1 of 6 October 2023 The 1805 Dispatches #23.05 THE 1805 DISPATCHES THE VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE From The Chairman, Capt. John Rodgaard USN (Ret) By the time you have received this edition of The 1805 Dispatches, several members of The Club have attended the US Naval Academy's McMullen Naval History Symposium in Annapolis, Maryland. This biannual event, hosted on the grounds of the academy, is the largest gathering of naval historians in the world. I thought it was The Club's most successful McMullen, due, in large part, to US Secretary Pete Stark who coordinated the effort and arranged for the display table. I think you will agree after reading our Editor's report in this issue. Also visit The 1805 Club Face Book page for photos. Since 2015, The Club has sponsored a three-person panel who presented papers on various topics pertaining to the Georgian era of sail. I am happy to report that this year The Club sponsored two panels. The themes for the panels were, Royal Navy Management of Captive Populations, 1793-1815 and Learning about Navies. Several 1805 Club members were panelists and moderators. We look forward to publishing their papers in next year's Trafalgar Chronicle. You can see that our Events Diary is a busy one. On 7 October our U.S. Secretary, Pete Stark, has arranged for our east coast members to visit the Zwaanendael Museum at Lewes, Delaware to view artefacts from HM Brig DeBraak, which sank in Delaware Bay in May 1798. The artefacts include the remains of the brig's hull. The museum director, Ms. Devon Filicicchia, is to give us a presentation on DeBraak and will lead the tour, which includes visiting the graves of DeBraak's captain and many of her crew. As a result of our visit, Pete will be in discussions with the museum staff to determine how The Club can work with the museum to honour DeBraak and her crew. Thanks also go out to Barry Scrutton for taking the lead to ensure The 1805 Club will be represented at Nelson's crypt in St Paul's Cathedral on 21 October. I do hope many of our Londonbased members will be able join him. It is a ceremony that stirs the emotions. In addition to the multiple Trafalgar Night Dinners, which members on both sides of the Atlantic will have an opportunity to attend, The Club's Trafalgar Way project manager, Ms. Kathy Brown has arranged to have The Salts perform along the Trafalgar Way in November https://www.thesalts.co.uk/. This outstanding folk-rock band will be playing popular sea shanties at several locations where Lt. Lapenotiére stopped when he carried the dispatches telling of the Battle of Trafalgar. I do hope many of you living along the route will drop in to hear them play. It will be an excellent opportunity to show your support to The 1805 Club. Yours aye, Detail from The Battle of Camperdown By Thomas Whitcombe, 1798, Courtesy of The Tate (Public Domain) After the over-sized edition of The 1805 Dispatches last time (August) we return to nearer normal-sized this October. This is partly because your Editor has been hauling the autumn edition of The Kedge Anchor into shape whilst starting to organise the Cornwallis Memorial supplement to the KA for next spring, of which you will read elsewhere, and partly because, in the height of all that activity, he went swanning-off to Annapolis, to attend the McMullen Symposium, of which you will also read elsewhere, if you choose to. However, we could not let October pass without saluting the memory of the Battle of Camperdown, the 226th anniversary of which is on the eleventh. See page 4. EDITORIAL Newsletter of The 1805 Club
2 of 6 October 2023 The 1805 Dispatches #23.05 Saturday, 21st October 2023 — 11.00 am You are invited to attend the formal wreath laying ceremony by the First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff (or his representative) in the crypt of St Paul’s Cathedral to commemorate the death of Admiral Lord Nelson. This year the ceremony at Lord Nelson’s tomb is on Saturday, 21st October 2023 at 11.00 am. The ceremony was designed by The 1805 Club in conjunction with the Royal Navy, the Sea Cadets and the Dean of St Paul’s. Wreaths will be laid by: The First Sea Lord or his Representative The Royal Naval Association The Sea Cadets Corps The 1805 Club The Society for Nautical Research After the official wreath laying ceremony, which lasts about 15 minutes, there will be a short ceremony at the tomb of Admiral Lord Collingwood. Those attending may then lay wreaths if they so wish. You are welcome to bring a guest. Please arrive at the Cathedral by not later than 1045, entering the crypt by the North door opposite the Chapter House and Temple Bar. If you would like to attend please advise Barry Scrutton by email: barry@scruttonestates.co.uk by no later than lunchtime on Monday 16th October 2023. TRAFALGAR WREATHLAYING The History Department at the US Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, hosted this biennial event on 21-22 September 2023, to highlight the latest research on naval and maritime history from academics and practitioners all over the globe. Held since 1973, the symposium has been described as the "largest regular meeting of naval historians in the world" and as the US Navy's "single most important interaction with an academic historical audience." This year your Editor was privileged to be able to attend, and, if asked to describe the experience in just one word, the only appropriate one he can use is “Wow!”, with the exclamation mark very necessary. The rationale for the United States Naval Academy (USNA) in Annapolis, Maryland, to hold the McMullen Naval History Symposium (MNHS) every two years since 1973 (except 2003 & 2005) is simple: enable today’s and future military leaders to learn from the mistakes and successes of yesterday’s military personnel. In other words, make the perspective of history relevant to today’s navy personnel. Who better to teach history than history practitioners – service and civilian academics steeped in history? That is why mishipmen at the US Naval Academy are allowed/required to attend the presentations, and, in many cases, required to write-up what they have learned as part of their course work. And very diligent they seemed to be, or at least the ones I observed seemed to be. But there are a couple of problems with teaching history: the first is that history is subject to being rewritten — not in the way described in George Orwell’s ‘1984’ but in the way history is open to interpretation by whoever is doing the research — history, like science, responds to the latest evidence or discovery. It was evident that many of the presentations were ‘works-inprogress’ and the presenters were still seeking answers to their personal subject. To paraphrase from earlier, who better to ask than a captive group of naval practitioners? So the presenters also gain something here. The answer to this problem of history's flexibility is to invite as many as possible, or available, of the top naval history people in the world and put on a big ‘show’. Nobody would disagree that the USNA knows how to do that! The second problem is how to stage the Extracted from Wikipedia: "In Ancient Greece, the symposium (Greek: συμπόσιον) was a part of a banquet that took place after the meal, when drinking for pleasure was accompanied by music, dancing, recitals, or conversation. [Ooh, this sounds interesting! Ed] In modern usage, it has come to mean an academic conference." [Oh – Might be good, though. Ed.] US NAVAL ACADEMY'S MCMULLEN NAVAL HISTORY SYMPOSIUM 2023 By Peter Turner ▻
3 of 6 October 2023 The 1805 Dispatches #23.05 symposium. When it started in 1973 (actually the first conference was in 1971, from which the biennial symposium evolved) there was not a more effective way than to bring all the academics together and invite audiences to attend their presentations. We do not have to do it that way these days, especially since the lessons learnt by the whole world during the COVID crisis. With modern technology we can sit in our comfortable studies/ homes/offices and ‘attend’ many kinds of presentations. But how effective is that? And why miss the opportunity for colleagues and rivals, and other aficionados, to meet up and compare notes. So, this ‘second problem’ is best solved in the same way as the first problem: all get together. I can report, from first-hand knowledge, that there is a buzz from being part of such a gathering. John Rodgaard said to me, "I feel as though I'm swimming in my own gene pool", and I could feel it, too. There is no denying that there was a distinct ‘clubby’ feeling about this year’s gathering, despite the awe-inspiring grandeur of the USNA. It was the first that I had been able to attend, and I may not have attended this time if Judy Pearson and John Rodgaard had not welcomed me as a house guest for the symposium, with the generous bonus of a few days of strenuous sightseeing and social visiting. Pete Stark must also be mentioned here, as an enthusiastic contributor to my wonderful visit to Annapolis and the area. I thank them all, together with others I met who welcomed me. I was also honoured to be invited to attend an award presentation and dinner at the Naval Order of the United States. The MNHS 2023 comprised seven Sessions, A to G, each of which had nine panels of three or four presenters followed by comments from the panel chairperson. There were 80 such presentations on the first day and 102 the next day, ranging over most aspects of naval history, though the majority concentrated on the twentieth century. There was plenty for me, though, including talks on the movement and treament of POWs, espionage and plagiarism of navy rules between nations, in our period of interest. New works by new academics, and consequently interesting and thought-provoking. No better reason for holding a symposium than to stimulate new thoughts about familiar subjects. Among the more interesting panels for me were the two panels sponsored by The 1805 Club: Session E3: Royal Navy Management of Captive Populations, 1793-1815, chaired by Ryan E Mewett, USNA and presented by Sam Cavell, Southeastern Louisiana University (1805 Club member), Cori Convertito, Key West Art & Historical Society (1805 Club member) and J Ross Dancy, USN War College (USNWC), with comments by Evan Wilson, USNWC. Session F6: Learning About Navies, chaired by John Hattendorf, USN War College (1805 Club member) and presented by Evan Wilson, USNWC, Abigail Mullen, USNA, with comments by John Hattendorf. Both these panels were riveting, but I would say that, wouldn’t I. Each of ‘our’ presenters were given a Certificate of Appreciation and offered an honorarium, though the federal employees were obliged to decline to accept the latter. On the first day of the symposium there was a Navy History Luncheon (which I missed, through registering too late - there were 450 attendees to the Symposium, but only 130 lunch covers) with a USNA Reception at the end of the day, immediately followed by the excellent McMullen Sea Power Address, so eloquently presented by Professor Andrew Lambert. His subject was the difference between nations with regard to sea power and seapower. I could not be kept away! THE CORNWALLIS MEMORIAL PLAQUE It has been decided to properly record and commemorate the work, undertaken over a decade by members of both The 1805 Club and the Milford on Sea Historical Records Society, that led to the laying of a commemorative stone plaque to Admiral Cornwallis in the grounds of St Ann’s Church, within HM Naval Dockyard, Portsmouth on 16 June 2023. After extensive investigation and evaluation it has been agreed that we will produce a supplement to accompany the spring 2024 edition of The Kedge Anchor, incorporating as much of the available material as possible, in the hope that members of both organisations will wish to retain them as a souvenir of our achievement. Much of the supplement will comprise articles and images that have been published previously, together with a more detailed report on the events of 16 June 2023, when the Cornwallis Memorial Plaque was unveiled by the Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire together with The Very Reverend Dr Anthony Cane, attended by many members of both The 1805 Club and MoSHRS. Members of both organisations have previously been invited to submit to the Editor a note of their memories from this decade and it is hoped that many, such offerings can be utilised. The final date for receipt of such copy is 1 February 2024. Above: The refreshment hall where organisations’ tables were located. Below: Typical presentation room (prior to start). Previous page: The 1805 Club table. All pix from Author
4 of 6 October 2023 The 1805 Dispatches #23.05 Remember that there is a whole treasure trove here https://www.facebook.com/ The1805Club/ 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. 20 = Average; 30 = Good; 45 = Amazing! Answers on last page In strict accordance with the well-known (but rarely admitted) Editors’ Ethos (Do as little as possible and blame contributors for mistakes) this article is mostly cribbed from Wikipedia, with a few adjustments. The original has lots more information at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Camperdown The Battle of Camperdown (known in Dutch as the Zeeslag bij Kamperduin) was a major naval action fought on 11 October 1797, between the British North Sea Fleet under Admiral Adam Duncan (see the splendid article by David Davies in The Kedge Anchor No.55, Spring 2021) and a Batavian (Dutch) Navy fleet under Vice-Admiral Jan de Winter. The battle, the most significant action between British and Dutch forces during the French Revolutionary Wars, resulted in a complete victory for the British, who captured eleven Dutch ships without losing any of their own. In 1795, the Dutch Republic had been overrun by the army of the French Republic and had been reorganised into the Batavian Republic, a French client-state (see text box). In early 1797, after the French Atlantic Fleet had suffered heavy losses in a disastrous winter campaign, the Dutch fleet was ordered to reinforce the French at Brest. The rendezvous never occurred; the continental allies failed to capitalise on the Spithead and Nore mutinies that paralysed the British Channel forces and North Sea fleets during the spring of 1797. By September, the Dutch fleet under De Winter were blockaded within their harbour in the Texel by the British North Sea fleet under Duncan. At the start of October, Duncan was forced to return to Yarmouth for supplies, and De Winter used the opportunity to conduct a brief raid into the North Sea. When the Dutch fleet returned to the Dutch coast on 11 October, Duncan was waiting, and intercepted De Winter off the coastal village of Camperduin. Attacking the Dutch line of battle in two loose groups, Duncan's ships broke through at the rear and van and were subsequently engaged by Dutch frigates lined up on the other side. The battle split into two mêlées, one to south, or leeward, where the more numerous British overwhelmed the Dutch rear, and one to the north, or windward, where a more evenly matched exchange centred on the battling flagships. As the Dutch fleet attempted to reach shallower waters in an effort to escape the British attack, the British leeward division joined the windward combat and eventually forced the surrender of the Dutch flagship Vrijheid and of ten other ships. THE BATTLE OF CAMPERDOWN – 1797 The Batavian Republic (Dutch: Bataafse Republiek; French: République Batave) was the successor state to the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands. It was proclaimed on 19 January 1795 and ended on 5 June 1806, with the accession of Louis Bonaparte to the Dutch throne. From October 1801 onward, it was known as the Batavian Commonwealth (Dutch: Bataafs Gemenebest). Both names refer to the Germanic tribe of the Batavi, representing both the Dutch ancestry and their ancient quest for liberty in their nationalistic lore. The Numbers English Batavian (Dutch) 16 Ships of the line 15 Ships of the line (9 captured) 2 Frigates 6 Frigates (2 captured) 1 Sloop 4 Brigs 4 Cutters 1 Aviso 1 Lugger 203 Killed 540 Killed 622 Wounded 620 Wounded 3,775 Captured
5 of 6 October 2023 The 1805 Dispatches #23.05 EVENTS DIARY This is a schedule of some forthcoming 1805 Club events, so please put the dates in your own diaries. The Events Committee are discussing additions to this calendar on a monthly basis. EVENT DATE EVENT TITLE EVENT DESCRIPTION CLUB LEAD 7 Oct 23 Visit HMS DeBraak Museum visit to ship at Lewes, DE Pete Stark 19 Oct 23 Trafalgar Night Dinner Maryland Club Baltimore, MD John Rodgaard Pete Stark 20 Oct 23 Trafalgar Night Dinner British Officers Club, Fairfax Country Club, Fairfax, VA Peter Pennington 21 Oct 23 Trafalgar Wreath Laying St Pauls Cathedral Barry Scrutton 21 Oct 23 Trafalgar Night Dinner Club Trafalgar Night Dinner at HMS Nelson Wardroom, Portsmouth, UK Stephen Howarth 3 Nov 23 The Salts sing shanties Falmouth Maritime Museum Kathy Brown 4 Nov 23 The Salts sing shanties Phoenix Night Club Exeter Kathy Brown 5 Nov 23 The Salts sing shanties Blandford Corn Exchange Kathy Brown 6 Nov 23 The Salts sing shanties 116 Pall Mall, London Kathy Brown 24 Nov 23 Trafalgar Way Talk Talk on TW at Blandford Forum Museum Kathy Brown 10 Feb 24 Battle of Cape St Vincent Luncheon Alexandria, VA Pete Stark 24 Feb 24 Midshipman Dale Commemoration Ceremony St. George’s, Bermuda John Rodgaard 25 May 24 Club AGM and members Day AGM and Members Day at Army and Navy Club (RAG) London Stephen Howarth 1 Jun 24 Battle of the Glorious First of June Celebration of the 230th Anniversary of the Battle at Langar Nottinghamshire Stephen Howarth 2024 Return of St. John’s Figtree Parish Register, Nevis Ceremony jointly held by The Nevis Historical and Cultural Society and The 1805 Club Richard Lupanacci Stephen Howarth John Rodgaard Pete Stark 2024 Presentation of Nelson’s captains uniform Ceremony jointly held by The Nevis Historical and Cultural Society and The 1805 Club Benedict Ryan John Rodgaard Pete Stark “SHIVER ME TIMBERS” By John Wills Every TD reader will know the saying: "Shiver me Timbers", which was once an often-used exclamation attributed in works of fiction involving pirates. Long John Silver used the phrase frequently in Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. Indeed, it avoided the more abusive language that might be heard in contemporary speech these days. On a recent visit to the National Museum of the Royal Navy, in Portsmouth, I was very impressed by the fresh presentation of the contents that greatly enhance this magnificent collection. The curators have done a very good job of refreshing much of the former display and communicating a greater feel for the components that the Georgian shipbuilders used. But the one that struck me most of all, was to realise that the word "Shiver" actually describes a significant component of a hull's structure. The Oxford English Dictionary description of shiver, is "to break into small fragments or splinters". So, it was probably used by the sailors of that period to allude to the shock of a large wave or cannonball smashing into the ship and causing the hull to shudder or split asunder. ▻
6 of 6 October 2023 The 1805 Dispatches #23.05 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. 1201272, registered in England and Wales. Individuals desiring further information may contact: Stephen Howarth, Hon. Club Secretary, The 1805 Club Shelton, Notts, NG23 5JQ, UK Email: secretary@1805club.org Telephone: 01949 851346. For a membership application form please contact: Dr Sue Carr, Hon. Membership Secretary, The 1805 Club London, UK Email: membership.secretary@1805club.org Or: Harold E (Pete) Stark, Hon US Secretary, The 1805 Club Annapolis, MD, USA Email: the.americas.membership.secretary@1805club.org Telephone: 410-269-9760 (mobile) Or: Mark Billings, Hon Canadian Secretary, The 1805 Club Montreal, Quebec, Canada Email: canadian.membership.secretary@1805club.org Telephone: 1-514-296-1641 Peter Turner, Editor of The Kedge Anchor Aldeburgh, Suffolk, UK Email: ka.editor@1805club.org Telephone: +(44) 7903 251008 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 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 middle 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 the Editor of that fact. All copy is welcome, but not all copy may be used! Safeguard, sugared, garuda, augeas, argued, fraud, gradus, guard, argues, augers, sauger, fudges, surfed, surged, aurae, asura, auras, agued, fraud, durga, sudra, argue, auger, agues, usage, argus, sugar, fudge, feuds, fused, urged, degu, druse, drugs, surge, urges, frug, aura, gaud, dura, ague, urea, frau, gaur, guar, asur, rusa, sura, feud, degu, rude, rued, dues, sued, used, drug, surd, feus, fuse, urge, rues, ruse, suer, sure, user, frug, sur SHIP’S WORD WHEEL ANSWERS Strike – Seamen who had not been paid would sometimes strike, or lower, a ship’s sails to prevent her from leaving port until they had been paid. Now, any organised stoppage of labour shares the honour of this title. NAVAL TERMS THAT HAVE ‘COME ASHORE’ Most helpfully, the new presentation in Portsmouth contains, amongst the many fresh display boards, 16 pages of the dimensions of Blocks, and another four pages on the dimensions of Shivers. I was dumbstruck on realising that the word Shiver describes a vital component. They were in fact thin timber wedges, that would have been used in great numbers to enhance the watertightness of the hull. The shivering of hull timbers would have been a vital method of maintaining the water-tightness of the timber hull, especially during and after battle. This former ship's engineer was amazed to appreciate that his Georgian predecessors probably deployed Shivers, in the way we deploy “WD40” to keep the 21st century technology intact. This wonderful new display contains beautifully restored information boards to which the 18th century shipwrights would have referred to fit the appropriate dimension of shiver. The photographs here illustrate the variety of choice available, which is wonderfully described. What this reveals is the "attention to detail" that our Regency period forebears deployed. For example, the Dimensions of Shivers offer choice of timber thicknesses, such as "Snatch Thick" and "Snatch Thin", or "Long Tackle". In conclusion, one comes away with the realisation that "attention to the standard of technical detail" was a strong feature of Georgian Royal Navy warship construction. This quality of technology would have contributed to Nelson's ships having the upper hand in both endurance and effectiveness.
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