Special points of interest: Chairman’s Dispatch 2 News From Council 3 Feature Story contd 4 From the Quarterdeck 5 Regional Group Reports 8 Forthcoming Events 12 Ditty Box 21 Collectors’ Corner 32 Book Notes 34 In the Auction Rooms 39 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: TOPMEN Fund Raising 6 San Francisco GFR 1805 Luncheon 7 Trafalgar Figurehead 9 Sir John Borlase Warren Plaque 9 Prince Philip, Lord High Admiral 11 2011 Trafalgar Dinner 14 Sammy Ofer Wing Opens 17 Kymin Naval Temple 19 Sword That Never Was 21 Gift of the Vardon Scroll 26 Buckler’s Hard Reopens 27 Hardy Monument Woods 28 Thomson Ship Model Collection 29 ‘Nelson Touch’ Exhibition 30 A Pickle Replica 31 Nelson Trail: Merton 32 Patriarche & Aboukir (1910) 32 Lloydssword.com 33 Admiral Whitshed Freedom Box 33 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 541343-1894, email: randym1805@aol.com; or the UK editor Ken Flemming, 15 Southlands Drive, Leyland, Preston Lancs PR26 7SJ, UK , phone +44 (0)1772 433970, email: kenflemming@sky.com. UK Edition MARVELLOUS OBJECTS HERE! I f a few years ago I had been an expert on the ‘Antiques Road Show’ and had been asked what important naval item I came across most often, I would probably have said the Naval General Service Medal (1847). If I had then been asked what I would most like to find I would have almost certainly replied a lieutenant’s uniform pre-1825 pattern, and preferably one which belonged to a Trafalgar veteran, as none were known to exist. However, this was not on my mind on 1 September 2009 when a very nice lady came to speak to me at the Express Inn, Kew Bridge. The occasion was the unveiling of another ‘Trafalgar Way’ plaque marking the route taken by Lieutenant Lapenotiere to the Admiralty with Admiral Collingwood’s Trafalgar Dispatch on 6th November 1805. The event was winding down and most people had left. Bill White, Club vice chairman, and I were dismantling the exhibition displays. It was then that the lady approached and said simply, “Excuse me, but have you seen one of these?” In her outstretched hand was nothing less than a Naval General Service Medal with a Trafalgar Bar. I recognised it instantly and a little shiver went down my spine when I looked at the edge and read the name: Lieutenant William Hicks. I knew of him! In fact I had quoted him in my book, Voices from The Battle of Trafalgar. At Trafalgar, Hicks was a 21-year old midshipman and aide-de-camp to Captain Israel Pellew of the Conqueror and he -continued on page 4- Peter Warwick describes the Club’s remarkable discovery of a unique set of artefacts from the early 18th century. Above: Lt Hicks’ uniform coat. Below: Close up of epaulette THE KEDGE ANCHOR NEWSLETTER OF THE 1805 CLUB Issue No. 31 July 2011
THE CHAIRMAN’S DISPATCH! Working together to achieve the task “Leadership is understanding people and involving them to help you do a job” Admiral Arleigh A. Burke (USN) I hope you look forward to receiving the Kedge Anchor as much as I do. This issue is as ever packed full of fascinating material and interesting stories. The article about the discovery of Lieutenant Hicks uniform is no exception, since it records one of those rare moments when a fantasy comes true. The 1805 Club’s charitable objects may lead us, quite understandably, to focus on graves, monuments and memorials, but we are also concerned about artifacts from the Georgian age of sail. Therefore to not only discover a unique item but also initiate its conservation is a wonderful landmark for the Club. The minute my eyes rested on this wonderful uniform is a minute that I shall forever remember. Lieutenant William Hicks is typical of so many of the young officers who fought in the Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, and The War of 1812 whose bicentenary is just around the corner. Their experiences and vivid accounts highlight the realities of life at sea and the fury of battle. They also reveal the effectiveness of command, the vital importance that can be attributed to the skill and professionalism of sailors and officers alike, the way they worked as a team and ultimately to the nature and practice of leadership itself. These themes inspire two of the Club’s latest initiatives described in this issue. The Top Men Scheme and the Leadership in the Age of Sail conference series. Both highlight the role and importance of involving others to do a job. The Top Men scheme seeks to recruit Club members to support our conservation activity over a five year period by pledging £100 per annum payable annually. Such teamwork by just 50 members prepared to pledge £100 per year for the next five years will, with the benefit of Gift Aid, will give the Club an annual fighting fund of over £6,000. In return, Top Men (and Women) will receive a certificate signed by our President, Admiral Sir Jonathon Band GCB DL, and an entry in The 1805 Club 'Roll of Honour', which will be displayed at Club events and kept electronically in the Members’ area of the Club’s website. Top Men will, therefore, be associated with the conservation of memorials to Georgian naval heroes for evermore. Teamwork of another kind is seen in the organization of Leadership in the Age of Sail which brings together six organizations to create a landmark international series of conferences that also create the opportunity to memorialise Dr Colin White. Colin, a Vice President and former Chairman of The 1805 Club was, before his untimely death, paying increasing attention to the subject of naval leadership; his study of Nelson having highlighted the achievements of other commanders. Nelson is widely regarded as an exceptional leader. However, we know that he could not have achieved his victories without the quality of leadership found in his captains, officers, and also in his men. This factor is not exclusive to the Royal Navy. The effectiveness of leadership in the French and Spanish navies, and the fledgling US Navy, is an area ripe for comparative study. The 1805 Club is also involving itself in conservation projects that are being led by other organization's but who nevertheless welcome our support. Therefore, while The Nile and Copenhagen Captains Memorial project is at the heart of our current conservation activity, we have been able this year to give small donations to four other relevant and high profile conservation projects. They are the Nelson Gates at Duncombe Park, The Collingwood Monument at St Nicholas Cathedral, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, the statue of Admiral Sir Pultney Malcolm at Langholm, Scotland and The Naval Temple at the Kymin, Monmouthshire. The imposing Grade II Listed Nelson Gates and railings at Duncombe Park, Helmsley are made of sandstone ashlar and are subject to a major conservation by North York Moors National Park Authority. Above the arch facing the road is the inscription: ‘To the memory of Lord Viscount Nelson and the unparalleled gallant achievements of the British Navy. 1806’. On the reverse of the arch the inscription reads: ‘Lamented Hero, O price, his conquering Country grieves of pay! O dear brought Glories of
Trafalgar's Day’. The Collingwood Monument, dedicated to ‘the hero of the Tyne’ and close friend of Lord Nelson, Admiral Lord Collingwood, is being cleaned by St Nicholas Cathedral Trust as part of a major development project at this Cathedral church. Our donation will go towards the cleaning. In the Library Gardens at Langholm, Scotland there is a statue to Admiral Sir Pulteney Malcolm (1768– 1838). He entered the navy in 1778, during the American Revolutionary War and took part in the Great Chase—the celebrated pursuit of the French fleet to the West Indies in May 1805. He was with the fleet when Nelson took command on 28 September 1805. He was ordered to Gibraltar and just missed the Battle of Trafalgar. Nevertheless, he was off Cadiz on 24 October and assisted in saving lives and ships following the Great Storm. He subsequently towed the Spanish prize Bahama to Gibraltar. Sir Pultney went on to become an Admiral of the Blue. His statue is known locally as the ‘Marble Man’ and the Club’s gift is for essential repairs supervised by Dumfries and Galloway Council. Horatio Nelson visited the Naval Temple at The Kymin with Sir William and Lady Hamilton in 1800 to admire the monument erected to celebrate Britain’s latest naval victories, including his own! The temple, owned by the National Trust, is being conserved and as part of these works the sculpture of Britannia that sits atop the structure is to be renewed. Having reassured ourselves that this replacement can be regarded as appropriate, we felt it was an obvious project for us to support. At the same time we hope it will strengthen our dialogue with the National Trust, which looks after other monuments to naval heroes, not least the Sir Thomas Hardy monument in Dorset, which is currently in need of urgent repair. We shall report on these conservation projects again, but I believe our contribution demonstrates the value of being involved with other conservations and conservation bodies, and also helps to further the reach and reputation of The 1805 Club. We shall never be short of graves, monuments and memorials to conserve. While they may not always bring the attention associated with Lieutenant Hicks’ uniform, they are still a vital part of the tapestry of Britain’s remarkable naval heritage. By working together we shall achieve the task. With best wishes to you all, Peter Warwick NEWS FROM COUNCIL Since the last Kedge Anchor, Council has held two meetings on 2 April and 28 May. The first of these meetings discussed the arrangements for the Members’ Day, but as that is now in the past, I will refer members to the reports elsewhere in this issue. The main news that I can now let members know is that the Club has a new Conservation Officer, who will manage our conservation projects. His name is Paul Ellis and he has much experience in this area. More information about him will have to await a future issue, as I am now writing this quickly to meet the editor’s deadline, and I do not have relevant data to hand, but I wanted members to know the good news now. Paul has seen the Club’s conservation guidelines which he says are similar to those he has followed for many years. He will work closely with the Club’s Architect and Surveyor, John Kerr, on all future projects, and he will also get involved in the after-care needs of graves and monuments following their conservation. Council has also agreed that the main conservation project for 2011 will be work on the graves of Capt Richard Retalick, and his brother and sister, at Padstow in Cornwall. These three graves are side by side and are in quite bad condition. Captain Retalick was the commander of HMS Defiance, the flagship of Admiral Sir Thomas Graves at the Battle of Copenhagen, 1801. Council also agreed to appoint Matthew Prince as photographer for the Nile and Copenhagen Captains’ Memorial Project. As he did in 2004 for the Trafalgar Captains, Matthew will travel round the country (including Ireland) in order to photograph the graves and memorials of all the Nile and Copenhagen Captains. Dianne Smith made a presentation to Council of her plans for a revision of the Club’s educational strategy. She also summarised the replies of members to the recent questionnaire on this subject. An approach will be made to two pilot schools to develop new teaching resources and also the Club will work with the University of Portsmouth to provide insider expertise developing games for training on RN ships. The Club will also fund a prize award for the best student. I hope that members find these summaries useful and interesting. If this is so, I should be glad to receive your feedback. My contact details can be found at the back of this issue. John Curtis Hon Secretary
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