2 THE CHAIRMAN’S DISPATCH Beyond Trafalgar A t the close of my last Dispatch I left you all to savour the unscripted words of Sir Isaac Heard, Garter Knight at Arms, as Nelson’s coffin was lowered into the crypt of St Paul’s Cathedral: ‘The Hero, who in the moment of Victory, fell covered with Immortal glory’. The Club’s special service and ‘funeral’ Evensong at St Paul’s Cathedral on 9 January 2006 quite remarkably captured the spirit of these words. One club member concluded that it had been “a spectacular event for The 1805 Club”. I hope that all of you who were lucky enough to be there would agree. It has undoubtedly enhanced the Club’s status and prestige and even the cathedral was taken aback by the power of the occasion. For me, it was the most moving of all the Trafalgar bicentenary events and the one that will stay vivid in my mind for the rest of my life. The emotional attachment I felt to the original funeral as I recited Sir Isaac Heard’s words in the gloom of the Nelson Chamber, with the Admiral’s elegant tomb immediately behind me, flanked by Sea Cadets and HMS Victory’s Cutter Crew, was overpowering: ‘Thus it has pleased Almighty God to take from this transitory life the most noble Lord Horatio Nelson...’. The silence from over 100 people standing reverently close by was palpable. ‘…Viscount and Baron Nelson of the Nile and Burnham Thorpe in the County of Norfolk, Baron Nelson of the Nile and of Hillborough in the said county, Knight of the most Honourable Order of the Bath…’. I could see water glistening in the eyes of many of the ‘mourners’. ‘…Vice Admiral of the White Squadron of the Fleet and Commander in Chief of His Majesty’s ships and vessels in the Mediterranean…’. Tears were now flowing down cheeks. ‘…Also, Duke of Bronte in Sicily, Knight Grand Cross of the Sicilian Order of St Ferdinand and of Merit, Member of the Ottoman Order of the Crescent, Knight Grand Commander of the Order of St Joachim…’ And so to the impulsive words, ‘…The Hero, who in the moment of Victory, fell covered with Immortal glory’, followed by, ‘Let us trust that he is now raised to a bliss ineffable and a most glorious immortality’. It felt like this was the funeral. At the end nobody moved. Nobody wanted to be the first to break the spell. How Colin White managed to contain his emotions as he delivered his superb lecture about Nelson’s religious faith 200 hundred years to the very moment the coffin descended to the crypt I cannot imagine! As Heard’s words left my lips it became clear that after more than ten years of celebrating the bicentenaries of Nelson’s achievements we were on the brink of an incredible threshold. This was indeed the defining, poignant moment. There was a powerful sense of something unique, a sense of awe, and a true sense of loss. Not only were we all a part of Nelson’s ‘most glorious immortality’, we were also among those privileged to be its caretakers. So while there was a sense of closure there was a sense of aspiration and optimism about the future as well. The 1805 Club’s work does not suddenly come to an end because it is 2006! No other organisation conserves the monuments and memorials from the era of the Georgian sailing navy. In fact, because of the interest aroused by the bicentenary of Trafalgar and Nelson’s death we are needed even more. This interest is demonstrated by the growth in Club membership, which in 2005 at last exceeded 500 – the target we set ourselves five years ago under Colin’s chairmanship. This is an important landmark in the Club’s progress. May I extend a warm welcome to all our newest members and assure the membership as a whole that the Club will continue to strive to reward your valued support with exciting intellectual and social activities even as it gets on with its core business of conservation. In this context there is good news to report. Thanks largely to the skill and hard work of Chris Gray, our redoubtable fundraiser, the Club has received grants totalling £11,450 from the Manifold Trust, Leche Trust and Francis Coales Trust. This has allowed us to progress the conservation work on three of the seven Trafalgar Captain graves, namely Captain Charles Bullen (Britannia), at St. Mary’s Church, South Stoneham, Southampton; Captain Thomas Dundas (Naiad), at St. Nicholas Church, Hurst near Reading; and Lieutenant John Richards Lapenotiere (Pickle), at Menheniot Church, Cornwall. At the time of writing the work is underway and this is therefore an opportunity for me to also thank Graham Simpson and our surveyor, John Kerr, for all they have done to bring the projects to fruition. The conservation work is being carried out by Fairhaven of Anglesey Abbey. Their past experience includes work at King's College, Cambridge, Norwich Cathedral, Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey.
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