THE NELSON SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA INC

NEWSLETTER JULY 2006

PROGRAM OF EVENTS All Meetings begin at 7 pm for a 7. 30 start.

Sept 11 — Video “Trafalgar Fleet Review” produced by the British Admiralty NB, venue — Swan Cottage Homes, Bentley (map enclosed) Oct 19 — Sword Presentation — HMAS Stirling 10 am Oct 22 — Memorial Service, St Georges Cathedral, New Time 3 pm Nov 10 — Pickle Night Dinner Venue —St Michaels Church Hall, Cnr. the Promenade & Gunbower Rd, Mt Pleasant, WA Nov 27 — Richard Ireland “French Frigate Design” Venue — St Michaels Church Hall, Cnr. the Promenade & Gunbower Rd, Mt Pleasant, WA

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Nelson’s father’s Church at Burnham Thorpe

View across the fields from the Old Rectory virtually unchange since Nelson’s childhood. It is 2 miles from

the sea.

The village pub The Nelson bedecked for the 2005 celebrations.

Bi-Centenary celebrations at Burnham Thorpe. The locals dressed up their houses representing ships from the Battle. The photo on the left is the house named the Agamemnon and the photo above the house named the Orion .

Bronze plaque on the Rectory wall, telling of Nelson’s birth there. Presented by HMS Tyne Flagship of the

Commander in Chief, August, 1969 Church Rectory where Nelson was born birth 29th Sept 1758. It was demolished in 1803 The old rectory wall below is all that is left.

NELSON AND NORFOLK From a talk by Gwen Phillips at a General Meeting on 10th July 2006

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BURNHAM THORPE

Norwich Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity. Nelson attended the Royal Grammar School

The Suckling house of Nelson’s Uncle. Medieval outside stairs in the closed courtyard. Nelson would have visited his uncle here in his school ½ days.

Nelson’s School house. Boys emerging from Commemorative Service 11am 21st October 2005

The Erpingham gate built by the family of Sir Thomas Erpingham, one of Henry V’s ‘Band of Brothers’ at the Battle of Argincourt, 1415 (Act 1V Scene 3 Henry V) Nelson would have walked through this gate every school day.

This is the first public statue of Nelson

commissioned in 1806 and erected in Norwich.

St Andrew’s Hall contains Sir Wm. Beechey’s portrait of Nelson commissioned in 1797. Nelson was granted Freedom of the City and gave the sword of Rear Admiral Xavier Winthuysen from the Battle of St Vincent.

The Maid’s Head Inn, first coaching Inn on London Road. It dates back to the 14th century. Emily Hart (Emma Hamilton) appeared here in 1780.

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NORWICH

Why was it that little Mary Bowman, living in the colonial settlement of Richmond, one day in 1806 began working on a flag to celebrate the victory of the British naval hero, Lord Nelson, at Trafalgar? She painstakingly fashioned it from fabric taken from her mother's treasured wedding dress. Why did the Pitt family, early settlers in the Hawkesbury area, name their land grants 'Nelson Farm', 'Bronte' and 'Trafalgar'? The answers to these apparently trivial questions about local and family history have the potential to open up issues of far greater historical significance for investigation. With the approaching bicentenary or the death of Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805), it seems an appropriate time to re-examine the connection between Nelson and these early settlers in the Hawkesbury area. It has long been part of our family oral history that our ancestor, Mrs Mary Pitt (nee Matcham), was linked by marriage to Nelson and arrived in the colony of New South Wales in 1801 carrying letters of introduction from Nelson. On the death of her husband Robert, Mary Pitt, facing difficult financial circumstances, consulted her cousin George Matcham (husband of Catherine, the youngest daughter of the Reverend Edmund Nelson and favourite sister of Lord Nelson). George (who had spent time in India and who has been described as 'a keen believer in the future of our colonies')! advised his Cousin that she and her

family of four daughters and one son should migrate to New South Wales. He also asked his brother-in-law, Lord Nelson, to use his influence on her behalf. As a result Nel-son sent the following correspondence to George on 1 January 1801: Long ago, Mr. King has been asked the question about ‘your friends’ journey to Botany Bay. Mr. King says they shall be sent free of cost and desires that their names, ages, professions be sent. Mr. Davison has kindly undertaken to go between you and Mr King, therefore send him the necessary answers to his questions, the fleet sails for that colony in March… Through Lord Nelson's interest an introduction to John King; Under-secretary at the Home Office, was thus obtained. According to Geoff Wood, letters of introduction to Governor Philip Gidley King had been supplied by the Reverend Edmund Nelson (Rector of Burnham Thorpe and Lord Nelson's father) and George Matcham. M. Eyre-Matcham in The Nelsons of Burnham Thorpe wrote: To this day, so successful were their endeavours, the descendants of these families, and of others sent later on to join them still remember those through whose help their future prosperity was as far as possible ensured.

NELSON’S CONNECTION TO THE HAWKESBURY RIVER AREA

Below is a map and lithograph published in David Collin’s book An Account of the English Colony of New South Wales - 2nd edit. - 1804, edited by his wife Maria. It is about the first settlement of Sydney and the Hawkesbury River from 1788/1802.

Collins was Judge Advocate and Secretary of the Colony of NSW and later Lieutenant Governor of Van Dieman’s Land

The Baker farm on the Hawkesbury River 1798

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Richmond Hill

Hawkesbury River

prominent families of Pitt, Faithfull, Wilshire, Jenkins, Laycock, Bayly, Piper, Cox, Bunker, Connell and Minchin being linked back to England to the families of the two victors of the Battle of Trafalgar, Lord Nelson and Admiral Collingwood. Denholm writes that by 1818 these eleven families of the emerging colonial elite in New South Wales were already interlocked in one clan by marriage. It should be noted that there are many other examples of

patronage outside the scope of the Nelson and Collingwood network (e.g. John Mac-arthur, Joseph Foveaux) and these show the extent of the system of patronage within Australian and English society. Even Nelson himself got his start on a naval career through the efforts of an un-cle, Captain Maurice Suckling, on whose ship the young Horatio (aged 12) served as a midshipman! The Bowman family of the Hawkesbury area had no links of patronage with Nelson. Their patron, Sir Joseph Banks, recommended John Bowman (1763- 1825) as a settler who could contribute much in New South Wales because of his skill in corn mill construction. As a result John Bowman gained a free passage on the ‘Barwell’ for himself, his wife Honor, a son and a daughter Mary and on arrival in May 1798 was granted one hundred acres on the 'free mans reach' which he named ‘Archerfield'. The Bowman family connection with Nelson arises from their unique way of

participating in the British celebrations of Nelson's victory at Trafalgar on 21 October 1805. According to Bowman family tradition John and Honor's daughter Mary (at that time a child of ten) made from her mother's silk wedding dress a flag to celebrate Nelson's Victory at Trafalgar. This actually may have involved a great sacrifice on the mother's part when clothing was hard to come by in the early days of the colony. The flag is in the shape of a square with two pennants attached to the right and rosettes and ribbons for fastening it to a flag pole on the left. Painted on the flag is a design, showing a shield flanked by an emu and kangaroo and with entwined rose, shamrock and thistle motifs. It is believed to be the first recorded use of native fauna in a colonial coat of arms origin of their use on the Commonwealth coat of arms. At the top is the word 'Unity' and below the shield are the words of Nelson's famous battle command:

'England Expects Every Man Will Do His Duty'

The 'others sent later on' may refer to Charles Horatio Nelson. Matcham who received a grant of land at Gosford and his sister Elizabeth (nee Matcham) who with her husband Lieutenant Arthur Davies (RN) settled in Van Diemen's Land. A letter from Governor King to Lord Nelson in about 1804 reported that the original emigrants 'are comfortably settled and will be the peculiar object of my care, which they have rendered themselves highly deserving of, and are the best examples as settlers of any sent here.’ On 22 August 1803, Nelson wrote to Catherine: He (George) must send me the names of his friends in New South Wales, as the New Governor has promised me his protection of them. The continuing effects of Nelson's patronage can be seen in the land grants given to the family. On 15 September 1802, one hundred acres were granted to Thomas Matcham Pitt (Mary's son) at Mulgrave Place, Hawkesbury River. It was here that Mrs Pitt and her family first lived. They called the grant 'Nelson Farm'. A further three hundred acres at South Creek were granted to Thomas Matcham Pitt on 6 September 1809 and the debt of gratitude to Nelson was once again acknowledged in its name, 'Bronte Estate'. (The title Duke of Bronte and an estate on the volcanic slopes of Mt Etna were some of the honours heaped upon Nelson by King Ferdinand of Naples whom Nelson had saved from the French attack.) On 8 October 1816, Thomas Pitt, who by this time had married Elizabeth Laycock, was granted one hundred acres at Kurrajong which he called 'Trafalgar' (after Nelson's last victorious battle in which he met his death in 1805.) Additional grants of land were given to Mary's other children as Geoff Wood writes. As a result of Mary's family connection, Governor King received a strong recommendation from Lord Nelson, prior to his death, which resulted in three of her children receiving substantial land grants on 1 November 1808. Susannah (who had married William Faithfull on 21 November 1804) received one thousand acres at Burwood, Sydney. Esther (who had married James Wiltshire on 12 February 1805) received 570 acres at Strathfield, Sydney. Jemima (who later married Captain Austin Forrest in 1810 and on his death Robert Jenkins) was granted five hundred acres also at the present-day Strathfield. It is quite clear, therefore, that Mary Pitt and her descendants had good reason to be grateful for Lord Nelson's support -which was just one small part of a much wider network of patronage.David Denholm argues that in the early days of New South Wales there were two separate lines of patronage, with the

The original Bowman flag in the State Library of NSW

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The flag was flown at the Bowman property 'Archerfield' to commemorate Nelson's victory at Trafalgar. Although this victory took place on 21 October 1805, the Sydney Gazette only reported it on 10 April 1806 - an indication of how long news took to reach Australia. On Sunday 20 April 1806 a thanksgiving service for Trafalgar was held in the Green Hills school-cum-church beneath the Bowman's patriotic victory flag. Bobbie Hardie comments 'Lord Nelson's relatives, the Pitts, were doubtless of the congregation praying for Britain's continued naval might.' I have been unable to find any evidence to substantiate these speculations although it is possible that Bowman and Thomas Pitt knew each other as their names both appear as signatories of a petition and they were both in the group who presented that petition to Bligh. Also a map of the original land grants in Richmond shows blocks of land allocated to William Bowman (John Bowman's brother who arrived by the Nile in 1801). Mary Pitt and Thomas Matcham Pitt were very close to each other. Just as the news of Nelson's victory over Napoleon had caused great joy, so too the news of his death in the same battle (which only arrived at a later date) must have caused great distress. Why had people in Australia, so distant from the conflicts in Europe, been so vitally interested in the outcome of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars? The French Revolution of 1789 had, by its violent example and its dangerous ideas, threatened the peace and stability of every law-abiding prosperous English gentlemen while inspiring some of the more radical elements in the English population. In fact, some of those whose sympathy with 'Jacobin' ideals had led them to of-fences against English law had ended up as convicts and/or exiles in New South Wales. It should be remembered how vulnerable the small settlement of New South Wales was at this time. It was confined to the small coastal strip around Sydney as the Blue Mountains were not crossed until 1813; it depended for its very life blood on supplies from the mother country getting through. Prior to the defeat of Napoleon in 1805-1806 there had been a long history of over a century of conflict with France involving wars in 1701-1713 and 1740-1748; fighting between British and French colonies in India and North America; and the Seven Years War (1756- 1763). Books such as Arthur Bryant's The Endurance Years 1793-1802 (about England during the early years of the Napoleonic Wars) reveal just how hard-pressed England was during that time, threatened as it was with severe famine and an imminent invasion by the French. In Australia, the long history of enmity between Britain and France had led to a deep suspicion of France's intentions in the Pacific. Some historians, such as Frost¹⁷, have suggested that the main reason for establishing a colony in New South Wales was to forestall interest from rival empire

builders, such as the French. Governor King gave orders for a settlement to be established in Van Diemen's Land as a direct result of French explorer Baudin's 'nosing about in the ill-charted waters of South Eastern Australia'. To the English people of that time, Nelson was a hero and saviour in their hour of need. Pocock, in his epilogue to his biography of Nelson, provides example after example of the outpourings of both adulation and grief with which the people of England greeted the news of Nelson's victory and death at Trafalgar and of the 'ballads, orations and hymns in Nelson's praise'. This same reaction seems to have moved people in Australia as well judging by the example provided from the Hawkesbury area. Once the fact of little Mary Bowman painstakingly making a flag from her mother's treasured wedding dress to celebrate the victory of Nelson at Trafalgar is placed in the wider context of early Australian conditions and of events overseas, it becomes much easier to understand and appreciate why the activities of the naval hero Lord Nelson were of such interest to the far distant communities of the Hawkesbury area. With British control of the seas being absolutely vital for the continued existence of the colony, it was no wonder that people rejoiced at Nelson's victory in the Battle of Trafalgar. Two major issues which have arisen in this article, deserve much greater attention: the role of patronage in the foundation of the colony of New South Wales, and the impact of French conflict with Britain on the faraway infant colony. Thus it is that the microcosm of a local and family history topic such as 'The Nelson Connection in the Hawkesbury Area' can lead to questions and issues of wider historical interest. Conversely, as has been shown in this article, a study of a wider context can give a deeper understanding of local and family history. Elaine Anderson This article appeared in the March 2005 edition of ‘History’, the Journal of the Royal Australian History Society and is reprinted with permission.

1 Mary Eyre-Matcham, The Nelsons of Burnham Thorpe, London, 1911, p. 183. 2 Alexander Davidson was Nelson's agent for his affairs in England. 3 Eyre-Matcham, The Nelsons of Burnham Thorpe, p184. 4 Geoff Wood, Mrs Mary Pitt and her Daughters Timespan: Newsletter of Nepean Family History Group, No 24, September 1986, p.97. 5 Eyre-Matcham, The Nelsons of Burnham Thorpe, p.184. 6 Eyre-Matcham, The Nelsons of Burnham Thorpe, p.184. 7 Eyre-Matcham, The Nelsons of Burnham Thorpe, p.185. 8 Wood, Mrs Mary Pitt, p. 100.g 9 David Denholm, The Colonial Australians, Melbourne, 1979. 10 Anne-Maree Whitaker, Joseph Foveaux: power and patronage in early New South Wales, Sydney, 2000. 11 Tom Pocock, Horatio Nelson, London, 1994, p.7. 12 Bobbie Hardie, Early Hawkesbury Settlers, Sydney, 1985,p.72. 13 While the original flag is now in the Mitchell Library, Sydney, a copy of the flag can be seen on the flagpole of Bowman Cottage Tea Shop at Richmond. 14 Historic Houses Trust, Hearth and Home, Sydney, 1988 pp 16 and 56. 15 Hardie, Early Hawkesbury Settlers, p.27. 16 D.G. Bowd, Macquarie Country, Sydney, 1979 p.9. 17 Wood, Mrs. Mary Pitt, p 98. 18 Arthur Bryant, The Endurance Years 1793-1802, London, 1975. 19 Alan Frost, Botany Bay Mirages: illusions of Australia's convict beginnings, Melbourne, 1994. 20 Robert Hughes, The Fatal Shore, London, 1988, p 121. 21 Pocock, Horatio Nelson, pp 334-343.

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‘He standeth in stone Aloft and alone Riding the sky

With one arm and eye’ So wrote the poet Robert Bridges at the turn of the 20th century but when I saw him atop of his column in Trafalgar square in April this year at the start of my Nelson pilgrimage while on holiday in the UK, although still aloft and riding the sky, he was anything but alone. In addition to his customary bodyguard of pigeons, he was surrounded by scaffolding and hordes of workman as he and his column underwent a major clean-up and refit. No matter how many times you see it there it is always something new to learn about Trafalgar Square and on this occasion I found out that originally it was to be named King William Square, with its centre piece a statue of William 1V, the former Duke of Clarence and a Naval colleague of Nelson’s. William agreed to the change of name before he died but when he did so in 1837, the Government of the day repaid his generous gesture by forgetting about a monument to him and allowing a Nelson column and statue project to go ahead. Below is an engraving of the original design by the architect William Railton, published in 1839 The column and Edward Hodges Statue were erected in 1843 but the four bas reliefs at the base depicting Nelson’s victories were not

finished until 1854 and Landseers’s bronze lions were added in 1863. A further discovery was that Adolf Hitler boasted in 1940 that once England was defeated, he would move Nelson’s Column to Berlin ‘It would’, he declared, ‘be an impressive way of underlining the German Victory’. Close by Trafalgar Square, tucked in behind the National Gallery, lies the National portrait Gallery. Built in 1829, it is less well known than its prestigious neighbour but it is always well worth a visit. It has been said that a walk through its galleries is like taking a journey through the history of Britain and its Empire - an impression re-enforced as the paintings are arranged in a chronological order and it is not surprising to find that a corner of the section covering the late 18th century is devoted to Nelson. Three of its collection of original paintings associated with Nelson were on display at the time of my visit.

First and pre-eminent among them was Heinrich Fuger’s portrait of Nelson, aged 42, painted in Vienna in 1800 on the journey through Europe with the Hamiltons. Showing him in a dark blue coat and wearing a neck cloth and light blue jersey, it is the only known portrait of Nelson in civilian clothes. It was acquired from the Fuger family in 1859 and was one of the gallery’s first acquisitions. Second was an 1782 portrait by George Romney of Emma Hamilton or Emily Lyon as she then was. It is one of the 30, some say 50, paintings the artist did of his favourite model.

Third was the highly romantic picture printed by Guy Head in 1798-9 in Naples showing Nelson in Rear Admiral’s dress uniform standing on the deck of HMS Vanguard and receiving from a midshipman the French Admiral’s sword, partly wrapped in the French Ensign. Given by Nelson to Emma it originally hung at Merton and after passing through various hands was

purchased by the National Portrait Gallery in 1976. The picture is a striking contrast to Head’s more realistic image of Nelson after the Battle of the Nile which was completed in 1800 and shows him wearing a blood-stained shirt and a bandage around the wound to his head. The painting can now be seen in the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich. On the opposite side at Trafalgar Square at the top end of Whitehall stands Thomas Ripley’s Admiralty building. A contemporary print shows the famous porticoed entrance through which Nelson would have passed on his frequent visits. The Navy no longer occupies its historic home but still owns the board room and the room formerly the Captain’s room, now known as the Nelson’s room as it was there his body rested the night before his funeral. Both rooms are occasionally opened to special interest groups but unfortunately not to passers by like me. Next door lies Admiralty House where Nelson possibly dined with Lord Spencer when he was first Lord of the Admiralty and which is now used for Government business, including the amorous exploits with his secretary in one of the grace and favour apartments by the venerable deputy Prime Minister, Mr John Prescott.

A NELSON TRAIL THROUGH SOUTHERN ENGLAND AND WALES Talk given at the General Meeting on 10th July 2006 by Bob Woollett

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Going East along the Strand next to Waterloo Bridge stands Somerset House where Nelson also frequently visited, then known as the Navy Office. A prominent feature of the interior, in addition to the majestic Seaman’s Hall, is the elegant spiral staircase designed by Sir William Chambers which came to be known as the Nelson’s Stair, although probably more as the result of its association with Nelson’s conscientious and favourite elder brother, Maurice, who worked there and ended up as Chief Clerk just before he died in 1801. Although fond and proud of his brother, Nelson was no lover of the bureaucratic process and the story, probably apocryphal, is told that in September 1797, he paid a visit to the Navy Office to claim a pension on account of the injury to his eye sustained at Calvi. It was refused as he did not possess the relevant medical certificate. Irritated by the treatment, he nevertheless obtained a certificate, not only for his eye but also for the more obvious missing arm, and returned to collect the sum due. The clerk then expressed the opinion that the compensation for such disability seemed inadequate “Oh no!”, came Nelson’s acerbic reply, “this is only for an eye and an arm. In a little time longer, God knows, I shall return most probably for a leg as well.”

Past Somerset House, along Fleet St and up Ludgate Hill, lies St Paul’s Cathedral, the scene of Nelson Funeral on January 9th 1806. Against the wall on the south side of the nave is the official memorial to Nelson, created by John Flaxman in 1807-8 and finally erected in 1818. The monument consists of a statue of Nelson standing in uniform with a cloak draped in classical fashion over his right shoulder and his left arm resting on a coil of rope.

A capstan shaped plinth sits below detailing his victories and at the side stands the figure of Britannia pointing out the Admiral to two young sailor boys. Down in the crypt directly below the central point of the Dome, can be seen Nelson’s impressive black tomb. Made of Italian porphyry it was originally intended for Cardinal Wolsey and was donated by George, Prince of Wales, somewhat surprisingly perhaps, as little love was lost between the heir to the throne and the national hero. The trapdoor through which the coffin was lowered can still be seen in the ceiling. Nearby are two bronze plaques commemorating Captains George Duff and John Cooke who were also killed at Trafalgar. Heading south from London I travelled on a road often taken by Nelson on his way to and from Portsmouth, most notably of course on his final journey before sailing to Cadiz on September 15th 1805. At Petersfield I turned off the A4 to visit Uppark perched high on the South Downs above the village at South Harting.

Here is a 18th century painting of the house by Pieter Tillemans. The kitchen and stable block no longer exist. The house was devastated by a fire in 1989 but has been beautifully and faithfully restored by the National trust in one of the most challenging projects of its kind ever undertaken. Consulting a file of newspapers clippings in the house, I discovered that the local paper at the time of the fire, rather in the tradition of places that claim ‘Queen Elizabeth slept here’, stated that Uppark was famous for frequent visits by Nelson on his travels, but I was pleased to find that subsequent letters from Nelson enthusiasts pointed out there was no evidence for this and that a later article acknowledged the error. As it happens, however, the house does have an authentic association, albeit an indirect one, with Nelson. It was here to Uppark in 1781 that the lustful young Sir Harry Featherstone-haugh brought the 17 year old Emma Hamilton or Emily Lyon as she then was, to live and work in his harem of dairymaids or at times to share his bed in the house when his Mrs Grundy of a mother was not in residence. A portrait of the honourable young gentleman by Pompeo Bettini hangs over the fireplace in the red drawing room and here is a picture of the table in the Dining Room on which Emma is said to have danced naked for Sir Harry and which miraculously escaped damage in the fire. Emma ended her time at Uppark by falling pregnant to her master or one of his cronies and was rescued by Charles Francis Greville who set her up as his mistress in a house in the Edgeware road London and later ‘passed her on’ to his uncle Sir William Hamilton, Ambassador in Naples. Sir Harry’s predilection for dairymaids continued and he finished up marrying one of them, Mary Ann Bullock, when he was 71 and she was 20. The house is still lived in by his descendants and a homely foot note to my visit and a striking contrast to the elegant interior were provided by the presence just inside the doorway leading from the Stone Hall to the Terrace of two pairs of muddy gum boots! Arriving in Portsmouth I found it much changed from the town I knew in the 1960’s, particularly the area near the former HMS Vernon, now the site of a monstrous shopping center, the Gunnery Wharf, and the futuristic and supposedly symbolic Spinnaker tower. Happily the Dockyard was more recognisable and HMS Victory was as resplendent as ever in the Spring sunshine. Extensive restoration has been carried out in recent years and many more areas of the ship seem to be open than on my last visit. On this occasion in addition to being reminded of the striking contrast between the cramped living and working conditions of the gun decks and relative opulence of

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Nelson’s Day Cabin and of the poignancy of seeing the spot in the cockpit where Nelson lay dying, I was particularly struck by the vastness of the ship’s hold, which I learned could carry enough

food to last at least six months. Across from the Victory are the great store houses which were built about 1776 and 1783 as part of the great expansion of the dockyard during Nelson’s lifetime and which now house the Royal Navy Museum and the recently renovated Victory museum.

In addition to explaining the history of the ship, the latter also has Nelson’s Signal Book and Quadrant on display, but the main feature is a spectacular light and sound re-inactment of Trafalgar which takes place in front of the 25ft panorama of the battle painted by Harold Wyllie. The Royal Navy Museum contains several original portraits, including one painted by John Hoppner in 1800 which seems to reveal for the first time a problem developing in his left eye and another version of the Fuger painting already shown with Nelson this time in the uniform of a Rear Admiral. Also to be seen are the silver gilt loving cup bought by Nelson from John Setter, the London cutter and silversmith for his daughter, Horatio, and two of Nelson’s most personal possessions, his watch and the locket of Emma which contains a piece of her lovely auburn hair and which he habitually wore. Among the larger exhibits is an actual barge which was used in the funeral possession up the Thames from Greenwich to London. From Portsmouth I set off for the West country with the main aim of visiting family and friends but coming on to the A30 at Salisbury I did take the opportunity of following, albeit in reverse direction, some of the route now known as the Trafalgar Way which Lt John Lapenotiere took, in November 1805 on his historic journey from Falmouth to London bearing the news of the victory at Trafalgar and Nelson’s death. Passing through Dorchester Bridgeport and Axminister I arrived at my home town in Exeter where I pictured the gallant lieutenant in his post chaise clattering past my mother's family home in Okehampton Street as he made his way in the early hours of November 5th into the center of the city to deliver his news to the crowd which had gathered at the Guildhall . From Exeter I diverted from the Trafalgar Way and took the more southerly road to Plymouth — at the turn of the 19th century as it is still today one of the Navy’s major home ports but unlike Portsmouth, not one that is particularly associated with Nelson. He did visit the port on a number of occasions, most notably in 1801 when, after being promoted Vice Admiral of the White, he raised his flag in the San Josef, a former Spanish ship which he had boarded and captured four years earlier. From Plymouth I crossed the Tamar Bridge into Cornwall and

passing through Liskeard, I came to the village of Menheniot where Lapenotiere and his family lived when he retired as a Post Captain in 1811. An attempt to find their cottage was unsuccessful but the notice board in the lovely church of St Lalluwy told the story of HMS Pickle and led me to the tomb in the churchyard where the family was buried. Nearby were three badly weathered tombstones on which you could just make out surnames and dates — John died 1834, his wife Ann died 1833 and their youngest son, Thomas, died 1876. Moving on I rejoined the Trafalgar Way at Bodmin and finally arrived at Falmouth at the Fish Strand Quay where Laponotiere had come ashore from the Pickle on Nov 4th 1805. With the benefit of modern roads and transport it had taken me five hours to cover the 180 miles from Salisbury, a distance that took Lapnotiere 24 hours in his post chaise 200 years ago. Having travelled back through Cornwall and up through Devon and Somerset. I picked up my Nelson trail again in the city of Gloucester. Nelson visited here in 1802 on his journey with the Hamiltons and his brother William’s family through Southern England and Wales en route to Sir William’s extensive estates at Slebech in Pembrokeshire which he had inherited from his first wife, Katherine and which was now managed by the aforesaid Charles Greville . From Gloucester I followed Nelson’s party along the Northern edge of the Forest of Dean towards Ross on Wye. Nelson, with his keen concern for anything to do with the well being of the Navy, took a particularly keen interest in the forest as a valuable source of timber for its ships and was dismayed at the neglected state of many of the trees. On his return to London he wrote a lengthy report arguing that the forest was ‘suffering much’ from the axe and the grazing sheep, and that ‘strong measures must be pursued’ to improve its management and maintenance. From Ross, Nelson and his party travelled by boat down the beautiful River Wye to Monmonth, when, as the Gloucester Herald of the day tells us ‘Nelson made his way to the bow of the boat where he stood bareheaded as it passed between river banks overflowing with wildly excited men, women and children, all cheering their hearts out at the sight of their hero’. Nelson had received the Freedom of the Borough in his absence the year before and was so impressed by the warmth of his reception and by the town itself that he was easily persuaded to make a return visit two weeks later on his way back into England.

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On the second occasion he was invited to breakfast in a Pavilion on the Kymin, a hill to the east overlooking the town and the river Wye and to visit the nearby Naval Temple which had been erected two years before ‘to perpetuate’, as a white marble tablet tells us, ‘the names of those Admirals who distinguished themselves by their glorious victories in the last and present wars’ ! I thought the structure was rather clumsy but Nelson

said it was one of the most beautiful places he had ever seen and complimented his hosts on erecting the only monument of its kind throughout the length and breadth of the country. Both the Pavilion and the Temple are now in the hands of the National Trust and both have recently undergone extensive and faithful restoration. But the highlight of my time in Monmouth centred on an association with Nelson which developed 100 years after his visit. Towards the end of the 19 century, the energetic and wealthy wife of the local lord of the manor, Lady Georgiana Llangattock, became fascinated with the nation’s naval hero and obsessively set about acquiring a vast array of Nelson memorabilia. On her death in 1923, she bequeathed her collection to the town where it forms the major attraction in the local museum which is now known as the Nelson Museum Monmouth and is ranked by many as second only in importance to the National Museum in Greenwich. The most notable exhibit is Nelson’s fighting sword, the only one of many swords said to have belonged to him which has a reliable provenance. Shorter by 6 inches than most swords, making it suitable for a left hand draw, it is of a type with an oval side-ring hilt favoured by naval officers before the regulation Admiralty pattern was introduced in 1805.

The Museum has a large archive which includes Lady Nelson’s Papers and a fine selection of silver and china but interestingly it also has a cabinet of well known fakes, including an object enclosed in a sort of egg cup purporting to be Nelson’s glass eye and a large ornate loving cup said to have been presented to Nelson in 1802 but which bears a coat of arms with the word Trafalgar presciently inscribed on it. It is thought the cup was probably made for his brother after 1805.

From Monmouth I followed in Nelson’s s t e p s t h r o u g h Abergavenny and Brecon to Carmarthen. There, away to the SE, lies a triangular stone structure and prominent local landmark known as Paxton’s Folly or Nelson’s Tower. The story goes that Sir William Paxton, wealthy London banker and lover of natural science, was a candidate for the local Parliamentary seat in 1802 and in addition to providing, (at a total cost of £15,000.00) 11,070 breakfasts 36,901 diners 25,275 gallons of beer and 11,068 bottles of whiskey to win over the electors, he promised to build a much needed bridge over the near-by River Towy. The voters failed to respond to his generosity and out of spite he spent the money designated for the bridge on building this tower on his estate at Middleton Hall. Later he dedicated it, as the inscription above one of the three entrances tell us ‘To the Invincible Commander, Viscount Nelson, in commemoration of the deeds before the walls at Copenhagen and on the shores of Spain’ Over the years the tower fell into a sad state of disrepair but ultimately came into the hands of the National Trust who have restored it to its former glory. As an aside, in addition to the pleasure of finding this unexpected Nelson connection, it was interesting to come across an area of Australian bush in rural Wales, alive and flourishing under the dome-like structure which also sits on the Paxton estate and which now forms the National Botanical Garden of the country focussing on Mediterranean climates rather than the drab local variety From Carmarthen, where the vicar caused something of a stir when he refused to meet Emma, Nelson went on to Milford in Pembrokeshire where he and the party were given a rousing welcome by the local populace and lavishly entertained by Charles Greville, anxious to improve his inheritance prospects with his uncle and to gain the support of his friend in the scheme to promote Milford as a naval base. At a banquet to celebrate the 4th Anniversary of the Battle of the Nile, Nelson extolled the virtues of the port, comparing it to Trincomalee which he had visited as a Midshipman and praised the vision and endeavours of Sir William and his nephew to improve the facilitates of the area. He also took the opportunity to express his admiration of a local resident, John Foley, who was one of his Captains at Copenhagen. In return Greville presented Nelson with a full length portrait by the Palermo artist Guzzard, which now hangs in the board room of the Admiralty in London.

Page 10 The Nelson Society of Australia Newsletter, Aug 2006

On 13th August the party took their leave and began their return journey by way of a more southerly route through Swansea and Cardiff. In Swansea, Nelson revealed his customary pleasure in meeting one of his former sailors, on this occasion Tom Cleaves, a bosun, whom he immediately recognised in the crowd when the man blew three distinctive blasts on his bosun's pipe. Nelson also demonstrated his abiding interest in and encouragement of the young when he was introduced to 16 year old Lewis Roteley, for whom he wrote a letter of introduction to the Cadet training school in Portsmouth and who, three years later as a Marine officer, was to witness the Admiral’s death on board Victory at Trafalgar. After the battle, Roteley was allowed to keep Nelson’s blood stained breeches and stockings which were passed down through his family, later bequeathed to the Royal Hospital at Greenwich, and can now be seen in the National Maritime Museum. After the second visit to Monmouth already mentioned, Nelson and the Hamiltons made their way North to Hereford and Birmingham and then, passing through Coventry and St Albans they finally arrived home at Merton on Sunday 5th September. Two days later, Nelson showing a quality of modesty often overlooked by many, wrote to his agent and friend Davison ‘Our tour has been very fine and interesting and the way in which I have been received most flattering to my feelings …… and an ample reward for all I have done’. Emma also wrote to their mutual friend on a more informal and typically provocative note. “We have had a most charming tour,’ she said ‘which will Burst some of Them” — an obvious reference to the gossip mongers who had had a hey-day with such a public demonstration on their journey of the ‘trio in una juncta’ in operation. In his book “Twilight of Love; Travels with Turgenev”, the Australian writer, Robert Dessaix, journeys through Germany, France, and Russia visiting places associated with the Russian novelist. He did so to find out what happens when you go to a place where so many things you know about occurred. For me on my Nelson trail, although I may have been able to vaguely picture events when reading or hearing about them, I could do so much more vividly when I was there in the place where they had happened even though there were no original buildings, plaques or monuments. Three examples from my recent travels well illustrate the point. Walking up the track through the woods leading from the village of South Harting to Uppark in Sussex, it was easy to visualize the beautiful 17 year old Emma, her auburn hair glistening in the spring sunshine and her dress billowing in the slight breeze, as she made her innocent but eager way up to the big house to do her master’s bidding. Similarly when searching in vain for her home in Clarges St in London, it was easy to picture an older, more substantial Emma receiving a visit from the philandering Prince of Wales or lavishly entertaining friends and members of Nelson’s family in the elegant surroundings of her Georgian terrace house. And again strolling along nearby Piccadilly it was not difficult to see Nelson’s gaunt figure, leaving his lodgings at No 19 and strutting in the direction of the Admiralty to deliver one of his salvos about the strategy to adopt in the war with the accursed French or about the clothing and victualling needs of his sailors. But the latter experience illustrates that letting your mind wander in such a way can be also hazardous. So wrapped was I in Nelson’s world on this occasion that I missed my footing on the uneven pavement and went hurtling forward to fall flat on my face.

A MESSAGE FROM THE LIFE PRESIDENT

When forming the Society I acquainted the four local RNA Associations, The R.M. Association, the Association of Wrens, the WA Retired Officer's Association and the Australian Britain Society of my intentions and requested their support. Aware that most of these organizations held events on the 21 October commemorating the Trafalgar Victory. I pledged that the Society would not cut across their established events by organising a similar event. This pledge has been honoured and has been reciprocated by these organisations supporting the Society, with members of the Perth Branch RNA making an enormous contribution not only by membership numbers but material and personal input.. The Perth RNA's 18th Trafalgar Anniversary Dinner organised as the Bicentenary Dinner, with support from the Society, was such an outstanding success that I suggest that this function should henceforth be included in the Society's calendar. Already it is the intention that the Society Committee should take up a table for this year's event, being held Saturday 21 October at the RAAF AMFE Bull Creek. The cost is $40 a head, pre dinner and at table drinks included. Ticket applications Geoff & Elsie Paice 9367 1945. I appeal to all members to support this function and to regard it as an important event in the Society's calendar, alongside the Memorial Service and ‘Pickle Night "’. Graham Perkins

Fortunately the only damage was a small hole in my trousers but alarmed passers by hastened to my assistance and hauled me to my feet. One man, nearly old enough, I reckon, to be my father, helped dust me down and taking my arm, patted me on the back saying ‘There, there you poor old chap, hope you’ll be all right’. And as I thanked him and turned to stumble on my way, he anxiously called after me, ‘Now you be sure to take it easy’. References The Nelson Compendium - Colin White Nelson and the Hamilton’s on Tour - Edward Gill The Nelson Portraits - Richard Walker

Page 11 The Nelson Society of Australia Newsletter, Aug 2006

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 (Retd)

Honorary Life President: Graham Perkins COMMITTEE 2006-2007 Office Bearers: Chairman: Mike Sargeant Vice Chairman: Richard Savage Secretary Bob Woollett Treasurer Ann Nelson Committee Members: John Ashworth, John Caskey Gillian Mead, (Minutes Sec.) David Shannon, Lillian Toomer (Catering co-ordinator ) OTHER POSITIONS Newsletter: Betty Foster (editor), Ted Collinson (photos) Bob Woollett and Lillian Toomer (distribution) Nelson Dispatch Distribution: Gwen Phillips The Nelson Year Book and Archives David Shannon SUB COMMITTEES Memorial Service: Richard Savage (Chair), David Shannon, Ron Ingham, John Caskey, Graham Perkins, John Ashworth and Mike Sargeant. Catering: Lillian Toomer (co-ordinator) Elsie Paice and Renee Almond Pickle Night Bob Woollett, 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 12 The Nelson Society of Australia. Newsletter, Aug 2006

ATTENDENCE AT PICKLE NIGHT ON I0TH NOVEMBER 2006 At St Michael’s Hall 7pm.

Applicant Title: ………...First name: ………………………..Surname: Address: …………………………………………………………………………………………..Tel. No: …………… Suburb: ………………………………………………………………………State:…………… Post code: First and surname of others attending: 1…………………………………………………….. 2………………………………………………… 3……………………………………………………… 4…………………………………………………. 5……………………………………………………… 6………………………………………………….. Total number attending... …………… @ $35 per head. Including drinks Enclosed $…………………………… Bring to General Meeting on September 11th or return to: Bob Woollett, The Secretary of the Nelson Society of Australia Inc., 28 Norfolk St, Fremantle, 6160 WA. Phone 9 335 7451 Closing date for bookings 11th November 2006 Please send if a self addressed envelope if a receipt is required.

ATTENDANCE AT ‘SWORD OF EXCELLENCE’ CEREMONY THURSDAY 19TH OCTOBER 10AM

I/We should like to attend the 'Sword of Excellence' Presentation at HMAS Stirling on Thursday 19 October at 10 am. Please indicate names of those attending Full name 1……………………………………... ..………………… 2…………………………………………….... 3………………………………………………………… 4……………………………………………… There will be a bus leaving from the entrance to Fremantle Sailing Club, opposite 162 Marine Terrace, South Fremantle at 8.30am. Free parking just inside the gate has been made available by the Sailing Club for those Nelson Society members and friends going on the bus. For those members wishing to drive down to HMS Stirling, please give names and licence number of car Full Name Driver………………………………………… Passengers 1……………………………………………… 2……………………………………………... 3…………………………………………… Licence number of car ………………………………………………………... Please bring this form to the General Meeting on September 11th or post by 1st October to Ron Ingham, 6 Ewers Place, BOORAGOON. 6156 Enquiries 9 364 2238