The 1805 Dispatches #24.05 October 2024 1 of 6 THE 1805 DISPATCHES Newsletter of The 1805 Club EDITORIAL THE VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE From The Chairman, Capt. John Rodgaard USN (Ret) I have been like a dog of many tails, so happy that each tail is trying to out-wag all the others. To some extent, the tails have been wagging the dog, as is often seen, because the things I have been happy about doing have had an influence on my actions. At this time of year it is necessary to issue The Kedge Anchor at about the same time (ish) as The 1805 Dispatches, together with collating the mailing lists for both KA and The Trafalgar Chronicle, now that they are sent out together. Whilst doing all that with one hand, I have been moving house with the other – a gradual move, but still a lot of time-consuming and exciting work. And with my virtual third hand, I am editing a history of lifeboats at Aldeburgh, UK, for the local museum. It is the 200th anniversary of the founding of the RNLI this year. Note: some members may notice some repeats from this TD in the forthcoming KA, because TD is available to anyone, whereas KA is for members only. Greetings fellow 1805 Club members, I do hope the months of August and September were good months for all. They have certainly been busy travel months for many of you. For one, our Club’s Secretary, Stephen Howarth returned to the Shetland Isles, to revisit his father’s famous WW2 work there, whilst our US Secretary Pete Stark went on his grand tour of the Adriatic. I am sure he was following in the footsteps of Nelson’s favourite, Captain William Hoste. At the time of this writing, fellow member Professor Rosa Marie Delli Quadri, of Florence University is on the island of Cuba conducting research for her next paper involving ‘the relations between the great powers in the Mediterranean just before the Crimean War’. Believe it or not, Rosa Maria said there are ‘manuscripts of great interest for my research’ in the Cuban archives. Speaking of islands, my wife Judy and I visited Nevis in August to attend the biannual International Association of Caribbean Archaeology conference. We also met with the staff of the Nevis Historical and Conservation Society (NHCS) and members of the vestry of St George and St John’s Anglican Church. At our meeting, we provided them an update on the status of the historic St John’s Figtree parish register’s conservation, which will be completed by the end of year. That includes the digitisation of the register and the production of two hardbound facsimiles by March. All agreed that a formal presentation of the register and the unveiling of the replica of Nelson’s captain’s uniform and tricorn hat would occur during the weekend of 8/9 March 2025. The date coincides closely with Nelson’s wedding day on Nevis 11 March. Also, I am pleased to report that the uniform display case arrived in Nevis, and all 800 lbs (364kg) of it is safely stored within its massive shipping case at the loading dock of the future Nevis Maritime Museum. Many thanks to those members who made a donation to the purchase of the case. On the day we left for Miami, we accompanied the current NHCS President, Mr. Richard Lupinacci and the former president, Ms. Lyra Richards to the Nevis Deputy Governor General’s residence to meet with the Deputy Governor, Her Honour Hyleeta Liburd. Collectively, we briefed her on the register, the uniform and display case and with the plans to hold a ceremonial return of the register and unveiling of the uniform during the weekend of 8/9 March. Her Honour informed us she would pass along what we presented to the Governor General as well as to the St Kitts/Nevis High Commissioner in London. As for another 1805er on travel, Reverend Lynda Sebbage (The Club’s Chaplain) and her husband recently visited Italy on a welldeserved break. They spent a few days in Naples and its environs, looking for any evidence that remains of Nelson and the Hamiltons. Nelson descendant, “RNLI lifeboat at Aldeburgh, Suffolk, UK, The James Leath being hauled ashore” Image available from the Media Storehouse https://www.mediastorehouse. com/memory-lane-prints/ mirror/0000to0099-00094/ lifeboat-aldeburgh-suffolkjames-leath-hauled-21375184. html L to R, Richard Lupinacci, Judy, John, Her Honor Hyleeta Liburd and Lyra Richards.
The 1805 Dispatches #24.05 October 2024 2 of 6 Lily Style, said to Lynda there is very little left, but she did send a link: https://emmahamiltonsociety.co.uk/visit. Finally, speaking of travel, I do hope that many of you will be travelling to Portsmouth to attend The Club’s annual Trafalgar Night Dinner at HMS Nelson on Saturday 19 October. I am looking forward to seeing you there. Yours aye, On 27 July, members of The 1805 Club and guests gathered for lunch to commemorate Rear Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson’s victory over the French fleet at Aboukir Bay, Egypt, near the mouth of the Nile. This decisive battle took place on 1 – 2 August 1798, beginning in the early evening and continuing into the night. The British fleet consisted of 13 third-rate ships-of-the-line, 74 guns each, plus the fourth-rate Leander, 52 guns. The French fleet of 14 ships-of-the-line included the 124-gun Orient, three 80-gun ships, and the remainder 74-gun ships. There were also four French frigates. The battle is notable for the decision by the lead ships of the British (Goliath, Captain Foley, and Zealous, Captain Hood) to risk rounding the head of the French fleet, the ships of which were seen to be at single anchor in relatively shallow waters, demonstrating that there was sea room for them to swing. The British were therefore able to attack the enemy from both the landward and seaward sides. This approach initiated a crossfire against the French ships, which, not anticipating such a move by the British, did not have their landward (port side) guns initially prepared for action. The French flagship L’Orient exploded at 2200. The victory was so comprehensive that only two French ships-of-the-line and two frigates escaped destruction or capture. Our luncheon took place at Il Porto Italian Restaurant in Alexandria, Virginia. Following lunch, we held a raffle for a beautiful Pusser’s Port decanter, the proceeds of which will benefit Club projects. The decanter was won by member Peter Pennington. Using Chairman John Rodgaard’s small ships, we then walked through the events leading up to the battle, and then the maneuvers of the British fleet during the battle. Everyone was assigned a British ship to “command,” and each person maneuvered their ship into proper position, resulting as anticipated in the decisive defeat of the French fleet. The Battle of the Nile commemorative get-together has been an annual event since 2022 for members and guests in the U.S. mid-Atlantic area. Picture Captions, Left: Top: The fleets prepared for action (photo by Pete Stark) Middle: Pamela Prevar, John Prevar, Catherine Lincoln, Peter Pennington, Mary Frances Jetton, Jeff Johnson, and Pete Stark (Photo by Judy Pearson) Bottom: Nathan Bein, Roxanne Satterfield, Jack Satterfield, Debbie Ritorzie, Chris Kurtz and Phil Puckett (Photo by Judy Pearson) Picture Captions, Right: Top: Making ready to maneuver: Pete Stark, Pamela Prevar, John Prevar, Mary Frances Jetton, Peter Pennington, Catherine Lincoln, and Jeff Johnson (Photo by Judy Pearson) Middle: Nathan Bein and Catherine Lincoln after the action (Photo by Pete Stark) Bottom: Pusser’s Port Decanter won by Peter Pennington (Photo by Judy Pearson) BATTLE OF THE NILE COMMEMORATIVE LUNCHEON – 27 JULY, 2024 Pete Stark The Deputy Governor’s Residence
The 1805 Dispatches #24.05 October 2024 3 of 6 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. 40 = Average; 50 = Good; 60 = V Good; 70+ = Amazing! Answers on last page Remember that there is a whole treasure trove here https://www.facebook.com/ The1805Club/ RECRUITMENT OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS Founded in 1990, The 1805 Club is an international charitable organisation that commemorates and educates about the history and heritage of the age of sail, during the Georgian era (1714-1837), and the influence this period has played on the maritime world up through the present day. It is registered to the Charity Commission for England and Wales as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), number 1201272. As a CIO the Club has an urgent need for two important honorary positions to be filled. One is for Treasurer and the other is for someone to determine Club policy on marketing, fundraising and advertising. The Treasurer role is predominantly one of advising the Club on essential accountancy and tax matters, and he/she is supported by a very capable assistant. The Club must demonstrate to the Charity Commissioners that its members are contributing to the Club’s charitable projects, and are not simply enjoying the benefits of being a member. This means that fundraising must be even more seriously addressed than hitherto. We therefore invite members with experience of these matters (and some spare time, as well as the wish to actively help!) to put their names forward for possible inclusion in a voluntary committee with the power to reorganise such Club activities. This invitation is open to all members, because under our new Constitution, members and Chairs of such committees do not have to be Trustees of the Club. For further information on the Treasurer position, please contact Nicholas Ridge via email: treasurer@1805club.org for the marketing position please contact Kathy Brown via email: kathy.1805club@gmail.com The 1805 Club is a club, the clue is in the name. But what all of us must remember is that the Club is a charity, originally created to find memorials to past naval personnel of the long Georgian period and to try our best to ensure that they be properly remembered. To further this end we also encourage and support research into naval history and find ways to improve its education. None of this is cheap if it is to be done well, and ‘done well’ is the only way to do things. In common with all other charities, we can only fully carry out our promises if we can raise enough funds to do so. In future publications you will see a reminder that there are ways to make a donation, whenever you might find a bit of surplus cash, together with ways to purchase merchandise and secondhand books that have been kindly donated to the Club for the very purpose of fundraising. Give at our main website: http://1805club.org/ or use these links: For the Flagship Fund go to http://bit.ly/ 1805ClubFlagshipFund or for The Trafalgar Way go to http://thetrafalgarway.org/ For our shop, try https://www.1805club.org/shop, or click on one of the images opposite . . . Nelson Portrait At His Desk on Victory £100 Used Books £10 each Past copies of Trafalgar Chronicle £15 each The Trafalgar Way Official Storymap £19.99 Club Ties £35 each Nelson Portrait No.2 £100 (Both portraits by Jessica Turgoose, The 1805 Club Artist in Residence)
The 1805 Dispatches #24.05 October 2024 4 of 6 VISIT TO THE RAG – SEPTEMBER 2024 Peter Pennington On the 20th September, 1964, some 234 young men started to shuffle in a vague form of order from the ferry up the hill towards the Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. It was the 60th anniversary of this event that would get about one hundred of us together, to the day, in the Vintners’ Hall, London. As I was due to arrive in London from Washington DC on Tuesday 17th, I thought it would be a good idea to meet some fellow members of The 1805 Club for an informal meal at the Rag, the Army and Navy Club in Pall Mall. So, Stephen Howarth kindly arranged a luncheon in the Coffee Room of the Club. The Gods were with me for despite doing two circuits of the infamous Hemel Hempstead roundabout at 6000 feet and ground control parking the aircraft in a field in Slough or somewhere for 20 minutes while they tried to find an empty ramp, I arrived at the Club, hot and breathless, a mere 4 minutes late. Ten of us sat down to lunch, seven Club members and, thank you Stephen, three members of my family that I had not seen except digitally for quite some time. The food was good, the presentation and service excellent and price very reasonable. More importantly – the conversation was lively. As an example, we compared notes about the forthcoming Trafalgar Night banquets. England will celebrate on October 19th in the Wardroom of HMS Nelson, Portsmouth. America will celebrate on Sunday October 20th at the Country Club for Fairfax. After the luncheon, we retired to the Terrace where we consumed our coffees, and I recounted (interminably) the extraordinary tale of the Battle of the White House that took place on the Potomac River during the first week of September 1814. But that is another story [Which it is hoped will appear in KA in due course. Ed.] Photos, clockwise from top left: • Peter’s granddaughter, Matilda, with the famous Emperor Penguin (stuffed) given to the Club by Surgeon Commander G Murray Levick, RN, who accompanied Captain Robert Falcon Scott aboard Terra Nova. • Jenny Newbold, John Wills, Meryl Balchin and Ed. In the Coffee Room (Note: this is a bootleg photo because technology is not allowed in the Coffee Room at The Rag.). • Stephen Howarth, Meryl Balchin and Bill White on the Ribbon Bar Terrace. • Peter, Matilda and Mark Pennington and Stephen Howarth. • Bill White, John Wills and Ed. • Ed. showing “the spot, the very spot where Captain John A Rodgaard, US Navy Retired, Chairman of the 1805 Club, tripped and fell in October 2023 causing much pain and grief, especially for Judith his wife. It is suggested a plaque be set up to mark this important occasion.” [quote from Peter Pennington] • Granddaughter Matilda again alongside the portrait of the then 28-year-old Queen Victoria.
The 1805 Dispatches #24.05 October 2024 5 of 6 NewmemberJeanne Willoz-Egnor, Curator of Maritime History and Culture, Director of the Ifland Center for Exploration at the Mariners’ Museum, Newport News, Virginia, USA, sent us this link, that you may find interesting. https://www.marinersmuseum.org/nelson_santacruz PICKLE NIGHT 2024 WITH THE SALTS IN TRAFALGAR SQUARE Diary Date: Wednesday 6TH NOVEMBER 2024 Pickle Night commemorative concert The Crypt, St Martin’s-in-the-�ields Trafalgar Square, London Closest stations are Charing Cross or Underground Leicester Square Tickets £25 https://www.stmartinin-the-�ields.org/crypt-lates/ This year folk band The Salts will be commemorating Pickle Night with a concert of their “Songs from the Sea” in the iconic vaulted Crypt beneath St Martin’s on Trafalgar Square. The Crypt is transformed into an atmospheric music and cabaret venue, with a fully-stocked bar and great food options. Last year The Salts played four shows in Falmouth, Exeter, Blandford and London, as well as impromptu roadside tunes, raising awareness and donations along The Trafalgar Way. The Salts are one of the most exciting and energetic folk bands around, performing original material alongside their own interpretations of traditional songs. The band features �ive seasoned musicians collectively performing a mixture of instruments as well as great harmonies, all guaranteed to get the crowd singing and dancing along. What a fabulous way to celebrate Pickle Night in London! THE INSTITUTE OF NAVAL MEDICINE The Institute of Naval Medicine is home to the serving and civilian medical staff, academics and experts who conduct research at the leading edge of science supported by state-of-the-art laboratory and clinical facilities to advise all three Services on how personnel and operations might be impacted by medical issues or conditions. But the establishment, tucked away in Gosport’s af�luent suburb of Alverstoke, is also home to an unprecedented archive of literature, old surgical instruments, medals, ceramics and photographs, spanning half a millennium of naval history and medical knowledge/understanding. The team are keen to open the collection up to as many people as possible – and of all age groups. The core of the library’s collection is drawn from 19th Century naval surgeons and medical staff, with books from both principal naval hospitals, Haslar and Stonehouse which both survived encounters with the Luftwaffe during The Blitz. The archive tells both the story of the health of the Navy and the history of naval medicine over nearly 500 years, but it also touches broader subjects: exploration, evolution, botany, ornithology, and natural history. The oldest volume held is a 1554 anthology of the works of the father of medicine, Hippocrates. Other gems include Darwin's Zoology of the Voyage of the Beagle, a 16th-Century text on reconstructive surgery, A Treatise on the Scurvy by the leading naval surgeon of the age, James Lind, and 20 volumes of John Gould's illustrated books of ornithology, including his Birds of Australia with illustrations by Edward Lear. To arrange a visit call 023 9276 8003 or email NavyINM-CS@mod.gov.uk.
The 1805 Dispatches #24.05 October 2024 6 of 6 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 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 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 timespeci�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! 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 sailingnavy 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, Notts, 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 EVENTS DIARY Duckboard, bucardo, burdock, ruddock, abord, bardo, board, borak, bourd, brack, broad, brock, bucko, burka, carbo, carob, coarb, cobra, courb, courd, croak, crudo, dobra, dorad, dorba, douar, doura, drack, draco, drouk, duroc, bard, baud, bord, brad, brod, buda, budo, burd, card, coda, cord, crud, curd, dack, dado, darb, dark, daub, daud, daur, doab, dock, docu, dorb, dork, douc, douk, dour, drab, drac, drad, drub, duad, duar, duck, duka, dura, duro, orad, road, rudd Hard to fathom This has come ashore to mean it is difficult to understand, or get to the bottom of, a problem. Clearly, this is based on the impossibility of establishing the depth of very deep water by using a shoaling line NAVAL TERMS THAT HAVE ‘COME ASHORE’ SHIP’S WORD WHEEL ANSWERS DATE EVENT TITLE EVENT DESCRIPTION CLUB LEAD 19 Oct 2024 Trafalgar Night Dinner Trafalgar Night Dinner at HMS Nelson Wardroom, Portsmouth Stephen Howarth 20 Oct 2024 Trafalgar Night Dinner Country Club of Fairfax, Virginia Mess Dress/Black Tie (Limericks essential) Peter Pennington 8 Nov 2024 Visit to Artefacts Repository HM Brig DeBraak, Dover, Delaware USA Pete Stark 15 Feb 2025 Battle of Cape St Vincent Lunch Alexandria, Virginia Pete Stark 8/9 Mar 2025 Return of St. John’s Figtree Parish Register, Nevis Ceremony jointly held by St George and St John Anglican Church, The Nevis Historical and Conservation Society and The 1805 Club Averil Walters Richard Lupinacci Stephen Howarth John Rodgaard Pete Stark 8/9 Mar 2025 Presentation of Nelson’s captain’s uniform Ceremony jointly held by The Nevis Historical and Conservation Society and The 1805 Club Richard Lupinacci John Rodgaard Pete Stark 17 May 2025 The 1805 Club AGM The Army & Navy Club (The Rag), London Stephen Howarth 18 Oct 2025 Trafalgar Night Dinner Portsmouth Stephen Howarth
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