The 1805 Dispatches #22.04 August 2022 1 of 9 THE REGULAR NEWSLETTER OF THE 1805 CLUB www.1805club.org THE 1805 DISPATCHES THE VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE Observations From The Chairman, Capt. John Rodgaard (USN Retd.) Here in the Northern Hemisphere, we are truly finding ourselves in the throes of the dog days of summer. The heat has truly been close and sultry for many of us. Yes, I am good with understatement. These summer days have certainly lived up to what the ancient Greek writer Plutarch referred to as hńmerai kynades — dog days. He and the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans blamed the bright, fiery Dog Star Sirius for teaming up with the Sun to bring oppressive heat that would cause a period of stagnation, bringing death and disease. Thinking of these days, I couldn’t help but remember the scene in the movie Master and Commander, when Aubrey, Maturin and the crew of HMS Surprise were caught in the doldrums, experiencing oppressive heat and lack of water; all, they superstitiously believed, caused by the equivalent of Sirius, Midshipman Hollom. As with the setting of Sirius in the morning and evening skies, Hollom’s suicide brought an end to the crew’s suffering. If you find yourself in the doldrums, I think you’ll find this edition of The 1805 Dispatches sufficiently entertaining and informative, it to provide you with the breeze to fill your sails. Transitions constitute an aspect of this edition. First, through our editor’s talent as an illustrator, we say ‘thank you’ to Barry Scrutton and Josephine Birtwhistle for their many years of dedicated service to The Club as membership secretary and webmaster respectively. Although they are leaving their positions on Council, we are happy to know they remain members. Sadly, we note another transition in the passing of two of The Club’s stalwarts, Mary Aylwin McCarthy and Randy Mafit. I am sorry to say that I never had the pleasure of knowing Mary. Fellow member Ken Flemming’s remembrance of her reinforces my feelings that it was a missed opportunity on my part. On a personal note, I was saddened to know of the passing of Randy Mafit. We met one another many years ago at one of the American Friends of the National Museum of the Royal Navy’s gala Pickle Night dinners at the New York City Yacht Club. Randy was The Club’s North American Secretary. I met up with Randy again in San Jose, California for The Club’s annual Glorious First of June Luncheon. Of course I enjoyed Randy’s editorship of The Kedge Anchor, which illustrated so much of his knowledge of the Royal Navy in the time of Nelson. Our bond was strengthened further in that we had both served in the United States Navy. I am much in his debt, because he asked if I would succeed him as The Club’s North American Secretary. He thought I could do the job. Fair celestial winds, shipmate. Until the Next View from The Bridge, A 1:48 scale carving of King Charles II of England hiding from Roundheads in the oak tree in Boscobel Wood, in 1651, as depicted on the stern carving of HMS Royal Oak (1674). This is offered as a trailer for the autumn edition of The Kedge Anchor, in which details will be given. On a recent visit to a friend I was informed that his ancestor was the captain of HMS Royal Oak at the Battle of The Saintes; a few days ago I had an email from another descendant of one of our heroes; at Woodbridge Museum on Sunday morning I met the son of the man who found the first rivet on the Sutton Hoo Saxon ship burial discovered in 1939. We are all time travellers, but not just in some banal jog towards extinction. We are not fugitives from history, we live in history, we are part of it and helping to form it for those who follow us to study. And we are here to discover new history. Science and history are similar, in that we must all keep an open mind for the next discovery that proves what we thought was a true record of the past, or a ‘fact’ of nature, was in fact wrong. This way we learn and improve, which is far, far preferable to stagnating. EDITORIAL If you are not a member, and are concerned at missing out on all the fun, please contact our Membership Secretary, who will be delighted to hear from you at: membership.secretary@1805club.org
The 1805 Dispatches #22.04 August 2022 2 of 9 Never let it be said that The 1805 Club hides its light under a bushel. For those readers who do not have the privilege of getting the Captain Cook Society Journal, this (edited) review of The Trafalgar Chronicle was published recently. “This review is of a journal of one of our fellow organisations, The 1805 Club, a society dedicated to naval history in the Nelson era. Members of The 1805 Club receive copies of two separate publications each year: The Kedge Anchor, an A4 magazine (like Cook’s Log) published twice a year. It contains a range of articles, news and details of past and future events, andThe Trafalgar Chronicle, the organisation’s “flagship” production, with an in-house editorial team, and an external publisher. It can be purchased by non-members. The book under review contains 14 articles, all wellresearched and presented. The four main articles relate to the theme of Georgian Navy encounters with indigenous populations and enslaved people. One article is about Governor King, New South Wales, recounting his meetings with those Māori who travelled in whalers to visit Port Jackson. The Governor’s hospitality and friendship greatly impressed them, and King’s kindness is remembered to this day. The article entitled “Captain Nathaniel Portlock”, although only five pages long, nevertheless provides copious new information about this American. He joined Discovery on 12 March, 1776, as an A.B., and found himself promoted to Master’s Mate before the month was out. Beaglehole’s biographical notes on Portlock were most welcome. However, for every sentence given by Beaglehole, here there is a paragraph of notes! The author is Gerald D Holland Jnr., a member of the US Coast Guard. He is interested in the American Revolution in Virginia, prior to the commencement of the War of Independence, and has drawn upon his research into that period to provide details of the Portlock family and Nathaniel’s early life in Virginia. His article is a significant addition to what is known about Captain Nathaniel Portlock. Another article is “The Watery Maze: with Wolfe and Saunders at Quebec 1759”. It is primarily about Vice Admiral Sir Charles Saunders, the commander of the British fleet. It tries to redress how Saunders’s role in the capture of Quebec has been eclipsed by the actions of General Wolfe. It concentrates on Saunders’s strategic decisions, rather than on their detailed implementation; as a result, Cook has only a passing mention. After the capture of Quebec, Saunders informed the Admiralty in 1760 that he intended to publish a detailed chart of the St Lawrence River. It was published later that year but, although it was based upon the surveying of James Cook, his contribution was not acknowledged. I also read an interesting article about the rise in the status of surgeons in the Royal Navy during the wars of 1792-1805. This was a fascinating tale that provided an historical overview of the development of naval surgery throughout the 18th century. The sailor’s nemesis of scurvy was not overlooked, and I could feel the author’s exasperation as he wrote “Nevertheless, the Admiralty was criminally responsible for major loss of life by not mandating antiscorbutic lemon/lime juice on warships until 1796”. That was twenty years after Cook had demonstrated the efficacy of such antiscorbutics. The final article in this issue is devoted to the development of vessels designed to carry mortars. The Bombarde, developed first by the French in the late 17th century, was soon followed by British Bomb vessels. The author reviews the various battles in which the British used its bomb vessels, and then points out that their sturdy construction also made them ideal for voyages in the Arctic and Antarctic. He recites the various expeditions that used bomb vessels in their attempts to find the Northwest Passage linking the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean, from Christopher Middleton in 1741, to John Franklin in 1845. I was very impressed with the range of articles and the research undertaken by the authors, as reflected in their extensive reference notes. This review has shown me that the two societies are remarkably similar in their aims, size, international membership, and treatment of naval history. Long may they both flourish. Cliff Thornton” THE TRAFALGAR CHRONICLE WINS MORE ACCOLADES Judy Pearson and John Rodgaard are the editors of The Trafalgar Chronicle, and Judy sent this in: “Another piece of good news is that we now have the Seaforth-approved cover design for this year's Trafalgar Chronicle, attached. It is the Battle between the British frigate HMS Shannonand the American frigate USS Chesapeake (1806), oil painting in 1836 by Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg (1783 – 1853). Original in Randers Museum of Art, Jutland, Denmark. The theme for the 2022 TC is ‘scientific and technological advances in the navies of the Georgian Era.’ We chose this illustration for the cover because three of the eight articles on the theme were about gunnery and armaments and one was about signals and line of battle.”
The 1805 Dispatches #22.04 August 2022 3 of 9 WRECK OF HMS GLOUCESTERDISCOVERED This is an edited version of the story in the Smithsonian Magazine on June 14 2022: Almost 350 years after the sinking of HMSGloucester, experts have finally pinpointed the exact location of the ill-fated ship. Brothers Julian and Lincoln Barnwell found the wreck off the coast of Norfolk County in 2007; authorities confirmed the vessel’s identity in 2012 after analysing a ship’s bell recovered from the wreckage but kept its discovery under wraps until they were able to properly secure the site. The owners of a Norfolk printing service, the Barnwells are licensed divers who searched for – and later explored – Gloucester in their free time, conducting more than 200 dives to the wreck site over the past 15 years, reports Liz Coates for the Great Yarmouth Mercury. “We were starting to believe that we were not going to find [the ship],” says Lincoln in the statement. “We’d dived so much and just found sand. On my descent to the seabed, the first thing I spotted were large cannon laying on white sand. It was awe-inspiring and really beautiful.” In a statement, Claire Jowitt, a maritime history expert at the University of East Anglia (UEA), who recently published a paper on theGloucester in theEnglish Historical Review, deems the find “the single most significant historic maritime discovery since the raising of MaryRose.” (A favourite warship of Henry VIII, MaryRose sank in 1545 at the Battle of Solent and was recovered to great fanfare in 1982.) Speaking with the LondonTimes’ Jack Blackburn, Jowitt adds, “This time capsule under the sea is just incredible in what it might tell us.” The Barnwell brothers and their collaborators at UEA and Norfolk Museums Service have recovered an array of artefacts from the wreckage, including clothing, shoes, wine bottles (some unopened), navigational tools, ceramic vessels, naval equipment and personal possessions. As of now, the team doesn’t plan to raise the ship’s remains from the seabed, but a selection of artefacts and informational displays will go on view at the Norwich Castle Museum next year. Built in 1652, Gloucester was involved in naval campaigns during the Anglo-Spanish War and the Second and Third Anglo-Dutch Wars. According to theGloucester Project portal, the ship was about to be sent on a naval mission but was reassigned at the request of England’s Protestant king, Charles II. Because Charles’ children were all illegitimate, his younger brother, the Catholic James, was his sole heir. In 1679, after rumours of a Catholic plot against the crown sparked unrest and a concerted effort to exclude James from the line of succession, the king sent James and his wife Mary to Scotland. By 1682, tensions had eased enough for Charles to allow James’ return to England; Gloucester was tasked with retrieving Mary, who was pregnant at the time, from Edinburgh ahead of her child’s birth. The mood on the ship and its squadron of accompanying vessels was festive, with James and such upper-class companions as diarist Samuel Pepys; John Churchill, the future Duke of Marlborough; and a host of Scottish nobles enjoying wine, gourmet cuisine and live music. “TheGloucester was party central,” Sean Kingsley, a marine historian and the founder of Wreckwatchmagazine, jokingly tells National Geographic. “The duke and his cronies were having a fine old time.” Soon, however, an argument broke out among the ship’s crew, with pilot James Ayres calling for theGloucester to stay close to the coast and shipmaster Benjamin Holmes advocating for the deep-sea route. James, as a former Lord High Admiral, settled the matter by picking a middle course. “He’s clearly a man that believes in his own importance, his own beliefs and the rightness of what he’s saying,” says Jowitt in a separate UEA statement. “He thinks he knows best. But, importantly, when it goes wrong, it’s never his fault.” TheGloucester struck parallel sandbanks at approximately 5:30 a.m. and sank within an hour. Between 130 and 250 of the 330 passengers and crew died. In the aftermath, James refused to accept any responsibility, instead blaming Ayres and calling for his immediate hanging. Though Ayres was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison, he was released after serving just a year, The Wreck of HMS Gloucester off Yarmouth, 6 May 1682 This painting represents the wrecking of the 'Gloucester' while carrying the Duke of York to Leith. Through the negligence of the pilot, the ship foundered on the Lemon and Oar shoal off Yarmouth. The Duke escaped with several other notables, including John Churchill, afterwards Duke of Marlborough, but about 130 people perished in the incident. The artist was a Dutch-born painter Johan Danckerts who came to England to work. Here, he was joined by his brother, Hendrick, who became court painter to Charles II. The Wreck of the Gloucester off Yarmouth, 6 May 1682 ▻
The 1805 Dispatches #22.04 August 2022 4 of 9 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, used only once. No plurals (if only made by adding an ‘s’ or ‘es’), no foreign words not in common usage in English, nor proper nouns. There is at least one nine-letter word to be found. 12 = Average; 20 = Good; 25 = Very Good; 30+ = Amazing! Answers on page 4 The Events Committee are discussing additions to this calendar on a monthly basis. Events shown in blue are unconfirmed at this time Remember that there is a whole treasure trove here https://www.facebook.com/ The1805Club/ BARRY SCRUTTON & JOSEPHINE BIRTWHISTLE STS LORD NELSON Event Date Event Title Event Description Club Lead 30 Jul 22 Battle of the Nile commemoration and miniature reenactment At the home of John Rodgaard and Judy Pearson PeteStark 10 Sep 22 Visit to Penn House, Buckinghamshire Guided tour by The Earl Howe, showing artworks, etc., relative to Admiral Lord Howe Stephen Howarth 22 Oct 22 Trafalgar Night Dinner in HMS Nelson Wardroom Commemorate Battle of Trafalgar Stephen Howarth 25 Oct 22 In Conversation with John Rodgaard: From Across the Sea Event open to both Rag and 1805 Club members John Rodgaard 20 Jan 23 Lecture ad Lunch at Langar Hall, Nottinghamshire Social event open to Club and public Stephen Howarth 16 Jun 23 Unveiling Cornwallis Plaque Ceremony to unveil stone plaque commemorating Cornwallis at St Ann’s Church, HRNB Portsmouth Stephen Tregidgo Autumn 2023 Return of Nelson’s Marriage Certificate Return of the Marriage Certificate and delivery of new Uniform to Nevis JohnWills EVENTS DIARY You will recall that Barry Scrutton retired from being our long-standing Membership Secretary at the AGM in April, to go sailing off on his yacht into the sunset of the Mediterranean, and Jo Birtwhistle ‘retired’ from being the Club’s long-standing Webmaster, only to carry on until a replacement is found. On the instruction of Chairman John Rodgaard, two cartoons were drawn and were framed and presented to them, officially at the AGM. (Barry actually got his a bit sooner, as he was unable to attend the AGM). On further instruction from John, here they are for all to see. perhaps as a tacit acknowledgement by Charles II that he’d been scapegoated. The wayward duke took the throne in 1685. His reign proved unpopular, and he was deposed in favour of his Protestant daughter Mary and her husband, William of Orange, less than four years later, during the Glorious Revolution of 1688. While not the main impetus for James’ ousting, his handling of theGloucester disaster certainly didn’t bolster his reputation. “A tragedy of considerable proportions in terms of loss of life, both privileged and ordinary, the full story of the Gloucester’s last voyage and the impact of its aftermath needs retelling, including its cultural and political importance, and legacy,” says Jowitt in the statement. “We will also try to establish who else died and tell their stories, as the identities of a fraction of the victims are currently known.” Now, here’s a good idea for a retirement project for Barry: The Sail Training Ship Lord Nelson is for sail, and any offers will be considered. This is an opportunity to acquire a substantial an impressive tall ship for possible use as a private yacht. It probably needs a lick of paint and whatever. Check out this link for more information: https:// www.classicyachtbrokerage.co .uk/product/new-listing-140ftsail-training-ship-lord-nelsonbuilt-1986-barque-riggedlying-somerset/
The 1805 Dispatches #22.04 August 2022 5 of 9 THE 1805 CLUB Founded in 1990, the Club: • Promotes research into and education about the Royal Navy, merchant maritime service and other state navies of the same era; and • 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 • Organises relevant cultural, historical and social events. The Club is charity No. 1071871, registered in England and Wales. Individuals desiring further information may contact: Stephen Howarth, Hon. Club Secretary, The 1805 Club Shelton Great Barn, Shelton, Notts, NG23 5JQ, UK Email: secretary@1805club.org Telephone: 01949 851346. For a membership application details please contact: Dr Sue Carr, Hon. Membership Secretary, The 1805 Club Email: membership.secretary@1805club.org Or: Harold E (Pete) Stark, Hon US Secretary, The 1805 Club 1980 Scotts Crossing Way, No. 002, Annapolis MD 21401 USA Email: the.americas.membership.secretary@1805club.org Telephone: 410-269-9760 (mobile) Or: Mark Billings, Hon Canadian Secretary, The 1805 Club 4000 Marlowe Avenue, Montreal, Quebec H4A 3M2 Canada Email: canadian.membership.secretary@1805club.org 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 1805Club 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 inTheKedge 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 of�icial position of The 1805 Club on any subject unless speci�ically 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 Dispatches 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-speci�ic 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’ A gangway is not a brow – except when it is the brow. ‘Gangway’ is an unobstructed route called for through an obstruction, usually of personnel – it is not the brow. The ‘brow’ is the nautical term for the gangway that links the ship to the shore when alongside, from which navy personnel salute the quarterdeck when coming aboard. (see illustration of typical returnees from a run ashore) So, that’s clear at last! ANTARCTIC, tantric, atactic, anticar, intact, crania, arctic, tactic, arnica, cantic, Carina, tictac, acinar, carat, circa, cairn, naric, tract, tinct, tacit, triac, cacti, attic, antic, actin, acari, tact, narc, cart, acta, cant, carn SHIP’S WORD WHEEL ANSWERS The Kedge Anchor now has a ‘New Members’ feature. We would like every new member to make contact with the Editor and say a few words about themselves, for inclusion in the next edition of KA, please. ka.editor@1805club.org NEW MEMBERS Final call: Enter our Jubilee Quiz! A reminder to all who love Naval history, there is still the chance to winglory and spoils in our international prize Quiz. The fundraising Quiz is formed of seven thmed rounds of ten questions, mostly multiple choce, some questions nice and easy, some less so! A fun tiebreaker has been provided in case of a tie at the top. There’s time for you to go away and look up the answers (closing date is 11th August), and we propose that even the most confident of naval history boffins will learn something new by taking part. Join in with the fun on your own or with friends, the choice is yours. Entry fee (payable on download) is £10. Download your copy and register for the Quiz at https://mailchi.mp/1805club/jubileequiz22 HM THE QUEEN’S JUBILEE QUIZ I know how hard it is to remember the names of the Great Lakes, but I came across this handy acronym, that will help: Lisa Likes Licking Lettuce Lightly Lake Superior Lake Michigan LakeHuron Lake Erie Lake Ontario
The 1805 Dispatches #22.04 August 2022 6 of 9 The Facebook announcement from The 1805 Club: "We are deeply saddened to announce the recent and sudden death of Mr RANDY BURDETT MAFIT, of Eugene, Oregon. Randy joined The 1805 Club as member number 6 early in February 1991. He and his wife Dana later took on the editorship of our modest newsletter and turned it into the fine magazine 'The Kedge Anchor', regarded by other senior organisations in the naval historical family as the model of its kind. They served in that vital function for 23 years. On retirement, they were appointed joint Vice Presidents, and it was our great pleasure to honour them with our first HOLD: a House Of Lords Dinner, on 14 February 2014, hosted by Admiral Lord West. Here is a photo of Randy (credit Club member Andrew W Barnett) on that very happy evening. A fuller appreciation of Randy will appear in due course on our website. This will be a collective creation, and contributions are invited from people who similarly valued Randy, whether members of The 1805 or not." From Richard Endsor: “In June 1986 I was enjoying some valuable time at home having just finished work as a contract aerospace engineer at Fokker’s in Holland. My wife and I went to Oxford for a day out and while she indulged herself shopping, I visited Sanders antique print shop in the High Street to browse through their collection of maritime prints. Inside, the young lady took me to the appropriate drawers but unfortunately for me a big guy, who looked to be in his late thirties was already sitting there. He looked round and up “Oh, I’m sorry, but you’re welcome to join me and we can go through the prints together”. I pulled up a chair and enjoyed his company and expertise for a good time. At length a nice-looking lady came in and Randy introduced me to Dana, his wife, who had also been shopping. Randy got up to go, and as they were obviously Americans I told them I would be living on Long Island from next month working at Grumman on the F14 Tomcat. I thought, perhaps we could meet up while I was there, not realising Oxford is almost as close to Long Island as their home in Oregon. And so a great friendship began, and as England had so many attractions for Dana and Randy they became regular visitors to our home. We visited many great houses although it was quite sobering to realise Randy knew more about their history than I did. We joined him in the 1805 Club and among other events enjoyed evenings at Newhouse, the 2005 Trafalgar anniversary in the Painted Hall at Greenwich and dinner aboard the Victory. One year, Randy visited us with another American 1805 Club member, Don Rosenberg and as a surprise I drove them to nearby Penn House. They didn’t know, but I had arranged the visit with the Earl Howe who greeted us at the main door: Randy’s face was a picture as we were shown around. Apart from seeing the memorabilia from Black Dick Howe, coffee and cake were served by the Countess Howe. Top: Dana and Randy at the HOLD. (Photo: Andrew Burnett) Centre: From the left, Frank Fox the noted naval historian from Birmingham, Alabama, Richard Endsor and Randy. (Frank tragically died only five weeks before Randy at the end of April this year). (Photo: Richard Endsor) Bottom: Randy and Richard Endsor visiting USS Old Missery at Pearl Harbour in 2006. (Photo: Richard Endsor) TRIBUTE TO RANDY MAFIT ▻
The 1805 Dispatches #22.04 August 2022 7 of 9 Dana and Randy’s company was light and easy, I recall a typical small event: we were getting ready to eat when the cat wandered in and kept on complaining she should be served first. “Now look here”, I rebuked “you’re just the cat so when it comes to a battle of wills there can only be one winner.” “That’s right”, agreed Dana, “so give her what she wants then we can get on”. On another occasion we met the Mafits in San Francisco and after seeing the sights went on to Hawaii for a dream holiday. Late one evening in Downtown Honolulu, and after a few Margaritas, we met a group of Japanese tourists. There were flashes and bangs in the sky from a firework display somewhere around. “What going on?”, one of them asked. “I reckon it’s the Japs bombing Pearl Harbour”, I replied. They looked aghast, but Randy got me out of trouble by saying it was a typical English joke and they happily joined us in some banter. At the House of Lords dinner given in Randy’s honour in 2014 one of the tributes was naming him a Knight Commander of Trafalgar (see text box, right). I explained to Dana that made her a Lady, she was thrilled but Randy, being a very modest man, groaned in despair. Since then whenever she answered the phone, and it was always her, the first thing I said was “Is that the Lady Mafit” much to her delight. As members of the 1805 Club will know, Randy was an enthusiastic and knowledgeable collector of Nelson antiques. During his searches he often found items relating to my interest in the seventeenth century Navy and if he knew it was something I would like, often bought it as a gift. As I say in the Foreword of my recent book, Master Shipwright’s Secrets “Another longstanding friend to whom I will always be in debt is Randy Mafit, I thank him for his expertise in finding and often giving collectable source material”. With his help the book won the Society for Nautical Research’s Anderson medal for best maritime book of the year. During this last year a package unexpectantly arrived from Randy containing a beautifully framed print of a seventeenth century ship. My son visited the Mafits in Oregon when he was working his way round the world. Randy noticed he was rather ill-clothed for the northern States and with typical generosity took him out and bought him a proper jacket. I owe so much to Randy, a big guy in heart and spirit. These words are just a few recollections of Randy and Dana, who herself is now very ill. They are at such a distance but will remain forever close.” From Michael Nash: “I was saddened to learn of the death of Randy. I have known both him and Dana since the mid-1980s. They both arrived unannounced at my door (in Hoylake) one evening, and they became regular visitors, thereafter, even joining us c.1987 on our boat on the Thames for a champagne picnic. One enduring memory occurred during a trip into North Wales to show them the countryside. We had stopped in Conway to view the famous castle, and Randy had wandered off into town. My wife, Dana and I drove around looking for him, and when Dana spotted him, she leaned out of the window and in a loud voice shouted “RANDY !” About half of the startled shoppers turned around in response, which perhaps tells you something about the good folk of Conway!!” From Jack Satterfield, LTCDR, USNR (Ret.): “I was distressed to hear about the sudden passing of my longtime friend and fellow North American1805 Club member, Randy Mafit. Randy was the North American Secretary when I joined the club, a responsibility he fulfilled with energy, enthusiasm and generosity. Living on opposite coasts, we never met face to face, but early on, we corresponded frequently, and Randy, a proficient public librarian, provided wonderful guidance about Nelson books and publications, as well as the folkways of the Club. He encouraged me to contribute articles to the Club, which I have done happily from time to time. Randy set a robust standard for Club members outside the U.K., and helped make the Club a truly global organization of substance and merit. He richly deserved, and I am sure immensely enjoyed, the Club's recognition on his retirement as North American Secretary. I'll rely on Joseph Conrad to provide an appropriate The Knights of Trafalgar The Order originated in 1806 expressly to commemorate the Battle of Trafalgar. It was formed by those who had served with Nelson but because of sea duties the Order was not ratified until 1809 when the lodge, being formed on lines of a masonic lodge, became a naval dining club. Members could meet in mutual harmony to discuss their interests. In 1826 The Knights opened a book for subscriptions in aid of the distressed and poor of London. In 1832 the Spitalfields Benevolent Society received the patronage of The Knights of Trafalgar who continued to provide additional funds to the Society for the distribution of bread and coal to the poor. During the time from 1806 to 1889 they continued with their original ‘Raison d’être’ to commemorate the Battle of Trafalgar and honour the memory of Lord Nelson and those who fought with him and discuss naval affairs past and present. After 1889 they no longer carried out direct distribution of funds but continued to support the charitable work of the Spitalfields Society. Evidence is shown in 1905 when three members, Admirals; Kew, Seymore and Bridge advertised in the London papers for donations towards the relief fund now run by the Spitalfields Benevolent Society. Many distinguished names are found on the list of the Society’s patrons and bene- factors who were asked to send their donations to the Shoreditch Branch of the London County Bank. From 1806 to the present day members have carried on the remembrance of Lord Nelson and his continuing legacy in order to promote the knowledge and understanding of the need for a continuing naval power for the protection of the country. Donations are made to a charity or cause of a member’s choice and not necessarily to one with a naval connection. (Original text in The Kedge Anchor Issue 39, 2014) ▻
The 1805 Dispatches #22.04 August 2022 8 of 9 close: "A gone shipmate, like any other man, is gone for ever.... Buy at times the spring-flood of memory sets with force.... Then on the waters... drifts a ship - a shadowy ship manned by a crew of Shades. They pass and make a sign, in a shadowy hail. Haven't we, together and upon the immortal sea, wrong out a meaning from our sinful lives? Good-by brother! You were a good [friend]. As good a [friend] as ever fisted with wild cries the beating canvas of a heavy foresail; or tossing aloft, invisible in the night, gave back yell for yell to a westerly gale."” From Bill Dunlap: “I first met Randy by phone in 1993. I had been a member for just a few years and contacted him in Oregon to see if we could ever meet. Being in California he thought that could be possible. My reason to meet him was to have him review a Nelson note that was for sale in my home town of Newport Beach. Finally in 1994 Randy said he was coming to Southern California for other business and could meet me at my home. It was such a delight to have him look at my burgeoning collection of Nelson books as well as joining me down at the Vallejo Gallery to inspect the Nelson note. Thanks to Randy’s inspection which confirmed it was the real deal, I purchased the note and still have it hanging in by living room. (See picture attached) We stayed in touch over the years and it was Randy that encouraged me and the Mrs. to come to the 2005 Bi-Centennial and enjoy the incredible festivities. (See picture attached) We will never forget the dinner in the Painted Hall. Here’s three cheers to a wonderful and man and husband. May his sails stay full in Gods eternal heavenly sea, Bill Dunlap July 11th 2022.” Not only Randy Mafit died recently. It is with sadness that we report the passing of Mary McCarthy, the daughter-in-law of our first President, Lily McCarthy, died in Switzerland in May. Not many members know Mary, but two of our Founder Members have sent in tributes to her. From Michael Nash (with acknowledgement & thanks to Peter Fleming): Mary Aylwin McCarthy 1937~2022 I only had the pleasure of meeting Mary McCarthy on a handful of occasions, but one was immediately struck by her warmth, kindness and friendliness. She took pains to make you feel welcome. The first time I met her was in 1985. A major ‘Nelson’ sale was taking place at Christie’s : the Nelson and Napoleonic collection of Calvin Bullock (1867-1944) of New York, was going under the hammer, and with typical generosity, Lily McCarthy had invited myself, the late Ron Fiske, and the late John May (author of Commemorative Pottery 1780-1900. Heinmann, 1972) to join her and her family. John always acted as Lily’s agent and adviser at sales and bid on her behalf. Lily put us all up in a Knightsbridge hotel the night before the sale, and there at dinner that evening, I met John and Mary McCarthy for the first time. Calvin Bullock’s son, Hugh Bullock, was also sitting around the table that night, so too was another son of Lily’s, Peter Fleming, and we have been close friends ever since. Peter tells me that Mary grew ▻
The 1805 Dispatches #22.04 August 2022 9 of 9 up on Long Island prior to moving to Zurich. There she met Peter’s brother, John, and in the course of time they married and moved to London where Peter got to know her well. Peter writes : “I would stay with her and John while frequenting the postcard fairs” (Peter is a collector of ocean liner postcards designed by artists and an authority on the subject). “I remember” he continues, “laying out my ‘finds’ on the dining room table after each fair, often long into the night. Mother and John McCarthy, Senior, were very attached to Mary who showed much admiration for the Admiral Nelson collection in Portsmouth. I remember Mary as a very welcoming and gracious hostess, the dining table and menus always perfection. It was a special delight staying in a house, and chalet, decorated by Mary.” The last time I myself met Mary was in 2006 at the Service of Thanksgiving for the life of Lily McCarthy (1914-2006) in St. Ann’s Church in Portsmouth Dockyard, followed by a reception in Lily’s gallery at the Royal Naval Museum. A memorable event in itself. Mary was born on July 21, 1937, and died May 11, 2022. Her Requiem Mass was held at La Paroise Catholique de Collonge-Bellerive, in Switzerland. It is perhaps fitting to close with a poem that was dear to Mary and was quoted on that sad occasion: From Kenneth Flemming: Mary Aylwin McCarthy was the wife of John G McCarthy Jr. John is the son of our first President Lily Lambert McCarthy CBE who died March 3, 2006. Mary passed away on May 11 after a two-year illness. Married for 46 years John and Mary lived in a quiet village near Lake Geneva and the Jura Mountains, Switzerland, but often came over for what they called the Club’s splendid events. Some members will recall one such splendid event was the Club’s first dinner during a very hot June evening onboard HMS Victory with President Lily McCarthy and husband John McCarthy together with the Club’s senior Vice President Jean and Jay Kislack. Jean was also an avid and acclaimed Nelsonian collector of Emma Hamilton including Romney portraits. Guests were treated to a fine sunset seen fromVictory’s quarter deck as guests of her then commanding officer Mike Cheshire. Mary inherited, and in John’s own words “fell right in with my mother’s interest in Admiral Nelson”, joining Club members at Trafalgar Night dinners they attended the Club’s last dinner together at HMS Nelson. John says it his intention to continue in that tradition. Though I am dead, grieve not for me with tears. Think not of death with sorrowing and fears. I am so near that every tear you shed Touches and torments me, tho’ you think me dead. But when you laugh and sing in glad delight My soul is lifted upward to the light: Laugh and be glad for all that life is giving And I, tho’ dead will share your joy in LIVING. Anon. Lily Lambert McCarthy For the information of more recent members of the Club, or other readers, Lily Lambert McCarthy was an American millionairess decorated by the British for her war work, and also a generous benefactress of museums and libraries in England and the United States. As a young girl, Lily became fascinated by Nelson after being given a leather-bound first edition of Southey’s biography by her father. She became an avid Nelson collector, and her growing collection required its own room wherever she lived. Lily campaigned against the demolition of some handsome 18thcentury warehouses in Portsmouth which eventually became the Royal Navy Museum. In May 1972, Lily presented her Nelson collection to the Royal Navy. When the Navy announced that the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal would fetch the collection from New York, she objected, saying that Nelson would have not have known what a carrier was. The frigate HMS Lowestoft, namesake of the ship in which Nelson had been a lieutenant, was diverted from Hong Kong to the United States to transport it. Today these and other artefacts from the museum’s own Nelson collection can be seen in the Lily Lambert McCarthy Nelson Gallery at the Royal Naval Museum in Portsmouth, whose windows gaze on to Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory. In recognition of Lily’s generosity, Queen Elizabeth II appointed her an honorary commander of the Order of the British Empire. Lily also gave her 1,000-volume collection to Portsmouth Central Library and another Nelson collection to the Mariners’ Museum at Newport News, Virginia. She became a Vice President of the Society for Nautical Research in Greenwich and President of The 1805. On the outbreak of war in 1939, young Lily founded and ran the Princeton branch of the British War Relief Society and was appointed an honorary OBE in 1947 for her wartime welfare work for the Royal Navy. In 1944, she married John G McCarthy. In 1995, she published Remembering Nelson (1995), a scholarly catalogue of her collect-ion at the Royal Naval Museum. Admired for her grace and ability to inspire others, Lily was said to have “a hint of Katharine Hepburn at her most languidly imperious”. Lily died in 2006, her husband John having died in 2000, she is survived by three children from her first marriage, David Fleming of Worcester, Massachusetts, Lily Norton of Camden, South Carolina, and Peter Fleming of Long Beach, California; and two children from her second marriage, John G McCarthy Jr. (Mary’s husband) of Geneva, and Ann Zavala of San José, Costa Rica.
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