The 1805 Dispatches #26.01 February 2026 1 of 7 THE 1805 DISPATCHES Two-Monthly Newsletter of The 1805 Club EDITORIAL Greetings fellow Tars! I realise this edition will reach you well into the new year 2026. But, just the same, I would like to wish all our 1805 Club members and friends of the Club a very Happy New Year. As our esteemed editor has pointed out, 2026 shapes up to be a very busy year for The 1805 Club. In fact, it may surpass last year, which saw several commemorative/ social events and the completion of three major projects. You can see in the events diary that February will start with two annual events; the Battle of Cape St Vincent luncheon that, despite the freezing weather, manages to bring out a sizeable number of members living in the immediate Washington DC area. This will be followed on the last weekend of the month with the annual Midshipman Dale wreath-laying ceremony at St Peter’s Church, St George’s, Bermuda. I mention this specifically, because at the conclusion of the ceremony, I will announce that work has begun on an information board, summarising one of the last major naval actions of The War of 1812, which resulted in the loss of one of the US Navy’s six great frigates and the critical wounding of the young Midshipman. It is my hope the installation and the official unveiling of the board will be this autumn — hopefully coinciding with Bermuda’s Remembrance Day weekend in November. March will mark one year since the Club returned the St John’s Figtree Church’s Parish Register to the parishioners and the unveiling of Nelson’s Captain’s uniform coat and tricorn hat given to the Nevis Historical and Conservation Society (NHCS), which will become major exhibits in the new Nevis Maritime Museum. I have been informed that the museum will hold its ‘soft’ grand opening on 11 March, Nelson’s wedding day. As you can see below, the uniform, tricorn hat (atop a 200-year-old former bedpost) and a facsimile of the parish register are safely encased in the environmental display case purchased and donated by The 1805 Club. I could run on about what is upcoming for the Club in 2026. But, you can see for yourself what is in store. I do hope that many of you will participate, especially by attending the Club’s AGM. Wishing you my best for 2026. THE VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE From The Chairman, Capt. John Rodgaard USN (Ret) Is it February 2026 already!? With my memory, it's not too late to say "Happy New Year" until about October, so Happy New Year to all our readers. We have a busy year of activities and events coming up, so please pay attention, and, especially, transcribe the Events Diary (p5) into your personal diaries. These events are not just fun! We are a charity (technically, a CIO), so we have to raise funds in order to pay for our charitable works, and each event is a fund-raiser in one way or another. Consequently, the more events you are able to support, the more charitable work we can do, and so keep our CIO honest, so to speak. You may have seen, in a circular, that The Kedge Anchor issue dates are changing. If you missed the circular, please note here that the new copy deadline for this spring edition is now 21 February, so it is time to get busy. On 7 January, John Rodgaard and Judy Pearson were in Miami, Florida for a late breakfast with Mr. Henry Kaufman, who lives in the Miami suburbs. Henry owns Dreadnought Group, a construction consulting firm, now a corporate member of The 1805 Club!
The 1805 Dispatches #26.01 February 2026 2 of 7 This article, by Freddie Webb, of Iconic Media Group, appeared in The News in Portsmouth. A historic Union Jack which was flown during the Battle of Trafalgar could be lost overseas - with a campaign being launched to keep it in the country. The battle-scarred flag attached to HMS Royal Sovereign in 1805 may be sent abroad if a large sum of money can't be raised. It was at the centre of Lord Nelson's fleet that faced the ships of Napoleon and Spain. The government has placed an export bar on the Union Flag to allow time for a British buyer to be found and raise £450,000. Campaigner James Trotman has set up a fundraiser to support the cause.He said his family's deep connection with the Royal Navy and Royal Marines spurred him on to set up the campaign. "It's an iconic part of our history." he said. "I'd hate to see it go overseas. "I just thought there seems to never be any crowdfunding for these sorts of campaigns, so thought I'd set up my own. I'm probably not going to raise £450,000 individually, but any money will be sent to the institution that's leading on the fundraising through the Arts Council. "I have strong familial connections with Portsmouth. I'm not a fundraiser normally, but I thought it would be nice to raise some money to keep it in the country." James' father Michael served as a Sub-lieutenant in the Royal Navy before transferring to the Royal Marines. He got married to his wife in the officers mess at the Royal Marines Barracks in Portsmouth, proceeding to service on HMS Ark Royal and various other vessels. The Union Jack flag is believed to have been made and maintained by sailors aboard HMS Royal Sovereign, making it entirely unique. It is constructed from hand-stitched wool bunting with a weighted edge - bearing bullet holes from the battle. HMS Royal Sovereign was the first vessel to engage the French and Spanish as part of a headlong charge into the enemy. Roughly 4,500 sailors lost their lives, including Lord Nelson. The British victory is recognised for establishing British naval supremacy across the following century. Mr Trotman hopes the flag can find a new public home and be preserved for future generations. He added: "Every schoolkid knows about the Battle of Trafalgar. It was a make or break fight. With Nelson's column in central London, the history reverberates around the country. "I'd love it to go somewhere connected with naval history and heritage, either at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard or the National Maritime Museum in London, where it can be put up in pride of place." The export bar, in place until March 16. was implemented by the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA). Culture minister Baroness Twyeross said: "Few symbols in our country are as evocative as the Union Flag, and this flag in particular is an extraordinary representation of Britain's history and national identity." The fundraiser can be found at: crowdfunder. http://crowdfunder.co.uk/p/savethe-battle-of-trafalgar-union-jack ROYAL WILLIAM YARD, PLYMOUTH HMS ROYAL SOVEREIGN'S BATTLE-SCARRED FLAG Royal William Yard's landmark 200 Exhibition is open to the public, bringing together an extraordinary collection of original artefacts, historical documents and personal stories to celebrate the bicentenary of Plymouth's most magnificent industrial monument, which is the largest collection of Grade I listed military buildings in Europe. The free exhibition at Melville Corner showcases treasures from The National Archives, Devonport Naval Heritage Centre, Plymouth Proprietary Library and acclaimed local historians Chris Robinson and Richard Fisher, alongside captivating submissions from the public. Visitors can now explore two centuries of hidden history through this carefully curated collection. The display reveals the remarkable scope of Royal William Yard's operations, from feeding a global empire to the personal experiences of those who worked behind its monumental stone walls. https://royalwilliamyard.com
The 1805 Dispatches #26.01 February 2026 3 of 7 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; 60 = Good; 80 = V Good; 80+ = 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 #26.01 February 2026 4 of 7 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 HORATIO NELSON: FEVER & FIRE Our old friend Adam Peston has long been busy on Nelson 'products', and has now come up with what could become an essential, and entertaining, one-man performance as and depicting Horatio Nelson. Adam says, "One of the things I have done in the show is explore Nelson's early life because I have become convinced that the seeds of his greatness lie in the key events and circumstances of his childhood - in particular his mother's death, his role as a 'middle child' and the all-important influence of his uncle Captain Suckling. My exploration of these things involved some imaginative thinking and – which may be controversial with the Nelson experts – but I hope it is taken in the spirit in which it is done. When presented with a lack of solid facts the dramatist must take a few leaps... "The show has really come together in a remarkable way. By chance a very eminent costume designer, Dougie Hawkes, who has just won a Primetime Emmy for period costume, lives in my village and has enthusiastically put together Nelson's wardrobe to a level of detail and quality that, I suspect, has not been done for a long time. This was essential and I now realise I could not have done the show without him. For Nelson's coat the company Darcy Clothing used the same company that made uniforms for Waterloo (yes they are still going!)." PEARL HARBOR COMMEMORATIVE DINNER Here is a photo of The 1805 Club members who were at the 7 December 2025 Pearl Harbor Commemorative Dinner held by the National Capital Commandery of the Naval Order of the US. The location was the Country Club of Fairfax, Virginia. They were all decked out quite nicely. L-R: Peter Pennington, David Warburton, Judy Pearson, Commander Lyndsey Netherwood (RN) Assistant Naval Attaché from the British Embassy (not a Club member), John Rodgaard, Nathan Bein, and Ralph Day.
The 1805 Dispatches #26.01 February 2026 5 of 7 EVENTS DIARY DATE EVENT TITLE EVENT DESCRIPTION CLUB LEAD Sat 7 Feb Luncheon commemorating the Battle of St Vincent Lunch and discussion Peter Stark Sat 25 Feb Midshipman Dale Ceremony St Peters Church (The Chapel of their Majesties), St George's, Bermuda John Rodgaard Fri 8 May 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 2026 Visit to Sutton Hoo Ship’s Company Visit to Woodbridge Riverside Complex. Four venues in Suffolk, UK. TBD TBD 2026 Bermuda Information Board Unveiling of 1805 Club Information Board in Bermuda John Rodgaard 2026 introduces an exciting new collaboration between the Old Royal Naval College, and their partner Tea and Crafting which brings new Arts & Crafts workshops. The launch of this Arts and Crafts series provides the opportunity to delve into the joys of creating and learn new skills or simply relax and create, and is designed for beginners and enthusiasts alike. Visitors can experience a spectacular spring weekend back in time with the Old Royal Naval College’s new Tudor Takeover. Bringing the grandeur of Greenwich Palace and the drama of Tudor life to vivid reality, this event presents immersive historical re-enactment, period dance, music, and a historical royal procession that continues into the summer months as pirates once again take over the grounds with Golden Age of Piracy. Presenting canon displays and sword demonstrations, the site’s maritime roots will be showcased in full swing. OLD ROYAL NAVAL COLLEGE, GREENWICH
The 1805 Dispatches #26.01 February 2026 6 of 7 MODEL SAILING SHIPS FOR SALE Lynda Sebbage is the Chaplain of The 1805 Club, as most of you know, but may not yet have met. Lynda’s father has made a life-long collection of top quality model ship, as you can see from the Lynda's sample pictures. For health reasons, he has decided that now is the time to give others the opportunity of enjoying them, so is offering them for sale, first to members of the Club. These will not be cheap, as you can imagine from the images, but Lynda's father has offered to donate a share of whatever is raised in this sale, to The 1805 Club, to help us carry on with our charitable works. If you think you may be able to make a realistic offer for any of them, please contact the Editor: ka.editor@1805club.org
The 1805 Dispatches #26.01 February 2026 7 of 7 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 Parbuckle, palebuck, bluecap, breakup, plucker, puberal, purbeck, upbreak, apercu, backup, burlap, carpel, clupea, craple, culpae, curpel, packer, parcel, placer, pleura, pucker, puckle, repack, upbear, apure, becap, calpe, caper, caple, crape, culpa, cupar, cupel, lepra, pacer, paler, pareu, parle, pearl, perca, place, plack, pluck, pucer, pucka, puker, puler, pulka, recap, aper, bapu, bare, barp, burp, cape, carp, caup, clap, crap, earp, kelp, klap, leap, lerp, lupe, pace, pack, pale, pare, park, paul, peak, peal, pear, peba, peck, pela, pera, perk, perl, peru, peul, plea, pleb, plue, prau, prue, pube, puca, puce, puck, puer, puka, puke, pula, pule, pulk, pure, purl, rape, reap TO GO THROUGH THE HOOP To go through the hoop is to undergo an ordeal. From the old practice in some ships of passing hammocks through a hoop gauge to check that they were of uniform size and appearance before allowing them to be stowed in the hammock nettings. NAVAL TERMS THAT HAVE ‘COME ASHORE’ SHIP’S WORD WHEEL ANSWERS 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. EVAN WILSON'S SUBSTACK Here is an item that should fire up interest in many of our members. U.S. member Dr Evan Wilson is Associate Professor at the John B. Hattendorf Center for Maritime Historical Research at the US Naval College, Newport, Rhode Island. Evan regularly produces what he calls a 'Substack'. https://evanmwilson.substack.com In the spring edition of The Kedge Anchor a large extract will be published, in order to draw your attention to this interesting source. Meanwhile, a screenshot from Evan's webpage is hereunder, to whet your appetite.
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