NELSON HORATIO: (1758-1805) British Admiral during the Napoleonic Wars, the victor of the Battle of Trafalgar ...

NELSON HORATIO: (1758-1805) British Admiral during the Napoleonic Wars, the victor of the Battle of Trafalgar, 1805. A good A.L.S., Nelson & Bronte, four pages (the conjugate leaves very neatly split at the central vertical fold, and now two separate leaves), 4to, HMS Amazon, (although mailed from Deal, Kent), 14th October 1801, to his mistress Emma Hamilton ('My Dearest Friend'). Nelson announces 'Tomorrow week all is over no thanks to Sir Thos. [Troubridge] I believe the fault is all his, and he ought to have recollected that I got him the medal of the Nile. Who upheld him when he would have sunk under grief & mortification. Who placed him in such situation in the Kingdom of Naples that he got by my public letters titles, the Colonelcy of Marines, Diamond Boxes from the King of Naples, 1000 ounces in money for no expenses that I know of. Who got him 500£ a year from the King of Naples and however much he may abuse him, his pension will be regularly paid. Who brought his character into notice, look at my public letters. Nelson that Nelson he now Lords it over, so much for gratitude. I forgive him but by God I shall not forget it' and further reports of the weather ('the day is very bad, blows rains & great sea') and adds that he is anxiously waiting for Emma's letters, 'they are my only comfort for they are the only friendly ones I receive'. Nelson also writes of Captain Somerville who is aboard the Amazon with his wife and family and who has only £100 a year to maintain them, remarking 'He has been begging me to interceed (sic) with the Adm.[iralty] again but I have been so rebuffed that my spirits are gone & the great Troubridge has what we call cowed the spirits of Nelson but I shall never forget it.' The admiral resumes his letter having just received Emma's 'kind letters' which have 'given me great comfort' and asks 'Pray tell Sir Willm. that if I can I will write to him this day but certainly tomorrow. I have much to do from Admiralty orders, letters &c. I rejoice at your occupation…Have you done anything abt. the turnip field. Say everything that is kind for me to Sir Wm., Mrs. Cadogan &c. I have delivered your message to Sutton & Bedford. You may rely on a visit.' Nelson concludes 'Ever my Dear Friend your affectionate half sea sick Nelson & Bronte' although continues with an extensive postscript, signed with his initials N & B, sending thanks for 'Revd. Drs letter & Mrs. N[elson's] Her going to Swaffham is mentioned 7 times & in the Postscript. It put me in mind of the directions for the Cardinal. I have laughed but she is [a] good wife for him or he would have been ruined long ago. His being a Doctor is nonsense, but I must write tomorrow & congratulate him or else the fat will be in the fire', and finally confirms that he has written to Sir William at Merton. The final page bears the address panel, entirely in Nelson's hand and signed ('Nelson & Bronte') by him, addressed to Lady Hamilton at 23 Piccadilly in London and dated Deal, 14th October (annotated by Emma Hamilton 'the date of the year' and with 1801 added in another, unidentified hand; Hamilton's words somewhat smudged). With the almost complete remnants of the black wax seal (in two sections as originally broken). A letter of interesting content and good association, with many references to Nelson's contemporaries. Some light creasing and overall age toning and with a few small tears to the final page (evidently caused by the breaking of the seal), not affecting the text or signature, about VG
Emma Hamilton (1765-1815) Lady Hamilton, second wife of Sir William Hamilton. Mistress of Lord Nelson.William Hamilton (1730-1803) Scottish Diplomat, husband of Emma Hamilton. British Ambassador to the Kingdom of Naples 1764-1800.Thomas Troubridge (c.1758-1807) British Naval Commander. In August 1798 Troubridge's ship of the line, HMS Culloden, ran aground whilst getting into position in preparation for an attack on the French fleet and was consequently unable to take any part in the Battle of the Nile. At Nelson's request, however, and as mentioned in the present letter, Troubridge was awarded the gold medal commemorating the victory. From 1801-04 Troubridge served as a Lord of the Admiralty.Philip Somerville (1763-1817) English Naval Captain who commanded a division of boats under Lord Nelson at the Raids on Boulogne in August 1801, just a few months prior to the date of the present letter. Somerville was wounded during the unsuccessful attacks although his division was the only one that succeeded in getting on board the enemy.William Nelson (1757-1835) 1st Earl Nelson, 2nd Duke of Bronte. Anglican Clergyman and elder brother of Lord Nelson, referred to as the 'Revd. Dr.' in the present letter. By a special remainder William Nelson succeeded in his younger brother's titles upon his death in 1805 and was further honoured as Earl Nelson and Viscount Merton in recognition of his brother's achievements. William Nelson's wife, also referred to in the present letter, was Sarah Yonge (c.1749-1828). They were married at Swaffham in Norfolk on 9th November 1786.1801 had been a busy year for Nelson, both domestically and in service. In January, he met with his wife, Frances 'Fanny' Nelson for the last time. With their marriage effectively over, the heartbroken Fanny, was taken in by Nelson's father, Reverend Edmund Nelson, whilst Horatio Nelson's open cohabitation with Emma Hamilton scandalised polite society. In the same month Nelson was promoted to Vice Admiral of the Blue and appointed second in command to Admiral Sir Hyde Parker whose fleet were to sail to the Baltic. In February Emma Hamilton gave birth to Horatia, Nelson's daughter, at 23 Piccadilly, the home of Sir William Hamilton (and to where the present letter was addressed). Nelson received the news whilst at Torbay, preparing to sail, and was overjoyed at the birth. On 2nd April 1801 Nelson participated in the Battle of Copenhagen during the War of the Second Coalition. The British naval fleet, under the command of Parker, defeated a Danish fleet anchored just off Copenhagen, with Nelson leading the main attack. He famously is reputed to have disobeyed Parker's order to withdraw by holding the telescope to his blind eye to observe the signals from Parker. The signals had given Nelson permission to withdraw at his discretion, yet he declined. Copenhagen is often considered to be Nelson's hardest-fought victory, ranked among battles such as the Battle of Trafalgar, as the Danes offered a very steadfast resistance. The British public viewed the Battle of Copenhagen as a great victory and as a result ministers in England called for Nelson to take over Parker's command. Nelson was subsequently appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Baltic fleet and made Viscount Nelson of the Nile and of Hillborough.Nelson was writing to Hamilton almost daily from HMS Amazon in October 1801, however the present letter is not published in The Letters of Lord Nelson to Lady Hamilton (1814) and neither is it published in The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson (Vol. IV, 1799-1801, ed. by Nicolas and published by Henry Colburn, London, 1845) or in Nelson - The New Letters (ed. by White and published by the Boydell Press, 2005).Nelson was noted for his inspirational leadership, superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, all of which led to a number of decisive Naval victories, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. His death at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 secured his position as one of Britain's most heroic figures. The significance of the victory and his death led to his signal, 'England expects that every man will do his duty', being regularly quoted, paraphrased and referenced up to the present day. Nelson's memory and legacy remain highly influential.