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Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Military People

     Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
   September 28, 1758— October 21, 1805
   Horatio Nelson
   Place of birth Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk
   Place of death Cape Trafalgar, Spain
     Allegiance   Kingdom of Great Britain
                  Great Britain and Ireland
        Rank      Vice Admiral
    Battles/wars  Battle of Cape St Vincent
                  Battle of the Nile
                  Battle of Copenhagen
                  Battle of Trafalgar
       Awards     Several (see below)

   Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, KB ( 29 September
   1758 – 21 October 1805) was an English admiral famous for his
   participation in the Napoleonic Wars, most notably in the Battle of
   Trafalgar, where he lost his life. It was as a result of these wars
   that he became the greatest naval hero in the history of the United
   Kingdom, eclipsing Admiral Robert Blake in fame. His biography by the
   poet Robert Southey appeared in 1813, while the wars were still being
   fought. His love affair with Emma, Lady Hamilton, the wife of the
   British Ambassador to Naples, is also well-known, and he is honoured by
   the London landmark, Nelson's Column, which stands in Trafalgar Square.

Biography

Early life

   Horatio Nelson was born on 29 September 1758 in a rectory in Burnham
   Thorpe, Norfolk, the sixth of eleven children of The Revd Edmund Nelson
   and Catherine Nelson. His mother, who died when he was nine, was a
   grandniece of Sir Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, the de facto
   first prime minister of the British Parliament.

   Nelson was briefly educated at Paston Grammar School, North Walsham,
   and Norwich School, and by the time he was twelve he had enrolled in
   the Royal Navy. His naval career began on 1 January 1771 when he
   reported to the third-rate Raisonnable as an ordinary seaman and
   coxswain. Nelson’s maternal uncle, Captain Maurice Suckling, commanded
   the vessel. Shortly after reporting aboard, Nelson was appointed a
   midshipman and began officer training. Ironically, Nelson found that he
   suffered from seasickness, a chronic complaint that dogged him for the
   rest of his life.
   Captain Horatio Nelson, painted by John Francis Rigaud in 1781, with
   Fort San Juan - the scene of his most notable achievement to date - in
   the background. Enlarge
   Captain Horatio Nelson, painted by John Francis Rigaud in 1781, with
   Fort San Juan - the scene of his most notable achievement to date - in
   the background.

   Suckling became Comptroller of the Navy in 1775 and used his position
   to help Nelson's rapid advance. By 1777 Nelson had risen to the rank of
   lieutenant and was assigned to the West Indies. During his service as
   lieutenant he saw action on the British side in the American
   Revolutionary War. By the time he was 20, in June 1779, he was made
   post. The 28-gun frigate Hinchinbroke, newly captured from the French,
   was his first command as post-captain.

   In 1780 he was involved in an action against the Spanish fortress of
   San Juan in Nicaragua. Though the expedition was ultimately a major
   debacle, none of the blame was attributed to Nelson, who was praised
   for his efforts. He fell seriously ill, probably contracting malaria,
   and returned to England for more than a year to recover. He eventually
   returned to active duty and was assigned to Albemarle, in which he
   continued his efforts against the American rebels until the official
   end of the war in 1783.

Command

   In 1784 Nelson was given command of the frigate Boreas, and assigned to
   enforce the Navigation Act in the vicinity of Antigua. This was during
   the denouement of the American Revolutionary War, and enforcement of
   the Act was problematic - now-foreign American vessels were no longer
   allowed to trade with British colonies in the Caribbean Sea, an
   unpopular rule with both the colonies and the Americans. After seizing
   four American vessels off Nevis, Nelson was sued by the captains of the
   ships for illegal seizure. As the merchants of Nevis supported them,
   Nelson was in peril of imprisonment and had to remain sequestered on
   Boreas for eight months. It took that long for the courts to deny the
   captains their claims, but in the interim Nelson met Fanny Nesbit, a
   widow native to Nevis. Nelson and Fanny were married on 11 March 1787
   at the end of his tour of duty in the Caribbean.

   Nelson lacked a command for a few years after 1789. He lived on half
   pay during this time (a reasonably common occurrence in the peacetime
   Royal Navy). Then, as the French Revolutionary government began
   aggressive moves beyond France's borders, Nelson was recalled to
   service. Given command of the 64-gun Agamemnon in 1793, he soon started
   a long series of battles and engagements that would seal his place in
   history.

   He was first assigned to the Mediterranean, based out of the Kingdom of
   Naples. In 1794 he was wounded in the face by stones and debris thrown
   up by a close cannon shot during a joint operation at Calvi, Corsica.
   As a result, Nelson lost the sight in his right eye and half of his
   right eyebrow. Despite popular legend, there is no evidence that Nelson
   ever wore an eye patch, though he was known to wear an eyeshade to
   protect his remaining eye.

   In 1796 the position of commander-in-chief of the fleet in the
   Mediterranean passed to Sir John Jervis, who appointed Nelson to be
   commodore and to exercise independent command over the ships blockading
   the French coast. Agamemnon, often described as Nelson's favourite
   ship, was by now worn out and was sent back to England for repairs.
   Nelson was appointed to the 74-gun HMS Captain.

Admiralty

   Admiral Nelson
   Enlarge
   Admiral Nelson

   1797 was a full year for Nelson. On 14 February he was largely
   responsible for the British victory at the Battle of Cape St. Vincent.
   Here he showed his flair for dramatic and bold action. Under the
   command of Sir John Jervis, the British fleet was ordered to "tack in
   line," but Nelson disobeyed these orders and gybed in order to prevent
   the Spanish fleet from escaping. He then boarded two enemy ships in
   succession, an unusual and bold move which was cheered by the whole
   fleet. Nelson himself led the boarding parties, which was not usually
   done by high ranking officers.

   In the aftermath of this victory, Nelson was knighted as a member of
   the Order of the Bath (hence the postnominal initials "KB"). In April
   of the same year he was promoted to Rear Admiral of the Blue, the ninth
   highest rank in the Royal Navy. Promotion to admiral at this time was
   not based on merit but solely on seniority and the availability of
   positions to fill. Able captains such as Nelson were appointed
   commodore temporarily, a position which had the same pay and
   responsibilities as an admiral. Later in the year, while commanding
   Theseus during an unsuccessful expedition to conquer Santa Cruz de
   Tenerife, Nelson was shot in the right arm with a musketball,
   fracturing his humerus bone in multiple places. Since medical science
   of the day counselled amputation for almost all serious limb wounds (to
   prevent death by gangrene), Nelson lost almost his entire right arm and
   was unfit for duty until mid-December. He referred to the stub as "my
   fin."

   This was not his only reverse. In December 1796, on leaving Elba for
   Gibraltar, Nelson transferred his flag to the frigate Minerve (of
   French construction, commanded by Captain Cockburn). A Spanish frigate,
   Santa Sabina, was captured during the passage and Lieutenant Hardy was
   put in charge of the captured vessel. The following morning, two
   Spanish ships of the line and one frigate appeared. Nelson decided to
   flee, leaving Santa Sabina to be recovered by the Spanish and Hardy was
   captured. The Spanish captain who was on board Minerve was later
   exchanged for Hardy in Gibraltar.

   In 1798 Nelson was once again responsible for a great victory over the
   French. The Battle of the Nile (also known as the Battle of Aboukir
   Bay) took place on 1 August 1798. The battle effectively ended
   Napoleon's ambition to take the war to the British in India. The forces
   Napoleon had brought to Egypt were stranded. Napoleon attempted to
   march north along the Mediterranean coast but his army was defeated at
   the Siege of Acre by Captain Sir Sidney Smith. Napoleon then left his
   army and sailed back to France, evading detection by British ships.
   Given its huge strategic importance, some historians (see Vincent 2003)
   regard Nelson's achievement at the Nile as the most significant of his
   career, Trafalgar not withstanding.
   The Battle of the Nile, painted by Thomas Luny.
   Enlarge
   The Battle of the Nile, painted by Thomas Luny.

   For the spectacular victory of the Nile, Nelson was granted the title
   of Baron Nelson of the Nile. (Nelson felt cheated that he was not
   awarded a more prestigious title; Sir John Jervis had been made Earl of
   St. Vincent for his part in the battle of St. Vincent, but the British
   Government insisted that an officer who was not the commander-in-chief
   could not be raised to any peerage higher than a barony). Nelson felt
   throughout his life that his accomplishments were not fully rewarded by
   the British government, a fact he ascribed to his humble birth and lack
   of political connections as compared during his lifetime to Sir John
   Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent or after his death to the Duke of
   Wellington.
   Emma Hamilton, in a portrait by George Romney, at the height of her
   beauty in the 1780s
   Enlarge
   Emma Hamilton, in a portrait by George Romney, at the height of her
   beauty in the 1780s

   Not content to rest on his laurels, Nelson then rescued the Neapolitan
   royal family from a French invasion in December. During this time he
   fell in love with Emma Hamilton - the young wife of the elderly British
   ambassador to Naples. Emma became Nelson's mistress, returning to
   England to live openly with him, and eventually they had a daughter,
   Horatia.

   In 1799 Nelson was promoted to Rear Admiral of the Red, the seventh
   highest rank in the Royal Navy. He was then assigned to the new
   second-rate Foudroyant. In July he aided Admiral Ushakov with the
   reconquest of Naples and was made Duke of Bronte by the Neapolitan
   king. Personal problems and some upper-level disappointment at his
   professional conduct caused him to be recalled to England, but public
   knowledge of his affair with Lady Hamilton eventually induced the
   Admiralty to send him back to sea, if only to get him away from her.

   Some have suggested that a head wound Nelson received at Aboukir Bay
   was partially responsible for his personal conduct and for the way he
   managed the Neapolitan campaign. He was accused of allowing the
   monarchists to kill prisoners contrary to the laws of war. Perhaps
   Nelson's zeal was due simultaneously to his English hatred of Jacobins
   and his status as a Neapolitan royalist (as the Duke of Bronte). The
   Neapolitan campaign is now considered something of a disgrace to his
   name. On 1 January 1801 Nelson was promoted to Vice Admiral of the Blue
   (the sixth highest rank). Within a few months he took part in the
   Battle of Copenhagen ( 2 April 1801) which was fought in order to break
   up the armed neutrality of Denmark, Sweden, and Russia. During the
   action, his commander, Sir Hyde Parker, who believed that the Danish
   fire was too strong, signalled to Nelson to break off the action.
   Nelson ordered that the signal be acknowledged, but not repeated. He
   turned to his flag Captain, Foley, and said "You know, Foley, I only
   have one eye — I have the right to be blind sometimes," and then
   holding his telescope to his blind eye, said "I really do not see the
   signal!" His action was approved in retrospect and in May he became
   commander-in-chief in the Baltic Sea. He was awarded the title of
   Viscount Nelson by the British crown.

   Meanwhile, Napoleon was massing forces to invade England. Nelson was
   placed in charge of defending the English Channel in order to thwart
   any such invasion. However, on 22 October 1801 an armistice was signed
   between the British and the French, and Nelson — in poor health again —
   retired to England where he stayed with his friends, Sir William and
   Lady Hamilton. The three embarked on a tour of England and Wales,
   culminating in a stay in Birmingham. They visited Matthew Boulton on
   his sick bed at Soho House and toured his Soho Manufactory.

The Battle of Trafalgar - death and burial

   The Battle of Trafalgar, painted by Nicholas Pocock.
   Enlarge
   The Battle of Trafalgar, painted by Nicholas Pocock.
   Nelson is shot on the quarterdeck, painted by Denis Dighton, c. 1825.
   Enlarge
   Nelson is shot on the quarterdeck, painted by Denis Dighton, c. 1825.
   Nelson's famous signal, "England expects that every man will do his
   duty", flying from Victory on the bicentenary of the Battle of
   Trafalgar.
   Enlarge
   Nelson's famous signal, "England expects that every man will do his
   duty", flying from Victory on the bicentenary of the Battle of
   Trafalgar.
   The Battle of Trafalgar by J. M. W. Turner (oil on canvas, 1822–1824)
   shows the last three letters of the famous signal, "England expects
   that every man will do his duty" flying from Victory.
   Enlarge
   The Battle of Trafalgar by J. M. W. Turner (oil on canvas, 1822–1824)
   shows the last three letters of the famous signal, "England expects
   that every man will do his duty" flying from Victory.

   The Peace of Amiens was not to last long and Nelson soon returned to
   duty. He was appointed commander-in-chief in the Mediterranean.
   Assigned to HMS Victory in May 1803, Nelson joined the blockade of
   Toulon, France. He would not set foot on dry land again for more than
   two years.

   Nelson was promoted to Vice Admiral of the White (the fifth highest
   rank) while still at sea, on 23 April 1804. The French fleet slipped
   out of Toulon in early 1805 and headed for the West Indies. (See battle
   of Cape Finisterre (1805) for a summary of this campaign.) A fierce
   chase failed to turn them up and Nelson's health forced him to retire
   to Merton in England.

   Within two months Nelson returned to sea. On 13 September 1805 he was
   called upon to oppose the French and Spanish fleets which had managed
   to join up and take refuge in the harbour of Cádiz, Spain.

   On 21 October 1805 Nelson engaged in his final battle, the Battle of
   Trafalgar. Napoleon Bonaparte had been massing forces once again for an
   invasion of the British Isles, but he decided that his navy was not
   adequate to secure the Channel for the invasion barges. Thus, Napoleon
   had started moving his troops for a campaign elsewhere in Europe. On 19
   October the French and Spanish fleet set sail from Cádiz, probably
   because Pierre-Charles Villeneuve, the French commander, had learned
   that he was to be replaced. Nelson, with twenty-seven ships, engaged
   the thirty-three opposing ships.

   Nelson's last dispatch, written on the 21 October, read:
   Nelson's pre-battle prayer, inscribed on oak timber from HMS Victory.
   Enlarge
   Nelson's pre-battle prayer, inscribed on oak timber from HMS Victory.

     At daylight saw the Enemy's Combined Fleet from East to E.S.E.; bore
     away; made the signal for Order of Sailing, and to Prepare for
     Battle; the Enemy with their heads to the Southward: at seven the
     Enemy wearing in succession. May the Great God, whom I worship,
     grant to my Country, and for the benefit of Europe in general, a
     great and glorious Victory; and may no misconduct in any one tarnish
     it; and may humanity after Victory be the predominant feature in the
     British Fleet. For myself, individually, I commit my life to Him who
     made me, and may his blessing light upon my endeavours for serving
     my Country faithfully. To Him I resign myself and the just cause
     which is entrusted to me to defend. Amen. Amen. Amen.

   As the two fleets moved towards engagement, Nelson ran up a thirty-one
   flag signal to the rest of the fleet, spelling out the famous phrase
   "England expects that every man will do his duty". The original signal
   that Nelson wished to make to the fleet was Nelson confides that every
   man will do his duty (meaning 'is confident that they will'). The
   signal officer asked Nelson if he could substitute the word 'expects'
   for 'confides' as 'expects' was included in the code devised by Sir
   Home Popham, whereas 'confides' would have to be spelled out letter by
   letter. Another officer suggested that "England" would be more powerful
   than "Nelson." Nelson agreed, and the signal was run up Victory's
   mizzenmast.
   Detail from an 1805 poster commemorating the Battle of Trafalgar.
   Enlarge
   Detail from an 1805 poster commemorating the Battle of Trafalgar.

   After crippling the French flagship Bucentaure, Victory moved on to the
   Redoutable. The two ships became entangled, at which point snipers in
   the fighting tops of Redoutable were able to pour fire down onto the
   deck of Victory. Nelson was one of those hit: a bullet entered his
   shoulder, pierced his lung, and came to rest at the base of his spine.
   Nelson retained consciousness for four hours, but died soon after the
   battle ended with a British victory.(See Nelson's last words.) The
   bullet that ended Nelson's life was removed from his body and is now on
   public display in Windsor Castle.

   Victory was towed after the battle to Gibraltar, with Nelson's body
   preserved in a barrel of brandy. Legend has it that, ironically, it was
   French brandy that had been captured during the battle. (See Tapping
   the Admiral). Upon the arrival of his body in London, Nelson was given
   a state funeral (one of only five non-royal Britons to receive the
   honour - others include the Duke of Wellington and Sir Winston
   Churchill) and entombment in St. Paul's Cathedral. He was laid to rest
   in a wooden coffin made from the mast of L'Orient which had been
   salvaged after the Battle of the Nile, within a sarcophagus originally
   carved for Cardinal Wolsey (when Wolsey fell from favour, it was
   confiscated by Henry VIII and was still in the royal collections in
   1805).

Legacy

   The bullet that killed Nelson.
   Enlarge
   The bullet that killed Nelson.

   Nelson was noted for his considerable ability to inspire and bring out
   the best in his men, to the point that it gained a name: "The Nelson
   Touch". Famous even while alive, after his death he was lionised like
   almost no other military figure in British history (his only peers are
   the Duke of Marlborough and Nelson's contemporary, the Duke of
   Wellington). Most military historians believe Nelson's ability to
   inspire officers of the highest rank and seamen of the lowest was
   central to his many victories, as was his unequalled ability to both
   strategically plan his campaigns and tactically shift his forces in the
   midst of battle. Certainly, he ranks as one of the greatest field
   commanders in military history. Many consider him to have been the
   greatest warrior of the seas.

   It must also be said that his "Nelson touch" also worked with
   non-seamen; he was beloved in England by virtually everyone. (The only
   people not affected by him were those offended by his affair with Lady
   Hamilton.) Now as then, he is a popular hero, included in the top 10 of
   the 100 Greatest Britons poll sponsored by the BBC and voted for by the
   public, and commemorated in the extensive Trafalgar 200 celebrations in
   2005, including the International Fleet Review. Even today phrases such
   as " England expects" and "nelson" (meaning "111") remain closely
   associated with English sporting teams.

   He is arguably the national hero of the United Kingdom.

Monuments to Nelson

   The monumental Nelson's Column and the surrounding Trafalgar Square are
   notable locations in London to this day, and Nelson was buried in St.
   Paul's Cathedral. The first large monument to Nelson was a 43.5 m tall
   pillar on Glasgow Green erected less than year after his death in 1806.
   Nelson's Monument was later constructed atop Calton Hill in Edinburgh.

   The first monument funded by popular subscription, sculpted by Richard
   Westmacott, was erected in Birmingham in 1809. The Statue of Horatio
   Nelson, Birmingham is Grade II* listed.

   Westmacott also sculpted memorials in Liverpool and Barbados. A
   columnar Monument in Great Yarmouth to Nelson was started before his
   death but only completed in 1819. This is sometimes known as the "
   Britannia Monument" as it is topped by that martial female rather than
   a statue of Nelson; a statue of Nelson can however be found in the
   grounds of Norwich Cathedral alongside the other Napoleonic hero, the
   Duke of Wellington, near the school he attended.

   There is also a memorial to Nelson on the banks of the Menai Straits in
   North Wales. This memorial stands at an out-of-the-way site on the
   shore below Plas Llanfair, in Llanfairpwll on the Anglesey shore. It
   was created by Admiral Lord Clarence Paget, who lived in the mansion
   and who was an enthusiastic amateur sculptor.

   In Montreal (where Nelson had reportedly fallen in love with a young
   French-Canadian woman), there is a monument to Nelson (erected in 1809)
   in Place Jacques-Cartier, which was a marketplace at the time. It has
   carved scenes from Nelson's career around the base and the statue on
   top was claimed to be the oldest public statue of Nelson in the world.
   (It was removed for several years due to excessive weathering but has
   been replaced after restoration).

   There is also the Nelson memorial in Swarland, Northumberland which was
   raised as a private memorial of Nelson by his friend and sometime
   agent, Alexander Davison. Nelson's Pillar, a monument to Nelson in
   Dublin was destroyed by a bomb planted by former IRA men in 1966. The
   city of Nelson, New Zealand bears his name as well as Nelson Island on
   the Sunshine Coast, British Columbia, Canada.

   One of the most unusual monuments was constructed on Salisbury Plain,
   within cannon shot of Stonehenge, on land then owned by the Marquess of
   Queensbury. The monument consists of a series of clumps of trees in
   otherwise arable farmland. Known as the "Nile Clumps" they have been
   arranged to represent the positioning of French and British ships at
   the Battle of the Nile, considered as Nelson's greatest tactical
   victory. Some clumps still survive, and work is underway to replant
   some of those that have "sunk". They stand on land owned by the
   National Trust, forming part of the Stonehenge Historic Landscape
   estate.

Nelson and the Royal Navy

   Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square.
   Enlarge
   Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square.

   Victory is still kept on active commission in honour of Nelson — it is
   the flagship of the Second Sea Lord, and is the oldest commissioned
   Naval ship in the world. She can be found in Number 2 Dry Dock of the
   Royal Naval Museum at the Portsmouth Naval Base, in Portsmouth,
   England.

   Three Royal Navy warships, and one shore establishment, have been named
   HMS Nelson in his honour. The Royal Navy celebrates Nelson every 21
   October by holding Trafalgar Day dinners and toasting "The Immortal
   Memory" of Nelson.

   The bullet that killed Nelson is permanently on display in the Grand
   Vestibule of Windsor Castle. The uniform that he wore during the
   battle, with the fatal bullet hole still visible, can be seen at the
   National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. A lock of Nelson's hair was
   given to the Imperial Japanese Navy from the Royal Navy after the
   Russo-Japanese War to commemorate the victory at the Battle of
   Tsushima. It is still on display at Kyouiku Sankoukan, a public museum
   maintained by the Japan Self-Defense Forces.

Nelson's descendants

   Nelson had no legitimate children; his daughter, Horatia, by Lady
   Hamilton (who died in poverty when their daughter was 13), subsequently
   married the Rev. Philip Ward and died in 1881. She and Rev. Ward had
   nine children: Horatio Nelson (born 8 December 1822); Eleanor Philippa
   (born April 1824); Marmaduke Philip Smyth (born 27 May 1825); John
   James Stephen ( 13 February 1827– 1829); Nelson (born 8 May 1828);
   William George (born 8 April 1830); Edmund ( 10 July 1832– 1833);
   Horatio (born 24 November 1833), Philip (born May 1834) and Caroline
   (born January 1836).

   Because Lord Nelson had no legitimate heirs, the Viscountcy and 1798
   Barony of Nelson (both "of the Nile and of Burnham Thorpe in the County
   of Norfolk") became extinct upon his death. However, the 1801 Barony of
   Nelson ("of the Nile and of Hilborough in the County of Norfolk")
   passed by a special remainder to Lord Nelson's brother, The Reverend
   William Nelson. William was also created Earl Nelson in recognition of
   his brother's services, which title is still extant.

Literary influences

   Although Nelson's exploits are often claimed to have provided
   inspiration for fictional characters such as Jack Aubrey and Horatio
   Hornblower, a close reading of the books does not bear this out. It is
   more likely Nelson's fame makes him the only naval figure of the time
   whom reviewers recall. Nelson appears, unnamed but recognizable, in
   Susan Sontag's novel The Volcano Lover: A Romance, which centers on
   Lady Hamilton's affair with him. Nelson himself appears as a ghost in
   Amber Benson's and Christopher Golden's Ghosts of Albion. Barry
   Unsworth's Losing Nelson centres on Nelson's actions in Naples in 1799.

Last words

   Nelson's final words (as related by Victory's Surgeon William Beatty,
   based on the accounts of those who were with Nelson when he died) were
   "Thank God I have done my duty." According to Beatty, he repeated these
   words several times until he became unable to speak. It is still
   unknown whether he was in a delirious state when repeating the
   sentence.

   In his dying hours, Nelson was also attended by his chaplain, Alexander
   Scott; his steward, Chevalier; and the purser, Walter Burke. Their
   accounts have been available to Nelson's modern biographers. In those
   accounts, Nelson's last words were "Drink, drink. Fan, fan. Rub, rub."
   This was a request to alleviate his symptoms of thirst, heat, and the
   pains of his wounds. (Pocock, Horatio Nelson, 1987, p.331.)

   It is a common misconception that Nelson's last words were, "Kiss me,
   Hardy", spoken to the captain of HMS Victory, Thomas Hardy. Nelson did,
   in fact, say these words to Hardy a short time before his death, but
   they were not his last words as Hardy was not present at his death,
   having been called back on deck. Some have speculated that Nelson
   actually said "Kismet, Hardy", but this is impossible, since the word
   kismet did not enter the English language until much later, although he
   may have heard the word used by a Turk.

Titles

   Nelson's titles, as inscribed on his coffin, were The Most Noble Lord
   Horatio Nelson, Viscount and Baron Nelson, of the Nile and of Burnham
   Thorpe in the County of Norfolk, Baron Nelson of the Nile and of
   Hillborough in the said County, Knight of the Most Honourable Order of
   the Bath, Vice Admiral of the White Squadron of the Fleet, Commander in
   Chief of his Majesty's Ships and Vessels in the Mediterranean, Duke of
   Bronte in Sicily, Knight Grand Cross of the Sicilian Order of St
   Ferdinand and of Merit, Member of the Ottoman Order of the Crescent,
   Knight Grand Commander of the Order of St. Joachim.

   He was a Colonel of the Marines. He was voted a Freeman of Bath,
   Salisbury, Exeter, Plymouth, Monmouth, Sandwich, Oxford, Hereford, and
   Worcester.

   The University of Oxford, in full Congregation, bestowed the honorary
   degree of Doctor of Civil Law upon Nelson in 1802.

   Nelson was created Duke of Bronte by the King of Naples in July 1799.
   Lady Nelson
   Enlarge
   Lady Nelson
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