THE LIFE AND DEATH OF LORD NELSON

Nelson & HMS Victory

Some 220 years after Drake in 1771, a 12 year old Horatio Nelson arrived in Chatham to join his uncle's ship Raisonable as a newly appointed midshipman. Nelson spent about a year based on the Medway learning the basics of seamanship, sailing and navigation.

Following a voyage to the West Indies in Triumph in 1772, he returned to Kentish waters to assume his first command aged 13, sailing the Triumph's tender up and down the River Thames.

HMS Victory, Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, was built at Chatham, being laid down in 1759 and launched in 1765. She subsequently remained in the Medway for a many years, no doubt seen by Nelson, before going forth to become our most famous warship

Nelson began his Naval career on the Medway

View of the Royal Dockyard at Chatham
 London1771 - Horatio Nelson entered the Royal Navy at age 12 in January 1771, Nelson served as 'Captain's Servant' to his uncle, Captain Maurice Suckling, on the guardship Triumph. In March 1771, he joined HMS Raisonnable lying in the River Medway at Chatham.

One of the three great naval bases, the Royal Dockyard was at the heart of British sea power. Ships were built, repaired, equipped, stored and manned from here, for service in any part of the world. Chatham and the other naval dockyards at Portsmouth and Plymouth were the greatest industrial complexes of the period.

1773 - After a period on the Raisonnable learning naval routine and the duties of a midshipman, a place was found for Nelson  in a merchant ship sailing to the West Indies. On this voyage he learnt practical seamanship, and particularly the life of the ordinary seaman, a lesson he never forgot as a naval officer. Then he joined the crew of HMS Carcass, a bomb vessel, for an expedition to the Arctic. These strongly-built vessels, normally armed with heavy mortars, were judged able to withstand the pressure of the ice when winter froze the sea.

1777 -Nelson passes examination for Lieutenant

1777 His first log started on 10 March when he joined HMS Lowestoffe at Sheerness where he spent his first eleven days supervising carpenters making her ready for sea

1778 Lieutenant H. Nelson was appointed as 3rd Lieutenant to HMS Bristol at Sheerness

1784 was appointed to the Boreas  frigate, of 28 guns and ordered back to the West Indies. In 1786 he was left in command of the station until June 1787 when he sailed for England. The Boreas being paid off at Sheerness on November the 30th 1787

1801 Lord Nelson  hoisted his flag upon the Unité frigate at Sheerness. He has sixteen frigates, and all the smaller gun-boats and craft, under his orders, from Portsmouth up to the Straits of Dover, to the Northern extremity of our Island, and is invested  with very extensive and unusual powers.

1801

An account of Officers, Seamen, and Marines killed and wounded in the boats of His Majesty's Ships and Vessels in  the attack on the French Flotilla, moored before Boulogne, on the night of 15th August……………..Queenborough Cutter--One seaman, killed; six seamen, wounded. Total 7

. 1806 – Nelson’s funeral procession on the Thames

Funeral Procession by Water from Greenwich Hospital to Whitehall 8 January 1806

Robert MOORSOM (1760-1835) carried the great banner at Lord Nelson’sfuneral.  He was Private Secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty Lord Mulgrave in 1807; Colonel Royal Marines, 1808;  Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty 1809 -; Surveyor General of the Ordnance, 1810 - 1820. Member of Parliament for Queenborough  Sheerness.  Rear Admiral

On December 23rd 1805 local cleric Stephen Rouse’s diary

., Stephen Rouse makes this entry: ‘Up between 7 and 8 writing Richard’s accounts, and then to see His Majesty’s ship ‘Victory’ with Lord Nelson’s body come to the Nore