The 1805 Dispatches #25.05 October 2025 6 of 8 NELSON AND MADRON St Maddern’s (an obscure Celtic Saint) Church at Madron is the Mother Church of Penzance, in Cornwall, every year, on the Sunday nearest to 21st October, a Service is held to remember Nelson. This year’s service will be on 19th October. Captain Andrew Welch RN Rtd will be representing the 1805 Club. Why does Madron hold this service? As Club members will know, Lieutenant Lapenotière, the Commanding Officer of HMS Pickle, was detached from the Fleet after Trafalgar by Admiral Collingwood. His task was to deliver Collingwood’s report on the battle and Nelson’s death to the Admiralty and King George III, as soon as possible. Lt Lapenotière started his ride to London, along what is now The Trafalgar Way, at about midday on Monday 4th November. It is likely that the news reached Penzance at about the same time because a Penzance fishing vessel had exchanged the news with HMS Pickle in Mount’s Bay. As soon as the fishing vessel returned to Penzance, the skipper rushed to the Assembly Rooms, where, it is said, the Mayor and many of the great and good of the town were lunching and from the minstrels’ gallery, the Mayor gave them the news of both Nelson’s death and his great victory. Immediately, it was decided to hold a memorial service in the Parish Church. This is believed to have been the first ever service held to mourn the death of Britain’s great naval hero and to celebrate his great victory. The banner that was made for this service is still preserved in Madron Church (right). In 1946, the Reverend Michael Hocking, Madron’s vicar and a former Royal Navy chaplain, had the idea of instigating an annual Trafalgar Day commemoration. At the service held on the 27th October 1946, so many wished to attend that it had to be relayed outside, while recordings were made by the BBC (see image below). The tradition continues to this day, with civic dignitaries and naval personnel past and present still marching through the village. Image top right shows the Minstrels’ Gallery with Nelson to one side, Napoleon to the other & Nelson’s Death Mask above. Image bottom right shows the board outside the present-day Union Hotel – Penzance Assembly Rooms in 1805.
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