THE CELEBRATION OF NELSON: EVENTS INSIDE THIS ISSUE: The KEDGE ANCHOR is the newsletter of The 1805 Club. It is published three times a year (in March, July and November) and is distributed free to members. For information about the newsletter contact the North American editors: Randy and Dana Mafit at 1980 Sunrise Blvd., Eugene, Oregon 97405, USA, phone +1 541-343-1894, email: randym1805@aol.com, or the UK editors Paul and Penny Dalton at Woodlands, Hankham, Pevensey, East Sussex BN24 5BE, UK, phone +44 (0)1323 764212, email: pd@pdpictorial.freeserve.co.uk . THE KEDGE ANCHOR NEWSLETTER OF THE 1805 CLUB Issue No. 13 July 2005 Chairman’s Dispatch 2 Trafalgar Captains’ Book 3 Commemorative Crystal 3 AGM Report 4 Cecil Isaacson Memorial Lecture 4 Collect Britain 4 Events Reports 5 Nelson & Napoléon Exhibition 7 Events 8 1805 Club Events 9 International Fleet Review 10 International Festival of the Sea 11 New Trafalgar Dispatch Update 12 More Events 14 Calendar 16 Trafalgar Ancestors 18 Book Notes 19 Collector’s Corner 22 1805 Club Website 22 Special points of interest: THE ‘GREAT CHASE DINNER’ ON HMS VICTORY, 13 May 2005 The ‘GLORIOUS FIRST OF JUNE’ Celebrated at Langar Hall, Nottingham KA Editor, Randy Mafit, during his two month visit from the USA, with Stephen Howarth, a former 1805 Club Chairman, at Langar Hall. See report on page 5 THE INTERNATIONAL FLEET REVIEW, PORTSMOUTH, 28 JUNE 2005 Below right: WIX327 USCG Eagle with left: R11 Spanish Aircraft Carrier Principe Asturias, and right: F229 HMS Lancaster, A Type 23 Frigate. See report on page 10 Left: Victory illuminated. Above: Alex Naylor, Nelson historian and lookalike chats with 1805 Club Chairman, Peter Warwick, and Lady Sarah Band, who nobly stood in for her husband, Admiral Sir Jonathon Band KCB, the guest speaker who was unable to attend. See report on page 5 Nelson, Peter & lady band Mafit pic Eagle 07 From the Quarter-Deck 2 The Ditty Bag 6 Feature Story 12 The Forthcoming Club Events & Calendar 16 Research Notes 18 Book Notes 19 Collectors Corner 22
2 THE CHAIRMAN’S DISPATCH Engage The Trafalgar Festival more closely! The Trafalgar Festival is underway! Four months packed with events up and down the country began spectacularly on 28 June with the International Fleet Review and culminate in October with the Trafalgar Weekend for which more than a thousand events have now been registered. For Nelson, 200 years ago, there was not the same sense of anticipation, excitement or certainty. For two years he had been trying to bring the French fleet and subsequently the Combined Fleet of France and Spain to action in order to secure a crushing victory. In July 1805 he was down hearted. ‘Cape Spartel in sight, but no French Fleet nor any information about them: how sorrowful this makes me.’ he wrote after his 3,459-mile dash across the Atlantic and back. His efforts had once again been frustrated. The Great Chase after Villeneuve ‘as far as Trinidad’ and back had ended without a battle. Nevertheless, in a dispatch sent by the fast brig Curieux under the command of Captain George Bettesworth, who arrived at the Admiralty on 8 July, he had given the astute Lord Barham, First Lord of the Admiralty, time to issue a decisive order. Barham instructed Admiral Sir Robert Calder to raise his blockade of Ferrol and to cruise between Ushant and Cape Finisterre, in order to strengthen the defence of the south western approaches to the English Channel. On 22 July Villeneuve ran straight into Calder’s squadron some 120 miles off Cape Finisterre. Barham’s cunning and strategic instinct had paid off. At 11 am the French emerged from a fog bank and Calder’s inferior force ran down on them as fast as the light and baffling winds would allow. The action did not start until 5.15 pm and lasted four hours. The fog, failing light and gun smoke meant that neither side could see each other clearly. Nevertheless, Calder captured the Spanish 80-gun San-Rafael and 74-gun Firme, and so badly mauled the French Atlas, 74 guns, and three more Spanish ships that they took no further part in the campaign. The Spanish suffered 650 casualties, three times as many as the British. Calder did not renew the action the following day, for which he was severely criticised and faced a Court Martial, but Villeneuve saw no reason to renew the battle either and was relieved to get his fleet into Vigo. He was down to four days water and had as many as 1,700 sick, many with scurvy. Villeneuve now sailed south for Cadiz where he met his destiny off Cape Trafalgar on 21 October. In spite of the criticisms levelled at Calder, there can be no reservations about the strategic success of Calder’s Action – it has never been given a name. It was his attack on the returning Combined Fleet, and not the Battle of Trafalgar, that put an end to Napoleon’s grand invasion plans. The 1805 Club celebrated The Great Chase with a memorable dinner on the lower gun deck of HMS Victory on Friday 13 May. It was a superb, atmospheric, evening and a marvellous overture to the Trafalgar Festival. Our guest of honour, Admiral Sir Jonathon Band KG, Commander-in-Chief Fleet, was unexpectedly taken ill a few hours before the dinner and the valiant Lady Sarah Band delivered his speech with considerable aplomb and to the delight of everyone present. I am pleased to report that Admiral Band is now fully recovered. The Council shares my concern that many members of the Club were not able to attend the Great Chase Dinner because of the limited numbers. It does seem that whatever basis we choose to distribute tickets – by ballot or first come first served – there is disappointment for some. On this occasion the dinner was very heavily oversubscribed. Consequently, and thanks to the enthusiasm of our new events officer Lynda Sebbage and her team, Barry Coombs and Ken Chaproniere, the Club has organised another exclusive event, on Sunday 23 October, and priority will be given to applicants who were unable to come to The Great Chase Dinner and last year’s Newhouse Trafalgar Dinner. The ‘Norfolk and Suffolk Bicentenary Trafalgar Dinner’ is being held at Hintlesham Hall in Suffolk and includes a talk by Martyn Downer, author of Nelson’s Purse. Coincidentally the 23rd is the last day of the Trafalgar Festival. Lynda is also organising a special Club event to coincide with the ceremonial arrival of The New Trafalgar Dispatch to The Old Admiralty in Whitehall on 9 September. We thought it would be good for members who want to watch the arrival of Lieutenant Lapenotiere in the post chaise, accompanied by cavalry from the Queen’s Household Division, a full Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines and the Sea Cadet Corps, to be able to continue the celebrations. Lynda has therefore arranged with Lock & Co of St James’, Nelson’s hatters, for a private tour and a talk by Kenneth Cliff. Nelson visited Locks on 9 September 1805 and his order written in the ledger for that day will be on display. Afterwards, members are invited to the Army & Navy Club in Pall Mall for The 1805 Club’s Celebration Dinner for the arrival of The New Trafalgar Dispatch where our guest of honour is Commander Andrew Gordon-Lennox Royal Navy, Secretary of the Royal College of Defence Studies and the person who has masterminded the arrangements for the delivery of The New Trafalgar Dispatch to London. Memorabilia for the bicentenary is burgeoning. The 1805 Club is producing a special issue of the Trafalgar Chronicle to mark the bicentenary year and Randy Mafit, our North American Secretary, is preparing a keepsake for all members.
3 1805 CLUB UNIQUE CRYSTAL OFFER To mark the Trafalgar Bicentenary, arrangements have been made with Majestic Crystal for several pieces of specially engraved commemorative glassware to be exclusively available to 1805 Club members. Each piece will be engraved with the words The 1805 Club Trafalgar Bicentenary 2005 surmounted by the 1805 Club crest. (Note: space is limited on both the Decanter and the Goblet, so there is room only for the Club’s crest) The engraved items of glassware are: • the ‘Nelson’ Ship’s Decanter with silver-plated tray at £59.95 • the ‘Stockholm’ goblet 8inch/20cm high at £21.45 • the one pint jug tankard at £15.75 • the Loving Cup 10inch/25cm: £30.00 • Other recommended items include the ‘Edward’ whisky tumbler, Hi-ball glass, and Champagne Flute - £9.95 each. Presentation boxes are also available at £5 (£10 for the Nelson decanter and tray). All prices include VAT. Postage and packing to the UK mainland is £12.15. Overseas postage by arrangement. Members wishing to order any of the above should contact: Majestic Crystal, The Old Chapel, Martin, Lincolnshire LN4 3QY; Tel: 01526 378676, fax 01526 378633 or email sales@majesticcrystal.co.uk. Please quote your 1805 Club membership number when ordering. [Illustrations of the glassware, without the Trafalgar Bicentenary engraving, can be seen on Majestic Crystal’s website: www.majesticcrystal.co.uk. ] Additionally, we have made an exclusive arrangement with Majestic Crystal for Club members only to buy from them a selection of crystal items, such as a ship’s decanter and whisky tumblers, engraved with the Club’s crest and bicentenary motto. Please contact Majestic Crystal on 01526 378676 or visit their website at www.majesticcrystal.co.uk and please give them your membership number when you place your order. Majestic have kindly agreed to make a donation to the Club if they receive enough orders. Enjoy The Trafalgar Festival and do keep a record, video and photographs, of all the events you attend. Peter Warwick Nelson may have been the main hero at the Battle of Trafalgar, but a major research project carried out by the Club has rediscovered the battle’s forgotten heroes- the men who commanded the ships of the British fleet. The Club has rescued these 38 men from virtual obscurity through The Trafalgar Captains’ Project, its main contribution to Trafalgar 200. The project, started two years ago, identified the locations of the memorials and monuments to all the ships’ captains and their lieutenants, some of whom took over command of their ships during the battle. A team of voluntary researchers, mostly Club members, then recorded all the monuments and their varying conditions of disrepair. The majority are located at parish churches in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; others are as far a field as Fremantle’s memorials in Naples, Italy and Valletta, Malta and Codrington’s in Pylos, Greece. The research and recording of all the memorials are now featured in “The Trafalgar Captains” written by Colin White and the Club, published by Chatham Publishing. With Matthew Prince’s stunning photography of the memorials, the book tells the remarkable story of this band of brave men from all walks of life, each of whom played a pivotal role in the battle; and some of whom went on to even greater things after their hour of triumph. Three admirals, 29 captains and six lieutenants are honoured and remembered in the project. They range from Admiral Thomas Masterman Hardy, flag captain of HMS Victory to Lt John Lapenotière, captain of the fast schooner HMS Pickle who brought home the news of Nelson’s death at Trafalgar. The roll of honour also includes one peer and two Americans. Seven of the graves are in need of urgent restoration and the Club is now seeking sponsorship from people and organisations willing to assist at this stage of the Project. Club Chairman, Peter Warwick, said: “In this bicentenary year, everyone thinks of Nelson but his victory was only as good as his fellow captains and those who served him. “They were a remarkable group of men whose names have long since been forgotten….until now. The Club has identified the location of all their monuments and memorials, seven of which require conservation, which it will undertake.” The Trafalgar Captains, Their Lives and Memorials by Colin White and The 1805 Club, published by Chatham Publishing, due July* 2005, £12.99. *We regret to report that delivery has been delayed due to floods in China. The club crest as it would appear on the hiball glass, tumbler or tankard Graves being restored by the 1805 Club Henry Willian Bayntun – Weston Church, Bath; Edward Berry – Walcot Church, Bath; Charles Bullen – South Stoneham, Southampton; Sir Thomas Capel – Kensal Green Cemetery; Thomas Dundas – Hurst, near Reading; Richard Grindall – Wickham, Hampshire; John Lapenotière – Menheniot, Cornwall. 1805 CLUB’S STUNNING NEW BOOK UNEARTHS TRAFALGAR CAPTAINS’ MEMORIALS
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