allen was in charge of Nelson's personal effects, his jewels, plate, valuables, and all things belonging to him on board. He also acted as body servant, and as such, he often had to coax his little master from a wet deck and a raging storm. It has been said that he was too familiar with Nelson: on one occasion he told him off, in front of other officers, for taking an extra glass of wine, by saying, no more now, you know it will only make you ill. Tom was for some time at Nelson's home, Merton Place, but he did not go with the hero to Trafalgar; who knows, if he had, perhaps Nelson would have survived the battle. After Nelson's death, Tom returned to Burnham Thorpe, but without a pension of any sort he soon became very poor. He was saved from the workhouse only by the intervention of Sir Thomas Hardy, who was then governor of Greenwich Hospital. Hardy appointed him pewterer to the Hospital, and it was from this comfortable situation he was called by a very sudden death. He is buried in the old cemetery Greenwich, close to the grave of Captain Hardy. There is a fine memorial to him still standing above his grave and the inscription is as follows.

To the Memory of Thomas Allen The Faithful Servant of Admiral Lord Nelson

Born at Burnham Thorpe in the County of Norfolk 1764 and died at the Royal Hospital Greenwich on the 23rd of November 1838

THE 'TOP TWENTY' BIOGRAPHIES OF NELSON By Michael Nash, a Founder and Honorary Life Member of the Nelson Society, UK

1. Blagdon, Francis William. Orme's Graphic History of the Life, Exploits, and Death of Horatio Nelson, Viscount and Baron Nelson of the Nile, and of Burnham-Thorpe in the County of Norfolk. 1806 2. Harrison, James. The Life of Horatio Lord Viscount Nelson. 1806. 3. Lloyd, Frederick. An Accurate and Impartial Life of Viscount Nelson, Duke of Bronte in Sicily. 1806.… 4. Churchill, T.O. The Life of Lord Viscount Nelson, Duke of Bronte. 1808 5. Clarke, James Stanier, and M Arthur, John. The Life of Admiral Lord Nelson. 1839/40 6. Southey, Robert. The Life of Nelson 1813 7. Anonymous. The Letters of Lord Nelson to Lady Hamilton 1814. 8. Nicolas, Sir Nicholas Harris. The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson. 1844-6. 9. Pettigrew, Thomas Joseph. Memoirs of the Life of Vice-Admiral Lord Viscount. 1849 10. Jeaffreson, John Cordy. Lady Hamilton and Lord Nelson: an Historical Biography 11, Morrison, Alfred. The Collection of Autograph letters and Historical Documents. 1893 and 1894. 12. Laughton, Sir John Knox. The Nelson Memorial: Nelson and his Companions in Arms. 1896 13. Mahan, Captain A.T. The Life of Nelson, the Embodiment of the Sea Power of Great Britain. 1897 14. Beresford, Lord Charles, and Wilson, H. W. Nelson and His Times. (1897-8) 15. Wilkinson, Clennell. Nelson. 1931 16. Oman, Carola. Nelson. 1946. 17. Naish, George P.B. (ed.). Nelson's Letters to his Wife and other Documents. 1785-1831. 1958. 18. Warner, Oliver. A Portrait of Lord Nelson. 1958. 19. Bennet, Geoffrey. Nelson the Commander. 1972. 20. Pocock, Tom. Horatio Nelson. 1987. from “The Nelson Companion” by Colin White

AFTER TRAFALGAR: THE BATTLES OF CAPE TOWN AND BUENOS AIRES 1806/7

Popham, Beresford, Baird, Whitelocke, Liniers and one Richard Halliday are not exactly household names today, even in the lands of their birth. No Nelsons, Wellingtons or Napoleons here. Cape of Good Hope and Buenos Aires do not stir the militant blood of the Napoleonic armchair strategist as does Trafalgar, Austerlitz, Moscow or Waterloo.

So who were these men and what was their story?

In July 1805, before his new system of telegraphic signals was used at Trafalgar, a Post Captain Sir Home Riggs Popham, who was on naval service in Plymouth, got to know that the Dutch colony at the Cape of Good Hope, down in Africa’s extreme south, was poorly defended, and headed to London in order to convince Pitt to support an attack on that city. Popham considered that Britain should not lose such a precious opportunity, specially in this case, because

it was a matter of attacking and seizing a key point of communication between England and her possessions in India. Pitt agreed with him, noting that it would be disastrous to them if the French, who had already considerable naval forces on the Southern Atlantic Ocean, could take control of the Cape of Good Hope.

The British military expedition sent to seize the Cape was composed of a little less than 6,000 men. Lt General David Baird was nominated the attack force's commander, and Home Popham was designated as the scout armada's chief.

William Pitt repeated to Popham that no aggressive action should be carried against any Spanish ship or city, while the negotiations with Spain were still on course. However, Pitt assured Popham that, should the negotiations come to fail, the plan drafted almost a year before would be endorsed, and an attack on Spain’s South American colonies would be seriously considered. (In the plan, 100 convicts and soldiers from Port Jackson (Sydney) were to be involved)

While traveling to South Africa, the British convoy made a pit stop in Salvador to replenish the ships with food and potable water. There Popham learned by means of a British trader that was going back from Montevideo to London, that Buenos Aires and Montevideo where equally very scantily fortified and, even more relevant, that the inhabitants of both cities would oblige the Spanish guard to capitulate before they could turn a sole gunshot. The only thing lacking to Home Popham was the 'OK' from the Prime Minister; all other conditions for a successful

Rear Admiral Sir Home R. Popham 1762-1820

assault were in place. At least he would assume so. In Buenos Aires, anxiety was spreading. The Viceroy, Rafael de Sobremonte, mobilized all the official defense force to protect the city against an invasion that he deemed as imminent. That, however, was not entirely correct. The British forces, when they left Salvador, did not head towards the River Plate, but to the Cape of Good Hope, as the British had previously decided.

The conquest of the African city Cape Colony in the first days of January, 1806, was all smooth and undemanding: after only an hour or two of combat with the Dutch forces, the St George’s Cross banner was already flying on the city's only garrison. Mission accomplished thought David Baird. Well, maybe not yet, measured Popham.

The British seamen were being held in reserve on ships in the Cape's waters, waiting for orders from England either to return to Britain or to raid Buenos Aires and Montevideo.

A few months before, in October, the British obtained an outstanding victory against the combined navies of both France and Spain, in the famous Battle of Trafalgar. Spain was now utterly coupled to its alliance with France, and the British no longer had reasons to believe that they could isolate Bonaparte by attracting Spain to an alliance with the Russians.

P o p h a m t h e n convinced David Baird that an attack on Buenos Aires was in order, and asked him to deliver reinforcements to abet the raid. Baird ceded the Scottish 71st regiment of infantry, formed by a b o u t 1 , 0 0 0 soldiers, to the command of Major General Beresford. (He was born an illegitimate son of the first Marquis of Waterford and a laundress. He entered the British army in 1785. A member of the family, Admiral Lord Charles Beresford was later Governor of WA in the early 20th century) On April 14th, 1806, the convoy departed from the Cape on route to Buenos Aires without any authority given from the Admiralty or Pitt.

Precisely a month after that, the first British ship was seen at the surroundings waters of Montevideo. Two weeks later, the entire British convoy was already anchored some miles away from the River Plate.

Lt General Lord Beresford 1768-1854


A member of the medical Corp of the expedition was Richard Halliday who appears to be very aware of the danger they faced. He would have been my husband’s GGG uncle as he was the youngest brother of Captain Cass Halliday, Master of the ‘Orion’ at Trafalgar, and who, at the time of the Argentinian action, was Master of the British Fleet under Vice Admiral Collingwood . In 2007 my interest was aroused when the Halliday Surname Group in England sent an email and attached to it was Richard’s last will and testament written in the form of a letter to his brother William. I could find very little in the history books about the British defeat but a wealth of information was available on the internet. Below is part of that letter, which was very difficult to read. Most of his debts were at bookshops around England but it does give one a personnel glimpse of the money that sailors earned in Napoleonic times for their work and their lives.

At Sea, 14th June, 1806 Mouth of the Rio de la Plata Dear Brother William,, In my last letter to my mother (which was from St Scoltria) I mentioned of our proceeding on a secret expedition under the command of Brigadier General Beresford and which is certainly to attack Buenos Aires as we are already arrived at the mouth of the River Plate where we are now lying at anchor. In order to arraign everything properly in a few words I would embrace the opportunity of writing to you giving you as fare and exact a statement of my affairs (debts and credits) as possibly can do at present. … .Surprises - my debts thanks be to God all now are but very few. Two pounds for a seafaring gown which I paid just as I was leaving London, that I think is the whole. To Mr Window, Army Agent for the Survival Staff (No 30 Charing Cross) according to a letter from Mr Varka (clerk) during my stay at Cork saying that they had, by mistake, paid me four pounds four shillings over plus, which I wrote to them saying that if I found a receipt it might be stopped in my first payment but I have not received any pay from them since I left Europe, and moreover, I cannot if my accounts make it proved and that I have received more than my due but moreover you can see their books and be made aware of it……….. As all men are mortal — an unlikely ball may give me a fatal blow and you very possibly may be some time before you receive the unfortunate news I will be the informer to inform you while living, for in case of my death I shall request any one of our surviving officers to dispatch this last will and testament and bring direct to you, and proved with my seal bring them two initials of my name. Mr Wright promised me a whole share of my prize money at the capture of the Cape of Good Hope. which he informed me the first payment would be in June and would amount to one hundred pounds and therefore appointed Mr Boot, surgeon and hospital Matron to receive the sum until further advice from me or my heirs or executors………..

My personal property will be sold for what it will amount to which should, I suppose, be fifty pounds or more. I believe I leave no pay for a time again one for a bill to Dr Forbes and our paymaster for two months pay being the amount of a debt I owe to him. Then the embarkation money which is twelve pounds ten shillings and also the wages for 200 days exclusive of prize money. My prize money, whatever it may be even now at Buenos Aires on embarkation, is 2/3 a day for 200 days at least… You dear brother will have the goodness to receive and pay all my debts and credits however trifling they may be. The remains I would wish to be divided amongst you all, yourself all expenses first being paid. I also bequeath to my brother Thomas one hundred pounds if as much remains after all my debts are paid and before my property is divided over and above this division shared. Also to my brother John’s eldest daughter Jane to whom I am godfather, fifty pounds, before the rest is divided. The remainder to go to be shared equally between my brothers and sisters.

I therefore want no mourning, my soul to God and my body to the ground. Hoping to meet you all at a future period where we shall be all together. ….My blessing to my mother brother and sisters all, hoping that you will not grieve for me. as it is the fortunes of war. Pray for the salvation of my soul mother, brothers and sisters and I Leave you… yours affectionately,

Richard Holliday In the name of God. Amen.


Ten days after Richard wrote his will the British ships under the command of Lt General Beresford arrived at the scene, and the alarm cannons roared over the river. Extreme disorder reigned in the city, as a mass of men hurried to the military quarters to receive weapons and instructions, after the previous day's convocation by Sobremonte. At the end of the day, however, the ships raised sails and headed towards Quilmes. There, during the next day, the first British troops started to land on Argentinean soil.

When they entered Buenos Aires, they encountered only token resistance. Meanwhile, the Spanish Viceroy Sobremonte fled the City with the bulk of his troops, leaving Buenos Aires without effective defense. The British took Buenos Aires with only one sailor killed, one soldier who disappeared in combat and 13 wounded. An easy and complete victory, it seemed.

Soon however, the residents of the colony mounted a well-prepared invasion of mostly Creole forces from Montevideo and combined with an urban insurrection that included thousands of residents of the City who were throwing burning oil and rocks at British troops from the rooftops. All businesses closed their doors to stop the British from obtaining food.

The final battle against the British took place on the barricades and was led by civilians, not military officers. A huge armed crowd chased the British troops into a fortress, where they humiliated the British General by forcing him to throw out his sword and surrender to the populace before the rag tag army of the colony would accept his surrender. After 46 days of British occupation, the colonists and Creoles tasted both their military and political power.

In 1807, the British returned with a much larger military force. Montevideo was captured and the invasion of Buenos Aires was launched from there. Outflanking the volunteer armies that left the city to intercept the invasion, the British entered Buenos Aires only to find a massive, popular and armed resistance that killed or wounded 2,800 of their troops in the first hours of fighting. Two days later, the British were again defeated by an armed insurrection led by De Liniers. Thus, on August 12th, 1806, the Argentines accomplished the retaking of Buenos Aires.

The foreign ships lingering around the inlet, however, were a clear sign that the British were far from giving up. Quite to the contrary, almost every military force under the United Kingdom's flag in the Chilean coast, in Southern Africa and in the Qaribe were drawn to the River Plate, the wish to recapture the city being most desired by the British. In that part of the new World a new attack was only a matter of time.

In June 1807, 8,000 British soldiers again tried to take the city under the command of Lt. General Whitelocke and again it was defeated. The streets of Buenos Aires were soaked with bodies of British soldiers. Few survived. Every

residence and school were defended. The invaders were killed by snipers, small groups of Militiamen, and kids with bottles of inflammable oil and stones. The war was finally over.

*************************************************************************

What eventually happened to our central characters?

Home Riggs Popham faced a court martial on his return to the mother country, but was let off with only a censure. The London business community awarded him a sword of honour for his attempt to open new foreign markets to England. Made a Rear Admiral in 1814 and awarded a KCB in 1815, he lived out the rest of his days in Gloucestershire, where he died on September 10, 1820.

William Carr Beresford obviously had more useful friends He returned to England to be given the governorship of the island of Madeira. Joining Wellington in the Peninsula he was soon given the task of reorganizing the Portuguese Army. The success of his efforts led to a Knighthood of the Bath from England and a peerage from Portugal. At the end of the campaign he was made Baron Beresford of Albuera and Cappoquin, and given a pension of 2,000 pounds a year. In 1828 Wellington, now the Prime Minister, made Beresford master-general of Ordinance. He died at his country estate in Kent on January 8, 1854.

John Whitelocke returned to England to find himself with no friends in high places and in disgrace over his defeat. An 1808 court martial found him guilty of all charges but one. He was dismissed from the army and lived in retirement the rest of his life, which ended in 1833.

Jacques de Liniers remained in Buenos Aires until 1809, when the Spanish government, wary of the loyalty of any French alien, replaced him as viceroy. He retired to the city of Cordoba, but couldn't stay retired for long. Anxious to prove his loyalty to the Portuguese crown he helped organize loyalist opposition to the new rebel junta. Loyalty often has its price and on August 26, 1810 in Santiago de Liniers died before a junta firing squad.

Richard Halliday’s will of was proved at London on the 12th day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eight before the Right Honourable Sir William Wynn, Knight, Doctor of Laws, Master Kooper or Councillary of the Prorogative Court of Canterbury, lawfully constituted by the data of William Hallliday ………… Lest we Forget — BETTY FOSTER References: 1. The Turning Point: the British Military Defeats in Buenos Aires (1806-1807) 2. Odds and Ends A newsletter of Eagles Byte Historical Research 3. Wikipedia 4. Excerpts from The British Invasions of Buenos Aires @everything2.com 5. The will of Richard Halliday. Halliday Surname Society. 6. Donald Heald, Original Antique Books, Prints and Maps.


Two hundred years ago on 21 October 1805, the Battle of Trafalgar was fought off the south-west coast of Spain. It turned the tide against the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte's threatened invasion of Britain. Under the command of Vice Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, the British Royal Navy defeated the combined French and Spanish fleets - but it came at a high price when Nelson was mortally wounded. The Times newspaper reported the news on 7 November and the country went into shock, mourning the loss of their be-loved admiral. The impulse to commemorate his life and death spawned a huge industry in commemorative ware, one which continues almost unabated to this day. Nelson is the most commemorated figure in British history and any place even remotely connected with him produces souvenirs ranging from pos t ca r ds and bookm ar ks t o commemorat ive g lassware and ceramics. Serious collectors of 19th and early 20th-century examples in particular refer to these wares as Nelsonia. In fact the production of this kind of material began during Nelson's own lifetime, with ceramics dating from the 1790s. He was adept at self-promotion and his exciting victories made him an ideal subject for producers and sellers of commemorative ware. In rapid succession came such decisive wins as the Battle of Cape St Vincent in 1797, the Battle of the Nile in 1798 and the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801. Nelson was an intelligent, aggressive and innovative commander who never lost sight of his three goals - service to king, country and God -and the people loved him for it. He was also openly human and flawed, often vain and irritable. This seems to have had no effect on his public adulation. Even his open, adulterous liaison with Lady Emma Hamilton was tolerated by the public - Nelson was the man to love. After death his heroic status soared even higher as he was transformed from Horatio Nelson, the king's sailor, to Admiral Lord Nelson the legend. Nelson had inspired the utmost in loyalty and commitment, and his men mourned his


COMMEMORATING NELSON Nelson, Trafalgar and HMS Victory have spawned an industry to service the legend — or is it a cult?

Lindsey Shaw ,Senior Curator of the Australian Maritime Museum looks at the Nelsonia phenomenon.

death. As one veteran put it in a letter home: Chaps that fought like the Devil, sit down and cry like a wench. The landmark celebrations of the Battle of Trafalgar were in 1855, 1905 and 2005. For 2005, the celebrations actually commenced in 1995 with the launch of the Nelson Decade - celebrating his successes in those years preceding Trafalgar and culminating with a year - long celebration across the length and breadth of the United Kingdom and in many

Commonwealth countries as well. The 50th anniversary (1855) was relatively low-key, but in 1905 the centenary celebrations were huge, not just in Britain but throughout the Empire - wherever colonists or subjects identified with British history and culture. In Australia the vast majority of the population was British-descended and many considered Britain to be the home country. In every state, from the cities to small country towns, there were ceremonies and processions, church services, concerts and patriotic speeches. Descendents of Trafalgar veterans were feted. The great Nelson figurehead that is now the centrepiece of our Navy exhibition was in 1905 the centrepiece of a display set up in the entrance of the Royal Exchange building in Sydney, among relics and items of Nelson memorabilia. These centenary celebrations produced another avalanche of Nelsonia. The British and Foreign Sailors' Society advertised mementoes for sale through subscription to the Nelson Centenary Memorial Fund, to raise funds for its work of promoting the Religious, intellectual and social devotion of British and Foreign Seamen. The society used oak and copper from HMS Victory, obtained during repairs, to manufacture the souvenirs and the King, who took a great interest in the society, allowed his initials, E.R.VII, to be stamped on

them. Larger medals and badges were given for subscriptions of five shillings and upwards, and a small Victory charm was given to everyone sending one shilling and upwards. Schools could acquire a Victory Shield to award annually to a boy or girl for success. Copper Nelson busts were available for donations of £50. Additional copper from Trafalgar veteran HMS Foudroyant was used to provide HMS Victory souvenirs for the boys and girls of the Empire. In World War I Nelson was enlisted as a supreme example of

Royal Doulton limited edition loving cup designed by Charles Noke and Harry Fenton 1935. Number 19 of 600. ANMM col-lection. Collection photography A Frolows/ANMM


leadership and patriotic duty, representing valour and victory. Two p o s t e r s i n t h e m u s e u m ' s collection use his image to urge Britons to buy National War Bonds or War Saving Certificates, and help in e v e r y w a y possible. His image was used in World War II as well but to a lesser extent. A brief survey like this can give no more than a glimpse of market in Nelsonia

which has flourished for over 200 years, almost impossible to catalogue in its diversity, toby jugs, wine coolers, planters, snuff and patch boxes, medallions and glassware. Items are both utilitarian and decorative and span a complete range from fine arts and crafts to the cheap and tawdry - the latter including chocolates, fridge magnets, bookmarks, Christmas tree decorations, coat hooks, soap and playing cards, to name a few! The most precious relics are those pieces connected directly to Nelson’s life, with most of them being in public collections such as the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich, the Royal Naval Museum at Portsmouth and the British National Archives at Kew. Auction houses such as Bonham's and Sotheby's are having a bumper bicentenary year with their Nelson auctions. In July Bonhams' 'Nelson & The Royal Navy 1750-1815' auction had 386 lots. Letters in Nelson's own hand sold for in excess of £10,000. The auction was so successful that they have just announced another one. Sotheby's go to auction on 5 October with Trafalgar-Nelson and the Napoleonic Wars - including a small from HMS Victory's Union flag which draped Nelson's coffin, estimated at

over £100,000. The value of commemorative wares from 1855 and 1905 are also on the increase this year with ceramics selling in the range of £300-£500. Any items with a Nelson, Trafalgar or Victory connection are considered to be the best mementoes to have. But that's long been the case. It's not surprising to learn that there was a thriving market for fakes, with reproductions of original 1855 and 1905 wares as well as fakes of Nelson's personal Baltic dinner service being made in Paris and China in the 19th century. Another thing to watch out for are the 18th and 19th-century glassware, rummers and decanters which were engraved in the early 20th century but sold as original earlier models. Of course the Nelson phenomenon is not limited to artifacts. There are books by the hundreds i f no t thousands, and in this 200th year book shelves are groaning under their weight. More than 30 films have been produced and each one promises to reveal the real' Nelson. Vessels, streets and pubs have been named after Nelson and Trafalgar. Memo-rials, statues, plaques and museums are scattered around the world. Another way to have a connection with Nelson is to visit places associated with him - Portsmouth, Monmouth, Merton, Burnham Thorpe, London, Norwich and Great Yarmouth in England to name a few. If the longing for an association with Nelson is too pricey or too far to indulge, then there are always the modem souvenirs - a teaspoon, a bookmark or a postcard. Join in the bicentennial celebrations this year and see what we have at The Store while the museum celebrates the Nelson legend with two displays and a weekend of activities. Artworks depicting his life and death will be on show in the Tasman Light and a selection of Nelsonia will be displayed in the Navy gallery under the Nelson figurehead. (In July 2007 by public demand ,the display was still in the Museum) First published in Signals, quarterly journal of the Australian National Maritime Museum (No 72 September 2005). Reproduced courtesy of the museum.

Nelsonia frequently includes the one-armed admiral's immortal England expects signal, and other patriotic epigrams. Brown transfer-printed earthenware jug about 1806 with ochre painted rim. ANMM collection piece

P r e s s e d f e r r o u s m e t a l commemorative badge 33 mm diameter manufactured in North Fitzroy, Melbourne. ANMM

Our own Nelson ia - seductive Lady Hamilton fridge magnet.

Horatio as a Christmas decoration and as a bottle stopper.

HAYDN, HUNTER AND HORATIO NELSON

Franz Josef Haydn (1732-1809) was born in Rohrau in Lower Austria in 1732, just four years after the Scottish-born surgeon John Hunter (1728-1793) and twenty-six years before that immortal British sailor, Horatio Nelson (1758-1805), but for a time they were contemporary. It may seem strange that their paths crossed, coming as they did from very distant and disparate backgrounds. But cross they did, and it is impossible to deny that their individual lives were in some way influenced by the professional output of the others. Haydn was appointed Kapellmeister to the enlightened and wealthy Esterhazy family in 1766, and apart from a brief period in the 1790’s, during which time he made two visits to London, he held this important post for about thirty years. He was acclaimed one of the three greatest European composers of the half century before 1810. Josef Haydn is known as the father of both the string quartet and of the symphony, not because he invented them but because of his contribution to establishing the stature of both styles of music in the concert halls of Europe. In a wide-ranging and extensive repertoire Haydn wrote eighty-four string quartets and more than fifty piano sonatas. But we are more interested in his fourteen masses, often referred to rather disparagingly as “sacred music of the concert hall”. One inspired work which he composed in 1798 was the Nelson mass in D minor following Nelson’s surprise attack and annihilation of the French fleet at Aboukir or the Battle of the Nile. Nelson is known as a born predator with an instinct for annihilation, an instinct he developed not only in seeking prizes but in his attitude towards the arch enemy of the British Navy since the French assisted in the loss of the American colonies. Although the Nelson Mass is a particularly dramatic and emotional work, well suited to the grandeur of the hero from whom it takes its familiar name, its connection with the English admiral derives from the timing of its first performance in Vienna, shortly after receiving news of the French defeat at Aboukir Bay. In fact the work was originally intended as a birthday celebration for one of the Austrian princesses, and Haydn named it “Missa in angustiis” (Mass in time of tribulation). In re-dedicating his composition Haydn added a trumpet call in the Benedictus, said to recall the courier’s trumpet call when the news of Nelson’s victory reached Vienna. Another major work produced in 1798 was The Creation, an oratorio which begins with an evocation of primeval chaos and

formation of the heavens, the appearance of life on earth, and the creation of man and woman. Our interest in these pieces is twofold. Anne Hunter was at this time a well-to-do widow, her husband, the renowned surgeon/anatomist John Hunter having died five years earlier. She was an educated and talented lady whose poem entitled My Mother Bids Me Bind My Hair was set to music by Josef Haydn during his first visit to London in 1790, the year John Hunter was appointed Surgeon General of the British Army. Anne later supplied the words for two very successful canzonettas composed by Haydn in 1794 and 1795.

On hearing the first performance of The Creation in London in 1800, many concertgoers were unimpressed with the English translation of the original German libretto, words taken from Genesis and from Milton’s epic Paradise Lost. George Thomson, a Scottish music lover, promoter and

patron of Josef Haydn, and a friend of Robbie Burns, wrote how lamentable to see such divine music joined with such miserable, broken English. In response Anne Hunter was moved to write another English version. Our second interest in Haydn’s work relates to Nelson affair with Lady Hamlton’ and their return home after the Battle of the Nile. In September of 1798, as his ships approached Naples, Nelson had received a warm invitation from the British Embassy. Come here, said Sir William Hamilton, for God’s

sake, my dear friend, as soon as the service will permit you. A pleasant apartment is ready for you in my house, and Emma is looking out for the softest pillows to repose the few wearied limbs you have left.

The Queen of Naples, or more correctly, of the Two Sicilies, Marie Carolina, was a daughter of Marie Theresa of Austria and sister of Marie Antoinette, but with the imminent threat of Napoleon’s advance overland from the north there was no love for the French and though the British Admiral was greeted by all as the ‘saviour of Italy’, the Neapolitan Royal family chose to flee the country for their own safety. Lady Hamilton was the Queen’s constant friend and confidant, and as such she played an active role in advising the royal family at the time of their departure.

The King Ferdinand, a Spanish Bourbon whose extravagant interest was hunting, presided over a corrupt and inept administration. He imposed on Nelson to assist his family to escape and to escort them to the Court. in Vienna, although the decision to make this exhausting journey was very likely Emma’s. Nelson hardly considered that he had been dealt a good hand despite holding four


Queens (Marie Carolina of Naples and her daughters) and the beautiful Emma Hamilton with whom he was immediately besotted. The Lady Hamilton obviously returned his affection and it is said that her husband Sir William turned a blind eye to any unacceptable behaviour.

It was the early summer of 1800 and she was by then several months pregnant. Their arrival in Vienna was celebrated with concerts and banquets, with everywhere the trumpets and cannon-f ire in acknowledgment of the British Admiral who had defeated Napoleon. It became apparent that Nelson’s presence at a theatre would guarantee a full house so he attended thirteen of them during his brief stay. On a four day visit to Eisenstadt, the Prince of Esterhazy entertained in style with dinner and a concert at which Haydn presented the Nelson Mass in D minor. A modern music writer has said the Mass is truly symphonic and opens impressively with trumpets and drums to the fore in the ominous key of ‘d minor and before the entry of the soprano soloist. It is possible that Haydn also presented an inscribed score of The Creation to Emma Hamilton during this visit. This presentation copy was most likely sold at auction with other treasures by Sir William Hamilton on his return to London to meet his escalating debts. It is now on display in the Museum of London.

There is no record of Haydn using Anne Hunter’s libretto for The Creation during his own lifetime, and it was probably per-formed for the first time in London almost two hundred years later at a concert sponsored by the Royal College of Surgeons to commemorate the bicentenary of Hunter’s death. John Hunter is universally known as the father of scientific surgery. But its existence and that of the copy presented to Emma still provide and interesting link between Nelson and Haydn. Emma Hamilton’s fortunes slumped dramatically after the death of Nelson. She was almost penniless when she moved to France where, rather ironically, she was cared for by a Mrs Hunter in Calais during her final illness. ROBERT PEARCE


MONUMENT TO EMMA HAMILTON IN CALAIS Emma Hamilton is now remembered in the Parc Richelieu in Calais, close to where she was buried in 1815. The Mayor of Calais and Mrs Anna Tribe, descendant of Nelson and Emma, assisted the donor Mrs Jean Kislak at an inauguration ceremony on St George's Day, 1994. The story of how Jean Kislak from Miami came to honour Nelson's 'bequest to the nation' in the late twentieth century is rich in international adventure, comedy and co-operation. Another key player in the story was The 1805 Club, which provided the sandstone ball from the Wirral, Emma's birthplace, that tops the elegant obelisk of Calais stone. The club has promised to add this new monument to the extensive list of Nelson monuments, and the graves of those associated with him, which it watches over and tends from The Nelson Companion by Colin Whyte

A BRIEF GUIDE TO THE MAIN PLACES OF NELSON’S LIFE IN GREAT BRITAIN

1. HMS Victory Portsmouth, 2. The Royal Naval Museum 3 The Historic Dockyard, Portsmouth, 4. The Nelson Museum, Monmouth 5. Lloyd's Nelson Collection 6. The Nelson Museum, Great Yarmouth 7. The Village of Burnham Thorpe 8. St Paul's Cathedral 9. Westminster Abbey Undercroft Museum 10. National Portrait Gallery

ON THE DEATH OF LORD NELSON

In Death's terrific, icy, arms The brave, illustrious, NELSON lies;

He's free from care and war's alarms. Sees not our tears, nor hears our sighs. Cold is the heart where valour reigned,

Mute is the tongue that joy inspired, Still is the arm, that conquest gained,

And dim the eye that glory fired. Too mean for him a world like this; He's landed on that happy shore,

Where all the brave partake of bliss, And heroes meet to part no more!

by Mr Fox.

NELSON VOTED UN-AUSTRALIAN At our General Meeting July 9th, members and friends enjoyed an entertaining debate on the motion that

Had Nelson been born 200 years later he would have made a good Australian. Proposing the motion: Rob O’Connor, Gwen Phillips and John Caskey

Those against: David Shannon, Bob Woollett and Richard Savage. Chairman: Mike Sargeant: Snippets from the Three Proposers

● Prime Minister Howard said that the values which the Anzac tradition represent in our national life are: Courage, mateship, irreverence and larrikinism where that was appropriate, sterling discipline, tenacious commitment when that was appropriate; and a willingness to risk all for the defense of the country we love and the people we love. Nelson fits this bill. In the Battle of Cape St Vincent Nelson broke with all precedent and against the orders of Admiral Jervis and the tradition of maintaining the line, Nelson broke that line and in doing so he risked not only his ship but his career and his life. He acted on his own initiative. Nelson bucked against authority, Australians likewise. We would call that irreverence for authority. He would dine with his band of brothers in a great spirit of camaraderie and mix with his troops in mateship. As Lord Collingwood said I wish Nelson would stop signalling, for we all know what we have to do. The most famous example of Nelson’s rebellion is placing a telescope to his blind eye at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801, then saying I really do not see the signal! Damn the signal! Keep mine for close action flying. As for Nelson's desertion of Fanny and his long affair with Lady Emma Hamilton, you have to realise the society and laws which existed at the time of Nelson. If Nelson were alive today, if he was separated from Fanny for 12 months, as he was, and if Emma had been separated from Sir William Hamilton for 12 months, as she could have been, Nelson and Emma could divorce their respective spouses, marry each other, be happy ever after, and be fully accepted in Australian Society. ● The great Australian General Sir John Monash was then put forward as a good modern model for Nelson if he lived in Australia today. (Editor: He also had a mistress) We were informed by a larrikin speaker (no names mentioned) that Nelson’s middle name was George! thus making

him the same initials as our illustrious H G Nelson, that great Australian humorist of Olympic Games fame. This same speaker’s expertise at slouch hat making was demonstrated when he adorned the head of our bronze bust of Nelson during the debate. Nelson does not seem amused! ● Australian people since 1788 are still predominantly of the same stock as the

great man. The first convict to set foot on land was a Norfolk man, carrying Governor Arthur Phillip so he did not get his feet wet. One aspect of being a good Australian is the time honoured tradition of bucking authority, sometimes referred to as larrikinism. Ned Kelly, the prince of larrikins, fought for justice in his own way. His death by hanging in 1880 was protested by more than 40,000 signatories on petitions in Melbourne. Under his armour at his capture at Glenrowan he wore a green sash. It had been given to him as a young man when he had saved a child from drowning. Australian troops at Cairo in 1915 burnt down a brothel, because the prices were too high and troops at El Alamein referred to General Montgomery as a prize galah for wearing their slouch hat. Their larrikinism might also be referred to as lack of discipline by those who do not understand. If seeking a modem Australian path for this man, given that we cannot separate him from his late 18th and early 19th Century context, perhaps we could look at another Australian larrikin, sometimes referred to as the 'silver bodgie', Robert James Lee Hawke, Prime Minister of Australia. He was also the son of a minister of religion. He was a second son. His devout mother when pregnant with him said the Bible would often open at Isaiah Ch 6 v 9 "for unto us a child is born, a son is given and government shall be on his shoulder." A family myth grew up that he would become Prime Minister. His biographer referred to him as intelligence in action. Brilliant charismatic, vain, a man of the people and a womanizer. Not gorged in the same fires as Nelson but perhaps in the same mould. Nelson would have made a good Australian in 2007.

**************************************** Snippets from the Three Opposers

● From the moment, early in Nelson’s career, when he saw the vision of a golden orb and vowed he would become a hero, Nelson was up himself in a big way and was convinced that his destiny was one of glory and honour. He proclaimed that to show perseverance and good conduct will raise a person to the very highest honours and awards…. and I may say to the readers Go now and do likewise. The passage almost sounds like a self parody except that Nelson was not known for his sense of humour — in fact he was almost humourless, another quality which would hardly have helped him become a good Australian. Vanity is not an Australian characteristic, yet perceptive traveller Lady Elgin in 1799 she had never seen such a man turned so vainglorious. Astute General Sir John Moore in 1799 said that bedecked with his


The Winners

The Jury from thel eft The Workers

The Debaters

ribbons and medals Nelson looked more like a Prince of the Opera than the Conqueror of the Nile. The preposterous pose in this portrait painted by Leonard Guzzardi in Naples earlier in the same year well illustrates what the General had in mind. ● For all the historical charms, chivalry and coquettish acts the. proposes of this motion have put forward for your consideration as to why Nelson would make a good Australian I must, in fairness to the memory of the several womenfolk he became involved with, seek your abhorrence of this natural predator. Let us remember not just his fascination with women and his delight in their company but also not forget the unreasonable and heartless way he dumped them on the beach, stranded. And the final humiliating cannonades he fired off against his loyal wife; the sinking of all her hopes and aspirations. Nelson could not have passed the strict medical examination to enter Australia, for a man with only one arm and one eye could be a big potential liability to the Australian taxpayer. The Immigration Department would fall down heavily not only on these afflictions but also on his reported lifelong general poor health. This situation would surely preclude any chance of Nelson ever being given an entry permit to this country.

● Your average Australian person lives in peace, likes a pleasant surrounding and steady job. Australians, men and women, have mates and like a drink and a laugh. There is a universal belief in a fair go, a strong sense of equality and a good deal of personal freedom. Nelson on the other hand was a warrior, he could not thrive in a peaceful time. He lived in turbulent environment on board one of His Majesty's ships, hardly a pleasant surrounding. And he didn't have a steady job - he was out of work for five years, because he could do nothing else. He had few good friends, did not like to drink, and definitely did not have a sense of humour anything remotely like an Australian's. As for equality, I should remind you that slavery was a common feature in the world of Nelson's time, but he showed absolutely no interest in the abolition move-ment. He demonstrated no clear interest in equality nor did he believe in a fair go. Democracy for Nelson was anathema. None of hischaracteristics lead us to believe that Nelson would have made a very good Australian in 2007. He would literally be a fish out of water. In fact if he suddenly turned up, we could expect a flurry of war crime suits against him, and a court order preventing him from getting anywhere near the French Embassy! Nelson would not have made a good Australian in 2007

****************************** Members were then given ten minutes for questions and comments before a vote was taken resulting in a win for the opposition. A final comment from the Chair that Nelson would have made an excellent one-eyed Collingwood football supporter rounded off a thoroughly enjoyable evening.


N.B. The Royal Navy Association Trafalgar Dinner is on Saturday 20th October the venue is the RAAFA Club, Bullcreek commencing at 1830 for 1915. The cost is $40.00 per head. Seating arrangements allow for a table of 8 or 10. Bookings should be made direct to Geoff Paice on 9367 1945 giving full names of self and partner for table place cards. Also any table preferences would be appreciated. Dress: mess dress, black tie or lounge suit.

Jury from the right

THE NELSON SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA Founded 2001

To advance public education in the appreciation of the life and character of Admiral Lord Nelson. Nelson was killed at the Battle of Trafalgar on the 21st October 1805. In the greatest sea battle, involving 60 ships of the line, over 3,000 men were killed, 3,500 wounded and over 1,000 reported missing.

THE NELSON SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA Patron: Commodore David J Orr. RAN (Ret’d)

Honorary Life President: Graham Perkins COMMITTEE 2007-2008 Office Bearers: Chairman: Mike Sargeant Vice Chairman: Richard Savage Secretary Bob Woollett Treasurer Ann Nelson Committee Members: John Ashworth, Ron Ingham Gillian Mead, (Minutes Sec.) David Shannon, Lilian Toomer OTHER POSITIONS Newsletter: Betty Foster (editor), Bob Woollett (assistant editor) Ted Collinson (photos) Lilian Toomer (distribution) Nelson Dispatch Distribution: Gwen Phillips SUB COMMITTEES Memorial Service: Richard Savage (Chair), David Shannon, Ron Ingham, John Caskey, John Ashworth and Mike Sargeant. Catering: Elsie Paice (co-ordinator) and Renee Almond Pickle Night Bob Woollett,(co-ordinator) Betty Foster and John Caskey Reception: Cynthia Lyall and Ann Penny

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION Title……….. Name………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Address…………………………………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………………...Postcode………………………………………………. Telephone……………………………………E-mail………………………………………………………….. Membership Subscription — $25 Cheques to be made out to The Nelson Society of Australia Inc.

Send to Membership Secretary, Bob Woollett,

The Nelson Society of Australia, 28 Norfolk St, Fremantle, 6160 WA Phone 9335 7451

Printing courtesy of Jim McGinty MLA Page 14 The Nelson Society of Australia. Newsletter, July 2007