Horatio Nelson's fleet

[Allezfan]

One of the forgotten things about the Napoleonic wars is how world wide the consequences where.

The 'british' fleet at Trafalgar is deeply fascinating to me for various reasons but partly because it's arguably the world's first truly multi cultural work place.

Alongside the 7,000 odd english sailors, were thousands of welsh, scots and irish of course but also hundreds of exiles from italy, france, spain and pretty much every european country and hundreds more recruited from all over the caribean and north america as well as brazilians, africans, indians, mexicans and even one bloke who was one of the first immigrants from imperial china.

71 different kingdoms were represented by the men (and one woman) of the british fleet that won the decisive battle in 1805. That was, as far as I know, completely unprecidented. And it's a measure of Nelson's leadership that he held it together and formed a real unity among the crews.

 

[BlueLlama]

Little things like that is why history is boss.

 

[bluejock]

Know what? I never knew any of that.

Good read that mate.

 

[ricardobee]

typical, bloody brazilians, africans, indians, mexicans and even one bloke who was one of the first immigrants from imperial china, coming here and stealing our jobs.

KING GEORGE OUT

 

[Jib in lad]

There is a fantasic painting in the Walker art gallery of his last moments on this earth , oh and he didn't say kiss me Hardy .

 

[bluejock]

typical, bloody brazilians, africans, indians, mexicans and even one bloke who was one of the first immigrants from imperial china, coming here and stealing our jobs.

KING GEORGE OUT

Ye Olde Daily Maile likes this

 

[Groucho]

From a Naval family myself. As I say in the remembrance thread, my great grandad fought in the First World War on HMS Conquerer. My great x3 grandad was in the Navy from 1850's to 1900 (on HMS Caesar in the 1860's). He was only a boy when they took him, and his dad had also been in the navy, just after Nelson.

 

[Allezfan]

There is a fantasic painting in the Walker art gallery of his last moments on this earth , oh and he didn't say kiss me Hardy .

He did though. The victorians tried desperately to spin it that he didn't out of homophobia but he did.

 

[Allezfan]

From a Naval family myself. As I say in the remembrance thread, my great grandad fought in the First World War on HMS Conquerer. My great x3 grandad was in the Navy from 1850's to 1900 (on HMS Caesar in the 1860's). He was only a boy when they took him, and his dad had also been in the navy, just after Nelson.

Like I told you when we met for a drink, I'm a naval brat myself so the whole thing is fascinating for me. It's a tough life but some of this country's finest ever men have served in it.

 

[Groucho]

Like I told you when we met for a drink, I'm a naval brat myself so the whole thing is fascinating for me. It's a tough life but some of this country's finest ever men have served in it.

Oh aye, absolutely mate. I don't envy them at all.

 

[Jib in lad]

He did though. The victorians tried desperately to spin it that he didn't out of homophobia but he did.

LOL he didnt Hardy was back on deck giving it loads to the French kismet he said whatever the **** that means i dont know .

 

[Allezfan]

Oh aye, absolutely mate. I don't envy them at all.

There's a great folk hero in Sunderland called Jack Crawford who served with some great distinction with Nelson and spend his later years fighting for poor people's rights and getting incredibly drunk.

He was so drunk that he used to ride between pubs on the back of a pig because he couldn't walk straight.

That's a proper man, like.

 

[Deleted member 28206]

*sees intelligent chat


*twitches and worries

 

[Groucho]

There is a fantasic painting in the Walker art gallery of his last moments on this earth , oh and he didn't say kiss me Hardy .

He did though. The victorians tried desperately to spin it that he didn't out of homophobia but he did.

You're right, he didn't say "kiss me Hardy" , but I think Artetafan is well correct here. He said "kiss kiss, rub rub".

 

[Allezfan]

LOL he didnt Hardy was back on deck giving it loads to the French kismet he said whatever the **** that means i dont know .

It's a turkish word meaning fate. It's insane to think that he said it rather than just kiss me.

And you're wrong. He said "kiss me hard"y, hardy kissed him on the cheek and forehead and then he said "god bless you hardy", some nonsense like "fan, fan ... rub, rub ... drink, drink" and died. There's about six witnesses to it.