Papers of Horatio Nelson, 1758-1805, Viscount and First Admiral

Scope and Content

Correspondence, concerning promotion of Lieutenant Scott of Monmouth 1804

Administrative / Biographical History

Born in  1758 ,  Lord Horatio Nelson was born in  1758 . He entered the navy in  1770 . He served in the West Indies as a commander from  1778 , until ill health forced him back to England in 1780. From 1782, Nelson left for America and the West Indies, where he learnt French and married Mrs Nisbet in 1787, before being sent home again for irregular trading. Unemployed until 1793, Nelson was dispatched by Lord Hood in 1794 in charge of capturing Corsica. The campaign was successful but it was here that Nelson lost the sight in his right eye. He was appointed as commodore in  1796  and was responsible for harassing, stalling and preventing French coastal trade. Nelson led an English victory against combined Spanish and French fleets in  1797 , and was promoted to the position of Rear Admiral. In July 1797, Nelson failed to capture a treasure ship at Santa Cruz, and lost his right arm in the battle. Rewards were bestowed upon him from all the courts of Europe when he followed and tracked the French fleet to Alexandria and then to Aboukir Bay, where he unleashed such a force of explosions on the fleet that only two frigates survived. In  1798  he returned to Naples and was created Baron Nelson of the Nile, but Naples was taken by the French and in 1800 Nelson returned home again due to ill health. He separated from his wife and became vice-admiral in  1801 , and later in the year was created Viscount Nelson. He died in  1805  in a victorious battle with returning Spanish and French fleets from the West Indies. Nelson received a public funeral and was buried in St Paul's Cathedral.

Source: Dictionary of National Biography, (London, 1903).

Arrangement

The arrangement of this material reflects the original order in which it was received

Access Information

Open

Acquisition Information

Found in University library

Other Finding Aids

Item level descriptions are available via the department's online manuscripts catalogue available at the University of Glasgow Library, Department of Special Collections  http://special.lib.gla.ac.uk/manuscripts/, searching by the call number MS Gen 512/35.

Alternative Form Available

No known copies

Conditions Governing Use

Applications for permission to quote should be sent to the Keeper of Special Collections.

Reproduction subject to usual conditions: educational use and condition of documents.

Appraisal Information

This material has been appraised in line with standard GB 0247 procedures

Custodial History

Unknown

Accruals

None expected

Related Material

GB 0234 GD51 Letters to Lord Melville 1804-1805 (National Archives of Scotland). For contact details of all repositories with a GB code, see the  Archon repository search page, at the Historical Manuscripts Commission.

Location of Originals

This material is original

Bibliography

No known publications using this material

Additional Information

Fonds level description compiled by Lucy Burrows, Archive Assistant Volunteer, July 2003.