An A-Z of Nelson
An A to Z of Nelson
As Britain commemorated the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar and the death of its hero Vice-Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson in 2005, increased interest and research into the events leading up to 1805 uncovered a wealth of new material. Dr Colin White’s discovery of over a thousand hitherto unpublished letters written by Nelson along with a plethora of new biographies, helped us to see Britain’s greatest naval hero in a new light. Whilst our views of some aspects of his life and career were endorsed, others were disproved.
The following A to Z of Nelson dips into some of these aspects of Nelson’s professional and private life, and while it is not a comprehensive account, it helps to explain why he is still a source of fascination, admiration and investigation.
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The 14-year old Nelson took part in an expedition which came close to ending his naval career...
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Nelson used this to describe the relationship that existed between him and his captains at the...
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Nelson’s relationship with Collingwood was very different to that which he shared with most of the...
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The details of Nelson's last hours are very well documented by reliable witnesses and can be...
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At about 11.30 on 21 October, Nelson ordered a special signal to be flown: 'England Expects That...
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The Rock of Gibraltar has always been a key strategic point, and control of it was long disputed...
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Emma Hamilton has always been a central figure in Nelson's story.
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it is arguable that without Jervis’s careful preparatory work, Nelson could never have been as...
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The famous request for the kiss and the other words uttered at the same time, were recorded by...
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Nelson's letters give us a clear window into the soul of the man who wrote them.
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Nelson lived at Merton Place whenever he was in England on leave, sharing it with Sir William and...
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By the end of his life Nelson was entitled to wear the stars of four orders of knighthood, as well...
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In Nelson's time as now, Portsmouth was the premier British naval base.
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'My character and good name are in my own keeping. Life with disgrace is dreadful. A glorious death...
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Nelson was a naturally religious man. His faith was essentially patristic and monotheistic.
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The most famous Spanish warship of her day, the Santissima Trinidad played a central role in two of...
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Trafalgar has acquired a symbolic significance that far exceeds its actual importance in the...
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The hole left by the fatal musket ball is a poignant reminder of Nelson’s death at his moment of...
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Nelson served in the 'Victory' for just over two years and by that time she was already a...
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In 1802 Nelson listed his wounds: 'His Eye in Corsica, His Belly off Cape St Vincent, His arm at...
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Nobody knows the precise position of the Battle of Trafalgar, not least because it lasted a long...
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Great Yarmouth on the coast of Norfolk has a number of associations with Nelson.
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On the small Greek island of Zante, the local people showed their appreciation by presenting Nelson...