The 1805 Dispatches #25.06 December 2025 1 of 10 THE 1805 DISPATCHES Newsletter of The 1805 Club EDITORIAL THE VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE From The Chairman, Capt. John Rodgaard USN (Ret) As this editorial is being written, Christmas (the Holidays; End of Year Celebrations – whatever you call it) seems a long way ahead, although I must confess that my older daughter (a crimbo-nut, as we say) already has her tree and decorations up, in Saudi Arabia! It seems we no sooner get over TND, and maybe Pickle Night, than we start running into the festivities. To be honest, I cannot wait to decorate my new (old) cottage. This edition of TD has turned out to be a bumper edition, simply because there is so much to report. The joy of a digital newsletter is that it can stretch, or shrink, to suit the content. Feedback is a rare thing for this editor, in the absence of which he has to assume that the reader is happy with the product. Please do not hesitate to sing out if that is not the case. Your ‘umble servant seeks only to please! BTW, check us out on: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=3IC76o_lhFw So, to finish where we started – I hope you all have a happy whatever, and that any of your good fortune continues into the distant future. Seasons Greetings Fellow Tars! I have to say that I agree with our esteem editor’s sentiment that we have just completed a very successful conference, followed by a memorable Trafalgar Night Dinner and Pickle Night dinners, and now we are now in the throes of another December to remember. It will definitely give me an excuse to set up our own ‘Charlie Brown’ equivalent Christmas tree again for another year. Our editor stated this edition has yielded a bumper crop of articles, and I am sure you will agree on that. But I think you would also agree that 2025 has been a ‘bumper’ year for The 1805 Club as a whole. We’ve lived up to our Club’s mission in terms of commemorations, publications, research and education initiatives. Allow me to recap what transpired this year; the 35th anniversary of the Club’s founding. Follow me as I mentally thumb through past copies of this year’s The 1805 Dispatches. We started off the year in January with a wonderful 90th birthday tribute luncheon for our immediate past chairman Bill White at the House of Lords. It was the Club's way of saying thank you to Bill for his leadership and his foresight in positioning the Club to become the centre of excellence for the history and heritage of the Georgian era sailing navies. The year witnessed several events that bore witness to the Club’s many relationships it has forged with kindred organisations. February saw Dr Judy Pearson, Cdr Nathan Bein and myself representing the Club at the annual Midshipman Dale Commemoration. There, at Their Majesties’ Chappel, St Peter’s Church, in St. George’s, Bermuda, Judy and I laid a wreath at Dale’s graveside. We were preceded in the wreath laying by the Governor General, representing the King and the US Counsellor General representing the people of the United States. During the reception, we introduced ourselves (the Club) to the new Governor General Andrew Murdoch, who retired as a commander in the Royal Navy. His excellency is a Nelson devotee, and subsequently, he hosted a Trafalgar Night dinner in October; the first on Bermuda in many years. Our relationship with the Friends of St Peter’s Church continues to flourish and it has provided the Club with the opportunity to interact with the St George’s Historical Society. February also saw another Battle of Cape St Vincent commemorative luncheon organised by the Club’s US Secretary, Pete Stark. This luncheon brought together nearly two dozen members living within the greater Washington DC area. Pete also held another luncheon to commemorate the Battle of the Nile in August. I mention this because, two of our newest members are avid naval war gamers of the Georgian era and they are members of a thriving war gaming club in the Washington DC area. Club Secretary, Stephen Howarth organised the very successful Glorious First of June luncheon. As in previous years, it was held at ➙ Fife and Drum on Trafalgar Night (Photo Kathy Brown)
The 1805 Dispatches #25.06 December 2025 2 of 10 Langar Hall with a visit the nearby Church of St Andrew which holds the tomb of Admiral Lord Howe. Stephen has done much over the years to strengthen the Club’s relationship with Earl Howe and Countess Howe, as well as establishing a relationship with the Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire, who represents the King [The Earl Howe is now a Club Member. Ed.] As an association for scholars and enthusiasts of the Georgian sailing world, The Club saw a marked uptick in the Club’s scholastic and education initiatives in 2025. In August, fellow members Natacha Abriat and Captain Michael Barritt presented papers at the ‘Mare Nostrum’ conference at the Université Paul-Valéry in Montpelier, France. In September, The Club sponsored two three-person panels who presented their papers at the USN Academy’s bi-annual McMullen Naval History Symposium. By the fact that each panel attracted standing room only gives an indication of the level of interest in the Georgian era sailing world. The McMullen’s success was followed a month later on 24 October with the Club’s own successful naval history conference. Congratulations to Stephen Howarth for gathering such talented historians to speak at the Princess Royal Gallery, National Museum of the Royal Navy. We can definitely see another such event regularly in the future. Of course, I would be remiss if I failed to mention the Trafalgar Night Dinner held at HMS Nelson Wardroom, Portsmouth. We received many kudos by those in attendance — ‘best ever’! I think the photos found in this edition will convey the success for both the dinner and the conference. Finally, the year demonstrated the Club’s original raison d’etre — conservation. The parish register, conserved by Alison Fairburn of The Borthwick Institute, was returned to the parishioners of St John’s Figtree Anglican Church, Nevis. This event was followed by the unveiling of the replica of Nelson’s captain’s uniform and tricorn hat that he wore at his wedding. Many thanks to Mr Keith Levett, Director, Henry Poole & Co of Savile Row, who fabricated the uniform, gratis. It presently resides in the newly renovated Nevis Maritime Museum. Conservation again came front and centre in September with the unveiling of a plaque commemorating a Royal Marine, Pte Richard Masters of St Tudy Cornwall, who was killed at the Battle of Trafalgar. I realise that I have left out quite a bit, but you can find much more in past Dispatches. I hope you have an opportunity to go through them again. With 2025 coming to an end, I wish to convey to my fellow Trustees and Associate Members my heartfelt thank you for all that you have done to make this year a year to remember in the Club’s history. To all my fellow 1805ers, I wish you every happiness, good health and success in your endeavours for 2026. See you quayside. Yours aye, TRAFALGAR NIGHT DINNER 2025 Trafalgar Night Dinner was, as usual, held in HMS NELSON Wardroom. The drinks reception, book and shop sale, raffle, fireworks and conversations were even better than our usual experience at these events. Here a page and a half of pictures, for those unfortunate enough to miss it. (The top panorama is taken from our increasingly popular Facebook page.)
The 1805 Dispatches #25.06 December 2025 3 of 10
The 1805 Dispatches #25.06 December 2025 4 of 10 THE 1805 CLUB NEW SERIES CONFERENCES – INAUGURAL EVENT 24 October 2025 MARKING TWO MILESTONES, the 220th anniversary of Trafalgar and the 35th of The 1805 Club, this conference brought together leading naval historians — including two winners of the Hattendorf Prize — at a venue directly opposite HMS Victory. Our successful earlier conferences, under the creative chairmanship of Peter Warwick, mostly used battle bicentenaries as their focal points. Then the bicentenaries ended, Peter sadly died, Covid-19 killed off much social contact, and organising conferences faded. But we never quite forgot about them, we missed their stimulus, and we came up with a new concept: How about conferences that DON’T hang onto anniversaries? That don’t even insist on our period, the Georgian era? Conferences that — simply but wonderfully — celebrate recent top-drawer naval historical research and writing? So that’s our new approach: flexible, fun, and guided by some of the greatest recent writing. And at the inaugural event in the Princess Royal Gallery, that approach brought us papers from ANDREW LAMBERT, MICHAEL BARRITT, NATACHA ABRIAT, DAVID GIBBINS, BRIAN LAVERY, SETH LEJACQ, and NICK HEWITT, all wrapped up with a wide-ranging conversation led by N A M RODGER. The 1805 Club’s return to the Conference scene was a socially enjoyable and intellectually stimulating experience, well worth the organisational effort — and its Proceedings will be published in 2026. Our plan is to run these New Series conferences every three years, to allow enough time for a wide choice of really good new works to emerge, and to have each the day before our Trafalgar Night Dinner, to make a really good weekend of it: which means the next Conference/ TND pairing will be Friday 20 and Saturday 21 October 2028 – Trafalgar Day itself! Save the Date! NAVAL HISTORIANS’ TOM POCOCK MEMORIAL LUNCH For many years, the historian and newspaperman, Tom Pocock convened dinners at the Garrick, for a group of fellow authors, around Trafalgar Day, thus unifying those who often work in isolation. Since Tom’s death in 2007, Professor Derek Law (of SNR fame) took over and the dinners were held at the Reform Club. This year is the centenary of Tom Pocock’s birth, so Derek Law, Peter Hore and Michael Nash (1805 Club founder) organised a commemorative lunch at The Army and Navy Club, for about three dozen naval historians. On Thursday 23 October, some members and friends of The 1805 Club attended including Natacha Abriat, Michael Barritt, Sim and Nikki Comfort, David Davies, Peter Hore (ex-member), Julian Mannering, Penny Pocock and Peter Turner. Unfortunately, Michael Nash was indisposed on the day, so missed the fun.
The 1805 Dispatches #25.06 December 2025 5 of 10 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. 15 = Average; 25 = Good; 35 = V Good; 40+ = Amazing! Answers on last page 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 finding 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) SOLD OUT
The 1805 Dispatches #25.06 December 2025 6 of 10 TRAFALGAR DAY IN MADRON, CORNWALL. Capt. Andrew Welch RN Rtd. Trafalgar Day in Madron Church By the late A L Rowse (1903-1997) Under the lee of St Michael’s Mount A Newlyn fisherman in the bay Encountered the dispatch-boat, Pickle, Bringing news upon their way. Up-Channel of glorious Victory, But sealed and saddened by the death Of the nation’s hero in selfsame hour, In death, as in life, he kept the faith. Sheltering from storm and wind, The ship lit up by angry sun, Flame and crimson as the blood Split on deck ‘ere day was done. In Chapel Street, the Assembly Rooms Filled with the good folk of Penzance, Gay in the flickering candlelight, Paused in the middle of the dance. When the Mayor aloft in the gallery Called for silence to announce The glorious yet grievous news, A hush fell on the crowd. At once With one impulse the gathering poured Out in the street above the bay And up the hill to Madron church There to give thanks, and grieve and pray For all the fallen along with him And every year, as if time should stay, The faithful gather there in church Still to remember Trafalgar Day. As A L Rowse’s poem says, the news of the victory of Trafalgar & Nelson’s death was first received in Penzance on 4th November 1805, via the crew of a Newlyn fishing vessel who heard it from HMS Pickle. Lt. Lapenotière landed from Pickle at about 1100 that morning and was on his way to the Admiralty in London within the hour. The news may well have spreading through Falmouth soon thereafter or maybe the Mayor of Penzance’s announcement to the great and good of Penzance on 4th November 1805 was the first time anyone in Britain had heard the news. However the news started to spread, Penzance was undoubtedly the first place where a church service was held to celebrate the Royal Navy’s great victory over the combined French & Spanish Fleet and to mourn the death of the Nation’s hero. St. Maddern, a C14 church in Madron on the northern edge of Penzance, was at the time the Mother Church of Penzance and so the Mayor led the procession up the hill to the church. The Nelson Banner was made for that service. The original is now in the Penlee House Gallery & Museum, but the church has an exact copy. Despite A L Rowse’s poetic promise, the annual memorial service lapsed until 1946, when a former naval chaplain, the Rev. Michael Hocking, as the vicar of Madron decided to restart it. Every year since (barring Covid times), on the Sunday nearest to Trafalgar Day, the people of Penzance have joined to mourn the death of Nelson & remember his great victory. This year, on Sunday 19th October, the Mayor of Penzance, Cllr. Stephen Reynolds, was joined by Cllr. Hugh Eddy, the Chair of Madron Parish Council, and Captain James Hall, the CO of HMS Seahawk, the naval air station at Culdrose on the Lizard Peninsula. Cllr. Reynolds & Capt. Hall both laid wreaths at the church’s war memorial. They were well supported by an armed guard from HMS Seahawk, the HMS Seahawk volunteer band and Sea Cadets from TS Grenville. Ordinary Cadet Lilly Harvey of the Penzance Sea Cadet Unit TS Grenville carried the Nelson Banner into St Maddern for the Memorial Service. HMS Seahawk’s Volunteer Band marching past the church after the service Capt. Andrew Welch RN Rtd, representing the 1805 Club, outside St Maddern, with a White Ensign flying from the church tower.
The 1805 Dispatches #25.06 December 2025 7 of 10 VISIT TO STOREHOUSE No 10 On the Saturday morning of the Trafalgar Night Dinner in Portsmouth, and again on the next morning, Club member Nigel Linger (CPO RN Ret’d) arranged for groups to be shown around Storehouse No 10, within Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Nigel is the Director and member of the Board of Trustees of Portsmouth Royal Dockyard Historical Trust, which has a vast Archive collection of well over a million items, rescued and saved when it seemed that the historic dockyard would be lost to the nation in the 1980s. The tour and informal lecture were fascinating, and we were shown many treasures that are never on public display. There are mostly items that are from ‘behind the scenes’ as it were – the working side of the navy – and of less appeal to the lay observer, but of great interest to naval historians. It is hoped that this may become a regular treat to those members who can organise a group to attend. A full-length article with many pictures will appear in the next edition of The Kedge Anchor. Remember that there is a whole treasure trove here https://www.facebook.com/The1805Club/ And there is another whole treasure trove here https://www.instagram.com/the1805club GREAT LAKES STATION EIGHTH ANNUAL HMS PICKLE DINNER On November 8th, 2025, the gunroom of the HMS Psyche Canadian Maritime Heritage Society hosted its eighth annual Trafalgar Dinner. Guests included members of The 1805 Club, HMCS York Royal Canadian Naval Reserves, war of 1812 re-enactors portraying the officers and crew of HMS Psyche and HMS United, the brigade officers of the Crown Forces of North America, the 2nd Regiment of York Militia and the US Marines. The dinner was held at the Port Credit Yacht Club, the base of operations for the longboat and crew of HMS Psyche. The participants enjoyed a fine dinner. The toasts including the Immortal Memory and the Loyal Toast were made between the courses. The favourites are the seven daily naval toasts, made by different guests, with a personal story relating to the specific toast. The Saturday toast of wives and sweethearts took on a new meaning, when the toast master alluded to his latest sword in his collection, as his newest sweetheart. His wife, sitting beside him, knew of his paramour. The memory of Lord Nelson and those who fell with him shall never become shrouded by either the mist of time nor the fog of war.
The 1805 Dispatches #25.06 December 2025 8 of 10 EVENTS DIARY DATE EVENT TITLE EVENT DESCRIPTION CLUB LEAD Sat 8 Mar 300th birthday of Admiral of the Fleet Earl Howe Lecture & Lunch (Times & Venue TBC) Stephen Howarth The Earl Howe Sat 9 May The 1805 Club AGM Army & Navy Club (The Rag), Pall Mall, London, 1000-1530 Stephen Howarth Mon 1 Jun Glorious First of June Annual commemoration and lunch for the Glorious First of June, Langar, Nottinghamshire, 1200-1500 Stephen Howarth Sat 25 Jul Visit to the former Royal Hospital, Haslar Private Visit to the former Royal Hospital, Haslar, Hampshire Stephen Howarth and Mark Trasler MBE, Chairman, Haslar Heritage Group (and Club member) Sun 26 Jul Visit to Buckler's Hard, Bealieu Visit to Buckler's Hard, Bealieu, Hampshire, with river trip, personal updates on the archaeology and guided tour by Mary Montagu-Scott, 1000-1700 Stephen Howarth and Mary Montagu-Scott DL, Director, Buckler's Hard Maritime Museum (and Club member) Wed 19 Aug The George Forbes project Unveiling and completion of the George Forbes project, Logie Coldstone kirkyard, Aberdeenshire Stephen Howarth 21 Oct Annual Wreath-laying at Nelson's Tomb Annual Wreath-laying at Nelson's Tomb, St Paul's Cathedral 1100-1200 Stephen Howarth Sat 24 Oct Trafalgar Night Dinner HMS NELSON WARDROOM, Portsmouth, 1800-2230+ Stephen Howarth TBD Visit to Sutton Hoo Ship’s Company Visit to Woodbridge Riverside Complex. Four venues. TBD The sharp-eyed among you may have noticed that the Club Lead for every one of the events in the UK is Honorary Club Secretary Stephen Howarth. You will know that ‘Honorary’ means the job is entirely voluntary, and your Editor respectfully suggests that it is too much to expect one person to bear the total load of organising events. The 1805 Club is widespread, and would welcome any suggestions for relevant local events that could be of interest to other local members, and that could be organised by those local members. The Club would be happy to assist, and to publicise, any such events. CONGRESS FOR THE NAVAL ORDER OF THE US IN PHILADELPHIA Five US 1805 Club members, on 16-18 October 2025, attended the annual Congress for the Naval Order of the US in Philadelphia. Here they are on the final evening at the Distinguished Sea Service Awards dinner: L-R - John Rodgaard, Ralph Day, Judy Pearson, Phil Puckett, and John Cupschalk (seated). The Congress consisted of visits to historic ships, award ceremonies, and lectures on naval history.
The 1805 Dispatches #25.06 December 2025 9 of 10 On the same day, the globally famous auctioneers SPINK will offer for sale the collection of medals, militaria, and documents related to Nelson's Navy that was assembled by our late member RANDY MAFIT, creator and original editor of The Kedge Anchor. The sale commences at 10:00 UK time. Online bids may be placed through this link: https://live.spink.com/auctions/4IOU2WO/25003-orders-decorations-andmedals Lots 70-174 comprise the late Randy Mafit’s collection of Militaria and Documents, including some Swords and Paintings. The estimates for these items range from well below £100 to over £3,000. The sale brochure supplied by Spink incudes the following vignette about Randy, written by his sister, Rebecca Haggerson: “Randy was an old soul. He was an American with a passion for all things British. His love for England began as a college student in 1968, when he traveled to London to live and study. His true passion was for books, and he pursued an education and career in library sciences, spending his free time reading, researching and acquiring antiquarian volumes. Randy came from a long line of US Navy men, including his father and several uncles. His mother was also in the Navy during WWII. Randy himself served in the US Navy during the Vietnam War and I'm sure his service and his family history kindled his love of ships, battles, and military history. While traveling to foreign locations, both as a student and in the service, he loved to search for and acquire unusual items. Eventually, Randy figured out how to combine his love of books with his love for British naval history and became particularly enamoured with Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson and his heroic service in the Royal Navy. Randy began collecting Nelson memorabilia and associated items and spent over forty years seeking out and acquiring all manners of historical artefacts. His love for the hunt equalled his reverence for the items! The better part of the journey was the making of new friends with common interests; he loved to participate in The 1805 Club, writing quarterly updates and traveling to historic locations with the people who shared his passion. Randy was a generous man. He was always willing to recommend a good read, a great trip, a renowned restaurant, and a worthy museum. He told fascinating stories, had a contagious sense of humour, and lived a very interesting life. He will be missed, by both family and friends, but hopefully his treasures will continue to spark joy and interest in those who appreciate them.” SALE OF RANDY MAFIT’S TREASURES ALNS AWARDS Thursday 27 November sees two completely separate events that include The 1805 Club: the annual Awards Evening at Admiral Lord Nelson School, Portsmouth, and the sale by auction at Spink ("Where History Is Valued") of the collection of medals, militaria, and documents related to Nelson's Navy that was assembled by our late member and The Kedge Anchor editor RANDY MAFIT. R Burdett Mafit (1946-2025) The 1805 Club is glad to have been connected with ADMIRAL LORD NELSON SCHOOL (ALNS) since the school's establishment in 1995. Located in Portsmouth, UK, ALNS is a secondary school with approximately 1,000 pupils aged 11-16, and has consistently been rated 'good' by OFSTED. Each year The 1805 Club presents a trophy to a student selected by the school's leaders. The trophy's title is 'The 1805 Club Special Award for Personal Endeavour in Overcoming Adversity' -- a quality that was characteristic of Horatio Nelson at every stage of his life. This year's award goes to POPPY PARSONS and will be presented on the Club's behalf by our Webmistress Josephine Birtwhistle at the school's Awards Evening on Thursday 27 November 2025. Poppy's full citation from the school leaders will appear in the next edition of The Kedge Anchor.
The 1805 Dispatches #25.06 December 2025 10 of 10 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 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! 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. 1201272, 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 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 Eyke, Suffolk, UK Moonraker, karroo, korero, korora, kroner, kronor, marker, ranker, remark, karoo, kerma, korma, krona, krone, kroon, maker, naker, nerka, oaken, raker, amok, kame, kaon, karo, keno, kern, kero, knar, koan, kora, kore, koro, make, mako, mark, merk, moke, moko, monk, mook, nark, nerk, nook, nork, okra, rake, rank, rark. Piping Hot. The bo’sun would blow on a pipe to tell mess masters, or mess cooks, food was ready and to go and collect it while it was still hot. NAVAL TERMS THAT HAVE ‘COME ASHORE’ SHIP’S WORD WHEEL ANSWERS Pocket watches worn by Admiral Nelson and two of his most important officers at Trafalgar have been reunited for the first time since the battle. Just before the battle on Oct 21 1805, the British commander called several of his officers together on HMS Victory and instructed them to set their watches by the time displayed on his own. Thomas Masterman Hardy, his flag captain on the Victory, and Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, the second in command of the fleet were among them. Now an anonymous collector has managed to bring all three men’s watches together and they are to go under the hammer at Spinks in London on 9 December with an estimated sale price of £800,000 to £1.2m. Martyn Downer, the Nelson expert who represents the owner, said: “It is remarkable that these three gold watches have come together after more than 200 years. “Nelson’s was made by the brilliant Swiss-born Josiah Emery and was one of just 38 examples, of which only 22 are known to survive. “He was probably given it after the Battle of the Nile in 1798, and we know he treasured it. “It was Nelson’s niece Charlotte who had it made into a carriage clock to be passed to her descendants who joined the Navy, which it was.” [Top image, all from DT] Mr Downer added: “Hardy’s watch, which has only recently been discovered, was made by Robert Holland in 1755 and was probably a family gift. [Centre image] “Like Nelson’s, it would have been at some of the most celebrated battles in British history, and has been described as the watch he wore while he held the dying Nelson in his arms.” The expert said of the third watch: “Collingwood was second in command at Trafalgar and assumed command on Nelson’s death. He bought his watch by Thomas Moss on his last leave in England, two years before Trafalgar. [Bottom image] “The watches for sale are as close as anyone can get to Trafalgar – by holding them and looking at their dials as just as Nelson, Hardy and Collingwood did. “For collectors, they are of supreme importance and never before has there been a chance to buy the time that won the Battle of Trafalgar.” [This story, edited from the Daily Telegraph, resulted from a tip-off by Mark West] WATCHES WORN BY TRAFALGAR VICTORS
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