The 1805 Dispatches #21.01 February 2021 1 of 5 EDITORIAL History Is Recent Nelson was at the battles of Trafalgar, Copenhagen, Nile, St Vincent, Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Calvi all within just three lifespans of your Editor. If your Editor had been born just three lifespans back, he would have been old enough to serve on Victory’s quarterdeck at the Battle of Trafalgar. Younger readers may think history is old, but trust me, it isn’t. We all learn more about, and learn more fromhistory, every time we look into it. And today’s navies also learn from naval history, where else are they going to find out what to do? Keep looking – it is relevant. ka.editor@1805club.org 1 of 4 One of the hopes attached to this newsletter is that it will also attract the attention of people who are not already members of The 1805 Club. Membership of The 1805 Club is open to everyone, everywhere, who supports the purposes of the Club and shares its interests. Its historical and social events are marked by their genuinely friendly atmosphere. Consequently, it is further hoped that this newsletter will appear in various new online venues, so we encourage its dissemination and only ask that you clear it with the editor before doing so. ka.editor@1805club.org Having met many Club members both here in my home territory of Menorca, and at other Club events, I was delighted to be invited to write again about the Isla del Rey, site of the firstever purpose-built Royal Naval Hospital. We hope to organise another enjoyable and educational visit some time in 2021, once the COVID crisis has settled and freedom of travel is again facilitated. The photo here shows the whole hospital structure as seen today. Built in 1711 by the Royal Navy to service their substantial Mediterranean fleet, it latterly reverted to operating as a Spanish military hospital after the British left finally in 1802, and it remained in service until 1964, when it was abandoned and fell into ruin. A group of dedicated volunteers, mainly Spanish and British, started to restore the building and reclaim its contents and surrounds in 2004, and have done a remarkable job with very limited funds but huge commitment under the leadership of General Luis Alejandre OBE. The 1805 Club decision to share a significant part of its Libor grant with us was hugely appreciated, and enabled the creation of a magnificent “Church Hall or Vestry” adjacent to the Anglican chapel (restored 2011, our 300th anniversary). These buildings are directly under the main tower in the photo. Club members have yet to see this new development, and there is much more! The first floor of the main building is being turned into a Centre of Interpretation for the history of Menorca, and we already have English and French rooms in place, plus another showing the development of the Port of Mahon, from its return to Christianity in 1287 to present day. More rooms are under construction. Another really exciting innovation opening in 2021 will be in the long, low Admiral Langara Building sited in front of the main hospital. The worldrenowned modern art promoters, Hauser & Wirth, are opening their FIRSTgallery in the Mediterranean to showcase a rolling collection of leading international artists and sculptors in a fabulous location (items not for sale so no pressure!). They will afford us a warm VIP welcome. This will greatly uplift the profile of Menorca, much as the Guggenheim has proved in Bilbao. (More details about the Club visit will appear in future issues once the travel situation clarifies.) Sadly, we hear that Derek Hayes, the well-respected Life President of the Nelson Society, died of old age on 28 March 2020, 116 days after Mary, his wife of 65 years. Derek enjoyed working with members of The 1805 Club researching aspects of Nelson’s life. Isla del Rey (King’s Island), Menorca Image provided by Lorraine Ure, courtesy of Isla del Rey Foundation THE 1805 DISPATCHES Issue 21.01 February 2021 THE VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE (Geraint Day, Club Vice-Chairman, and Kathy Brown, Director, The Trafalgar Way) Bill White, the Club Chairman, is taking a rest from scribing his message to members for this issue. He has passed the drafting duty this time to the twoof us. There is more public scrutiny and regulation of charities nowadays than 30 years ago when the Club was formed. It is now more important to ensure internal systems are shipshape. The Council has delegated some of its work to a governance subcommittee and to a finance subcommittee. Another group of Council members (the Review Team) has been looking at future prospects, to help The 1805 Club move forward and thrive in the next three decades. After the COVID-19 pandemic induced delay we shall be holding an annual general meeting (AGM) in early May. It will be conducted via the Zoom online videoconference system. A formal notice will go out shortly, plus the usual call for nominations for Council, so do watch your email inbox or letterbox. One AGM item will be to seek approval to apply to the Charity Commission for England and Wales (our main regulator) to change the Club’s legal status from unincorporated charity to becoming a charitable incorporated organisation. Details of that will accompany the AGM notice. The Review Team, meanwhile, have been taking a detailed look at the 'business' of what we do. To help us take stock, at the end of 2020 we commissioned an independent Membership and Marketing review. Our consultant has made several recommendations which will deliver vital improvements to The 1805 Club’s operations. The team is now working hard on building a plan that will make us more resilient and help us deliver greater value to our members and to the public at large. If there is any upside from the current pandemic with its restrictions on travel and meetings in person, it is that it has given new importance to life online. This creates an opportunity for The 1805 Club to adapt, to share more knowledge, to become more inclusive and to reach a wider audience. It is time for us to 'Be more digital'. We have lots of ideas about how to achieve this, but to do so we must first lay some foundations. An early recognition is our need to involve more people in shaping the Club’s future. We will shortly be conducting a member survey on some key aspects of our plan. Then, within months, we will be introducing new delegated committees to support Council in areas like Events and Projects, Marketing & PR, and Content & Publications. In due course, we’ll be appealing for new faces to energise these committees with fresh skills and ideas. Stay tuned for more on this and other changes, as our plan gains ground. Botany Bay. Detail from 'Sirius & convoy going in: Supply & agents division in the bay. 21 Janry 1788.' William Bradley, watercolour from ‘A Voyage to New South Wales’, 1802+. State Library of New South Wales. https://sydneylivingmuseums.com.au/stories/first-fleet-ships You will have seen in the press that a Crowdfunding site exists, with the aim of keeping Beatty’s (alleged) medical chest in Britain. Go to https:// www.crowdfunder.co.uk/save-a-partof-royal-navy-medical-history if you want to help. THE NEWSLETTER OF THE 1805 CLUB www.1805club.org
The 1805 Dispatches #21.01 February 2021 2 of 5 “Water is one of those things that we seem to take for granted in life. In this country we only have to turn on a tap and be given the gift of clean water for washing and drinking. As an island nation we are surrounded by water and when we are able, so many of us find walking beside water restorative. Water can of course be destructive in storm or flood, it will find a way to penetrate the cracks in a building or the places where our coat is not waterproof in the rain. Our bodies are sixty percent water and without it we will die. Perhaps it’s no wonder that if water is so important to life that we find it mentioned at the very start of the Bible. [... ...] And it seems to me that the very nature of water is a helpful metaphor for the nature of God for us to call to mind today. In what feels as a dark and troubling time for our country and the world – God, like water, is to be found everywhere. In every nook and cranny of our lives, the parts we share with others and the bits we’d rather keep hidden, God’s light of love can shine as it shone on the waters at the creation of the world. In the pattern of our calling to live according to the life and teaching of Jesus, the Spirit of God can rest upon us too and give us strength to face whatever this life brings us. Admiral Lord Nelson, whose memory we commemorate today, was very familiar with the nature of water and the nature of God. As a boy growing up beside the sea and the child of a Christian minister, God and water were the constant background to his life. As a sailor Nelson learnt to respect the power of the sea and the importance of water for life aboard ship. As a Christian, he always acknowledged that he did all things in the power of God’s spirit. Here in this Chapel beside the river Thames, the presence of God and the presence of water are our constant too. In this week, as we continue another prolonged period of lockdown, we might call to mind the constant that is the loving spirit of God in our lives, each time we turn on the tap or take a shower or have a drink. As the Spirit of God moved across the face of the waters, and rested upon Jesus at his baptism, may we know this same spirit and draw strength as God’s people have always drawn strength from the knowledge that God is indeed with each of us in whatever we face. May it be so. Amen” SHIP’S WORD WHEEL Take a ten-minute break and find as many words as possible, using the letters in the wheel. Each must use the hub letter and at least 3 others, only once. No plurals (if only made with by adding an ‘s’ or ‘es’), no foreign words not in common usage in English, nor proper nouns. There is at least one nineletter word to be found. Answers on page 4 Old Royal Naval College Chapel Unfortunately, this year the service in The Immortal memory could not take place, due to the health restriction in place because of Covid19. However, at the normal Sunday morning service on 10 January, Nelson was not forgotten, as this extract from Rev Pat Mann’s Letter to the Congregation, dated 10 January 2021, shows: “...This week is the Second Sunday of Epiphany and the Baptism of Christ. We also mark what is known as the “Immortal Memory” of Admiral Lord Nelson. You will remember that Nelson’s body lay in state in the Painted Hall before his funeral in St Paul’s Cathedral on 9 January 1806. We shall be live again on Facebook and YouTube for the Sunday service. Here is the YouTube link: https:// www.youtube.com/c/OrncOrgGreenwich/live The services are able to be watched later in the day and can also be found on the Old Royal Naval College website Chapel page.’... Never forget that there is a whole treasure trove of interesting stuff frequently updated on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/The1805Club/ Sermon given by Rev Patricia Mann on 10 January at the ORNC, broadcast on YouTube. (Edited version - the full transcript may be published in the spring edition of The Kedge Anchor)
The 1805 Dispatches #21.01 February 2021 3 of 5 Always remember to keep an eye on The Trafalgar Way at www.thetrafalgarway.org It contains a fascinating series of articles by Bill White, about how TTW came into existence. Go to https://mailchi.mp/ thetrafalgarway/how-thetrafalgar-way-came-about John Rodgaard has sent this urgent message, and we have added an extra page to TDthis time, for the full transcript of the Call for Papers. “Every two years, the United States Naval Academy’s Naval History Department holds its McMullen Naval History Symposium. This symposium is considered one of the top symposia of its kind in the world, and since 2015, The 1805 Club has sponsored members and non-members to present their papers. In 2019, The Club sponsored two panels with three presenters each. The Club has also provided a modest honorarium to each presenter. In the past, the McMullen was held on the grounds of the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Unfortunately, because of the COVID restrictions, this year’s symposium will be virtual. It will be held between 23-24 September 2021. Professor Evan Wilson, at the United States Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island, has put together two panels for the McMullen. The subject of the first one will deal with the ‘causes and consequences of Napoleon’s exile and escape from Elba’. Besides Evan, fellow Club member, Dr. Samatha Cavell, and one of the War College’s students, Commander Josh Weiss, USN will comprise the panel. The second panel will present papers on the topic addressing ‘the challenges for navies operating at a distance, 1750-1815’. At this juncture, two panels have been formed. But, it doesn’t mean that Club members cannot submit a proposal. Email me at john_rodgaard@yahoo.com if you are interested in submitting a paper and or attending (virtually) this year’s McMullen. For more about the symposium, see the announcement.” The Society for Nautical Research feature the following in their recent blogs: “Dr Sam Willis speaks to Professor Felipe Fernãndez-Armesto, one of the world’s leading authorities on global history. A British historian with Spanish roots who writes on world history, Fernãndez-Armesto offers a unique and comparative perspective on the importance of the sea in national histories. [...] You may never think about maritime history the same way ever again….” Go to https://snr.org.uk/the-mariners-mirrorpodcast/the-challenges-and-rewards-ofmaritime-history/ “Dr Sam Willis discusses the infamous Hermione mutiny of 1797 with the naval historian Angus Konstam. In 1797 the British frigate HMS Hermione was serving on the Jamaica Station during the French Revolutionary war. Under the sadistic and mercurial Captain Hugh Pigot the ship became a floating hell as he flogged his men and ruled his ship through terror. [...]” Go to https://snr.org.uk/the-mariners-mirrorpodcast/the-royal-navys-bloodiest-mutinymurder-and-mayhem-on-hms-hermione/ The copy deadline for the next Kedge Anchor is 21 March 2021 Please never hesitate to offer articles for publication in KA, whoever you are. Trailer In the spring edition of The Kedge Anchor, we will feature an article provided by John Wills about the Birchen Edge stones, telling the story of three boulder stones in Derbyshire named Victory, Royal Sovereign (spelt Soverein) and Defiance. If you are a student or budding author seeking an opportunity to get your research published, The 1805 Club are always looking for interesting original and relevant articles for inclusion in The Kedge Anchor, our twice-yearly magazine, whether or not you are a member. Contact the Editor. Mal Nicholson, Owner/ Captain HMS Pickle, has had this original 1805 Times newspaper article about Trafalgar and the loss of Admiral Lord Nelson reframed by Clr Sgt Steve “Rasher” Bacon, the Mess President on HMS Victory, something quite rare that the members will enjoy. He is also working on a project to create an medical operating scene on Pickle, for visitors to see. Watch this space, in The Kedge Anchor.
The 1805 Dispatches #21.01 February 2021 4 of 5 THE 1805 CLUB The 1805 Club was founded in 1990 and broadly: • Promotes and engages in the preservation of monuments and memorials relating to the Royal Navy and seafaring people of the later sailing-navy era; and • Promotes research into and education about the Royal Navy, merchant maritime service and other state navies of the same era; and • Organises relevant cultural, historical and social events. The Club is charity No. 1071871, registered in England and Wales. Contact details: John Curtis, Hon. Club Secretary, The 1805 Club 9 Brittains Lane, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 2JN,UK Email: secretary@1805club.org Telephone: 01732 453176. For a membership application details please contact: Barry Scrutton, Hon. Membership Secretary, The 1805 Club 1 Cambus Road, London, E16 4AY, UK Email: membership.secretary@1805club.org Telephone: 020 7476 1215. Or: Capt. John A. Rodgaard (USN Ret.), Hon. North American Secretary, The 1805 Club 6089 Guildhall Court, Burke, Virginia 22015 USA Email: john_Rodgaard@yahoo.com; Telephone: 1-321-591-6123. Or: Mark Billings, Hon Canadian Secretary, The 1805 Club 4000 Marlowe Avenue, Montreal, Quebec H4A 3M2 Canada Email: mark@marengomgt.com Telephone: 1-514-296-1641 Visit our website: www.1805club.org Or see us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Or to join go to: Join The 1805 Club The Newsletter for Anyone Interested in The 1805 Club PURPOSE. The purpose of this newsletter is to support and advance the Club’s objectives. The newsletter provides anyone who is interested with brief items of news about the Club and its activities, in the hope that the it can help the club attract wider interest in naval history and new members. Much of the content will be a précis of articles that will appear in The Kedge Anchor, the six-monthly Club magazine. EDITORIAL POLICY. The editor has full editorial responsibility for the newsletter. Views expressed in the newsletter are those of individual authors, unless claimed by the editor. Articles which appear do not express the official position of The 1805 Club on any subject unless specifically noted as such. Content of contributions to the newsletter may be edited for grammar, space allocation, or to better serve the purpose of the newsletter. Contributors wishing to be alerted to editorial decisions should notify the editor at the time that their contribution is submitted. Otherwise the submission will be published within the scope of the editorial policy. ISSUE AND COPY DATES The proposed issue dates for The 1805 Despatches are: February, April, June, August, October and December. Anyone wishing to contribute an article or news item to the editor for inclusion in the newsletter should do so by the beginning of the month preceding the issue in which it is to be inserted. Any articles that are not time-specific can be submitted at any time, with a note advising him of that fact. All copy is welcome, but not all copy may be used! NAVAL TERMS THAT HAVE ‘COME ASHORE’ Toe the line – Originally used when the ship’s company were mustered, when each sailor would step forward to a line marked on the deck and then give his name and place of duty on board. Ashore it has come to denote a recognition of authority and a willingness to obey the rules. ACADEMITE, academe, acetamide, acme, admit, aimed, amid, amide, came, dame, decimate, deem, deme, demit, dime, edam, edema, (US), emaciate, emaciated, emetic, epic, emit, idem, item, mace, made, made, maid, matai, mate, mated, mead, meat, media, mediae, mediate, medic, medicate, meed, meet, mete, meted, metic, mica, mice, mite, tame, tamed, teamed, teem, time, timed. 25=Good, 35 = Excellent, 45 = Amazing SHIP’S WORD WHEEL ANSWERS We are past that time when members need to confirm their membership, by paying their membership subscription. If you have any doubts, then please check with Barry Scrutton that you have paid and are in good standing. The Nevis Historical & Conservation Society is one of the Partners of The 1805 Club, and we are delighted to see, in their latest newsletter (Go To NHCS News) that the “Society takes the lead in replanting native species in the wetland where Admiral Horatio Nelson once brought his ships for fresh water.” In the same newsletter is a reminder that the MV Christena sinking (readers of KA will recall an article in the latest edition) is still very alive in memories onNevis. And also a reminder that Nelson’s Wedding Anniversary is 11 March. The marriage may not have been the most successful, but that should not prevent us from raising a glass on what was, at the time, a happy occasion. Nelson's seal from HMS Agamemnon Mark West first tipped us off about these items: Nelson's seal from HMS Agamemnon (64) will be among treasures for sale in Uruguay after a two-decade legal battle. The money raised by the items will be split between Montevideo and the heirs of the diver, Héctor Bado, who found them. The auction is to be held in Montevideo in May, so we will follow this up in the next edition of TD, and in the spring KA. Etcetera Well preserved leather pouches and other artifacts have been recovered from the wreck of HMS Apollo (38), off Texel, where she was beached in 1799.
The 1805 Dispatches #21.01 February 2021 5 of 5 2021 McMullen Naval History Symposium Call for Papers 23-24 September 2021 U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD #McMullen21 This year, 2021, marks the 100-year anniversary of the Washington Naval Conference. This event, the first multilateral naval disarmament conference in modern history, brought delegations from nine different nations to Washington D.C. to discuss naval armament reductions and interests in the Far East. The conference resulted in multiple treaties that affected the future of naval warfare and international relations. Arguably, the most influential agreement signed was the FivePower treaty which limited the warship tonnage of the five most powerful signatories, the United States, Great Britain, Japan, France, and Italy. 200 years ago, the US Navy was actively engaged in counter-piracy operations in the West Indies. The actions of the swashbuckling crews onboard ships such as the brigEnterprise and sloop of war Hornet, would cement a heroic legacy of the early 19th-century American naval forces as they fought to clean up the pirateinfested waters of the Carribean Sea. And 300 years ago, in 1720, Russian and Swedish naval forces were embroiled in the Battle of Grengam in the Baltic Sea. This battle, the final guerre d'escadreof the Great Northern War, led to the signing of the Treaty of Nystad in 1721, effectively shifting the balance of power in Europe for decades to come. Like the open sea, naval and maritime history has no defined boundaries on its influence on society. From operational history, to social history, to political history, and every approach in between, the naval and maritime history of the United States and the wider world remain rich areas of research and scholarship. The History Department of the United States Naval Academy invites proposals for papers to be presented at the 2021 McMullen Naval History Symposium on any topics related to American or world naval and maritime history. Proposals should include a one page vita and an abstract of no more than 250 words which summarizes the research and its contribution to historical knowledge, collated in a single PDF or Microsoft Word file. Panel proposals (made up of three presenters, a chair, and a commenter) are highly encouraged, and should include all relevant material on the presenters, as well as a one-page vita for the chair and commenter. Proposal deadline: 16 February 2021. Email proposals to navalhistorysymposium@gmail.com by midnight. The program committee anticipates this year’s conference may be be presented in an all-virtual format due to COVID-19 restrictions. A policy on travel stipends will be announced following a final decision on format. The USNA History Department will make an announcement confirming the format of the conference by May 2021 and will announce a draft program by mid-June; papers are due to the committee and to panel chairs/commenters by 16 August 2021. On-line registration for the conference will begin in late May of 2021. There will be no travel stipends available due to the virtual format of the conference. Financial support for this conference comes from the generosity of the McMullen Sea Power Fund established in honor of Dr. John McMullen, USNA Class of 1940. The committee will publish a volume of proceedings in the New Interpretations of Naval History Series, containing a selection of the best papers presented, at a future date. Further information on the 2021 McMullen Naval History Symposium will be available online at www.usna.edu/History/Symposium. Specific inquiries may be directed to the Symposium Director, Dr. Virginia Lunsford, PhD, or the Deputy Director, Commander Stan Fisher, USN, PhD via the email address listed above. News Item Member of The 1805 Club, Charles Medhurst, ex RN, was invited by Paddy Rogers, Director of The NMM, to join him in laying a Wreath at the Memorial on Cutty Sark on November 11th 2020, as Charles was at The D Day Landings and in the Pacific War.
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