SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST: Matthew Flinders 7 Ropemaking 9 The Sheepshank 12 A Memory of HMS Royal George 13 The Mariners’ Museum Behind the Scenes 14 Scarborough and the Battle of Flamborough Head 17 London versus The Nore Mutiny 24 The Oldest Knot 25 How Mount Vernon Got Its Name 26 Visit to Anglesey Abbey 27 “The Old Superb” Immortalised In Song 28 Horatio Nelson Poem 31 Trafalgar Volunteer 32 The Loss EIC Kent 34 Matthew Walker 37 INSIDE THIS ISSUE THE KEDGE ANCHOR THE MAGAZINE OF THE 1805 CLUB Issue 62 AUTUMN 2024 Chairman’s Address 2 Secretary’s Report 3 Crossword 5 Job Announcements 6 Fund Raising 6 Events Diary 6 New Members 20 Book Reviews 22 AB&OS 37 Everybody Knows… 38 Cover Picture: See Page 3
THE KEDGE ANCHOR Issue 62 2 Greetings fellow 1805 Club members, The view from my desk here in Florida is a different one from the Northern Virginia view that I prefaced in the spring edition of the Kedge Anchor. I can see the two lime trees struggling to produce limes for our gin and tonics and not house �inches building their nest. Also, across from my desk in our sitting room is a recent acquisition; a beautiful model of HMS Surprise (38). Glad to have her on my side. The day is 17 September, and the 80th anniversary of the famous World War II airborne operation MARKET GARDEN. This was an airborne operation involving three airborne divisions dropped along a north/ south corridor in the Netherlands; it turned out to be a ‘Bridge too Far’. You are probably wondering what does this have to do with The 1805 Club and the age of sail during the Georgian era? The ‘low countries’ (Belgium and the Netherlands) have been very strategic to Britain throughout history and during the Georgian era this part of Europe was no less important in Britain’s century-long struggle against France. I remember being told in one of my British history classes that whoever held the ‘low countries’ held a dagger straight at Britain’s heart. Or as Napoleon bragged ‘…that his �leet based in the dockyards at Flushing and Antwerp was a pistol at the head of England’1. I thought of the two major naval battles that took place off the low countries during the Georgian era; The Battle of Dogger Bank in 1781 followed by the Battle of Camperdown 16 years later in 1797. Both Royal Navy victories stymied the threat of the dagger or pistol. The former was during the Fourth AngloDutch War, whilst the second was fought against the Dutch who were allies to the French Republic at that time. Then, there were the two failed land campaigns that brought the British Army across; the Flanders Campaign of 1793-94 (The Duke of York had 10,000 men fame) and the medical disaster that was the Walcheren Island Expedition of 1809. The latter was the largest expeditionary force the British had sent up to that time across the North Sea. ‘The military objectives were soon overshadowed by an epidemic of disease that largely destroyed the army’2. The importance of the ‘low countries’ persisted through the world wars of the twentieth-century, culminating with another Walcheren Island operation in November 1944 — Operation INFATUATE.3 The capture of the island was a costly success for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines; they answered the signal to ‘Engage the Enemy More Closely’. Speaking of another island, we visited Nevis in August to attend the annual International Association of Caribbean Archaeology and to meet with the staff of the Nevis Historical and Cultural Society and members of the vestry of St. George and St. John’s Anglican Church. I updated them on the status of the Parish Register’s conservation, and I said it will be completed by the end of year. That includes the digitisation of the register with the production of two hardbound facsimiles by March. All agreed that a formal presentation of the register and the unveiling of the replica of Nelson’s uniform and tricorn hat would occur during the weekend of 8/9 March 2025. The date coincides with Nelson’s wedding day 11 March. With regard to the uniform display case, I am pleased to report it arrived, and all 800 lbs of it is safely stored within its massive shipping case. Many thanks to those members who made a donation to the purchase of the case. Since the last Kedge Anchor, you will see that the Club added several names to its muster book. One is Robin Rowland of British Columbia, Canada. Robin is working on two writing projects that I am sure our members would be very interested in knowing more about. One involves two black Royal Navy sailors who were captured in 1819 by Brazilian slavers and sold into slavery at Bahia, Brazil. They were rescued by Robin’s fourth great, grandfather and his nephew, who were British diplomats to Brazil. Robin’s second writing project is about a contemporary of HMS Pickle — HMS Beagle, and a 14 year old First Class Volunteer named Finlaison. As Robin wrote to me: ‘In 1805, Beagle (not Darwin’s Beagle) was one of Sir John Orde's scout ships and witnessed Villeneuve's �leet passing through the Straits of Gibraltar into the Atlantic. Beagle arrived at Cadiz after Orde had retreated and then shadowed the Spanish ships for a day before breaking off to warn Ferrol and then was one of the ships to arrive at Plymouth with the warning. From all my reading it looks like the role of HMS Beagle has been neglected in many of the histories. Robin may produce a book that will complement Captain Peter Hore’s book, HMS Pickle. Two other members who placed their X on our muster book are examples of the international nature of our membership. Paul Bowness, who is originally from Liverpool, lives in North Creake, Norfolk, England and his home is only two miles from Nelson’s Burnham Thorpe. Paul has always had an interest in Continued on page 4 THE VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE Captain John Rodgaard, USN (Ret) Chairman, The 1805 Club
THE KEDGE ANCHOR AUTUMN 2024 3 EDITORIAL We are lucky to have such a wonderful set of members, who all share and enjoy our aims and efforts. In this edition of The Kedge Anchor we are even more lucky than usual, in having Des Pawson, a world authority on rope making and knots, contributing a minute part of his vast knowledge. The inspiration for the mini-theme of ropes and knots came from the announcement of the 40-year anniversary of the opening of Chatham Historic Dockyard, which is still home to a commercial rope-walk open to the public. At the time of writing this editorial I am planning to take a friend there in the very near future, as soon as life stops getting in the way of my plans. (see page 16) Elsewhere in this edition you will �ind the usual tangled mix of Club news and history, including the very delightful report by Stephen Howarth of the reinterment of Matthew Flinders’ recently discovered remains, which is a nationally important historical event that was reported across Britain. You will also �ind details of a visit to Mariners’ Museum, Virginia, comment on The Nore Mutiny, how Mount Vernon got its name, book reviews, the loss of EIC ship Kent, details of the Battle of Flamborough Head, an interesting grave in Gorlestonon-Sea, Norfolk, UK, some songs and poetry and,of course, everyone knows about the Haslar Hospital – except those who don’t. It’s also nice to see on page 4 that 1SL, Admiral Sir Ben Key, has his ear to the ground. Abie and OS are getting in a muddle again (page 37). Finally, please engage with the crossword and, more importantly, with the Club Shop on page 6. On a personal note, some of you know that I was somewhat railroaded into this job by Captain Peter Hore, who insisted that I could do it, despite my doubts. I hope you will agree that he was right – as I continue to learn how to do it, it gives me great joy and satisfaction. I am pleased to tell anyone who will listen that I am leading a life that I could not have dreamed of when I retired from engineering in 2005, in large part thanks to the friends and colleagues that I have met whilst being Editor of KA. This is the tenth edition that I have produced, and I love (nearly) every minute of it. So, thanks to all of you for being readers and to all contributors, of which there is always a need – if you all stop, I’m out of both a job and a dream. Front cover picture: Extract from Chatham Dockyard Ropery, Wash drawing by Edna Lumb 1983. Science Museum Group Object Number: 1984-202 Back cover pictures: Photos by Stephen Howarth from a private Club visit to Anglesey Abbey SECRETARY’S REPORT Stephen Howarth MA (with Distinction), FRHistS, FRGS, Cert. Ed. (Oxon) Hon. Secretary, The 1805 Club The next edition is due tobeissuedin Spring 2025. The deadline for copy will be 21 March 2025. Please submit your ideas to the Editor as soon as youcan,and actual contributions before the copy deadline whenever possible. Wilkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome! On Saturday 25 May 2024, the Club’s AGM took place in the Army & Navy Club (‘the Rag’), London, with a very happy ‘�irst’: it was chaired by Madame Natacha Abriat, who became a member of The 1805 Club in 2023. For many years now, we have alternated the meeting’s chair between British and non-British members, and between men and women, but we have never previously had the opportunity of inviting a Frenchwoman to take the role. Natacha earned her Master’s degree in naval history at the Sorbonne, focusing on the great object of her admiration – the British Royal Navy in the time of Nelson – and now works for France’s National Heritage Institute, currently as head of research in the Occitanie region. She is mentioned here because as chair of the 2023 AGM, she exempli�ied three of the principal characteristics of The 1805 Club: our internationalism, our gender equality, and our dedication to conserving the memorials of the 18th-century Royal Navy. All three are vital to our shared identity as members of The 1805 Club. We avoid nationalism. Triumphalism is anathema to us. Instead, the keys to our existence are the study of the Royal Navy (and other armed �leets and merchant navies) in the long eighteenth century, the publication of new research, the creation of related events – and, crucially, the conservation of their memorials. Organisation Following the Club’s transition from an unincorporated Charity to a CIO, or Charitable Incorporated Organisation, your Trustees are glad to have successfully �illed two new posts: Victoria Callow has become the Club’s Bookkeeper, working with our Treasurer Nicholas Ridge, and Jude Wilson has become Clerk to the Trustees, taking weight off the Secretary’s shoulders. We are very grateful for their assistance. Sadly, though, Nicholas has indicated that he needs to stand down, so this issue of the KA marks the beginning of our quest for his successor. Nicholas is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and a Chartered Tax Adviser, and tells me that whoever succeeds him as the Club’s honorary Treasurer will �ind that Victoria is an excellent assistant. Please see page 6 for contact details. Conservation and Commemorative Projects Since the of�icial foundation of the Club on Trafalgar Day 1990, our projects have been conducted to the highest possible standards. That, and the fact that the Club has always been run almost entirely by volunteers, can sometimes mean that things take longer to complete than expected – but we can truthfully say that the results are worth the wait, because they will endure well beyond the lifetimes of most of us. Conservation of the Nevis register, recording Nelson’s wedding, took years to achieve (not least because of our conservator’s serious personal injury) Continued on page 4
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