viii Chairman’s Dispatch: Happy Birthday, Nelson! Peter Warwick What day more fit the birth to solemnize Of the greatest hero you can surmise? ’Tis that consecrated to the Prince of Hosts Of whose strong protection each Christian boasts. That noble Nelson on this day was born Most clearly showed he would the world adorn, The warrior of Heaven, hurl’d headlong from the sky. Anon., On the Birth Day of … Admiral Nelson Heroes are born before they are made. Imagine the scene. 29 September 1758. It is, according to the local Rector of All Saints’ Church in the Norfolk village of Burnham Thorpe, a ‘very fair’ day and the ‘the air from our light gravell soil, impregnated with the sweet Farinæof the field, is as healthy as any spott whatever’. At the Parsonage House his wife, Catherine, has given birth to her sixth child – a son, small and frail. The anxious parents are probably wondering whether he will suffer the same fate as their first two sons who died within a few months of their being born. Fortunately, Horatio survives. Who could have guessed then, least of all his parents, that he was destined for a remarkable action-packed life that would leave a stunning and indelible mark on history. Horatio Nelson’s deeds were celebrated less than three years ago under the banner of the Battle of Trafalgar but that is no excuse for the close proximity of the 250th anniversary of his birthday to be overlooked, if only because in Nelson we have an immortal hero. The anniversary gives us an opportunity to celebrate his life rather than his battles and allows us to focus on his early and formative years. There are few, if any, British historical figures from 250 years ago who continue to have such an enduring, pervasive and iconic impact. This durability and fascination is based on the strength of his qualities and, in particular, the combination of his humanity and optimistic spirit. Optimism is the ultimate foundation for the many reasons people have for celebrating birthdays and anniversaries. And so it is with Nelson. His personal story seems to focus on the day that is coming and not on the day that is gone. Hope inspires us all and this shared sense of optimism probably explains why the Nelson legacy sits so comfortably in the modern setting. In the words of Carola Oman, writing in her much-loved biography Nelson, published
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