The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson

Abstract

First published between 1844 and 1846, this seven-volume collection of the letters of Lord Nelson (1758–1805) was assembled and edited by antiquarian, historian and former naval lieutenant Sir Nicholas Harris Nicolas (1799–1848), using letters supplied to him by many of Nelson's correspondents. Nicolas was better known for his many works on genealogy and heraldry, but his own naval background drew him to this work. In Volume 1 he asserts that 'the life of a man is best described by himself' and Nelson is subsequently revealed to be a skilled and engaging correspondent. The books document Nelson's long and celebrated career in the Royal Navy, from his appointment as a lieutenant in 1777 to his death at Trafalgar in 1805. Published in 1845, Volume 2 covers Nelson's career from 1795 to 1797, when he was serving in the Mediterranean, and includes the battles of Genoa and Cape St Vincent.

Making Money from the Royal Navy in the Late Eighteenth Century: Charles Kerr on Antigua ‘breathing the True Spirit of a West India agent’

“…72 Probably not coincidentally, the same day he wrote to his brother 'I fancy the King's Servants and the Officers of my little Squadron will not be sorry to part with me'. 73 Dow wrote to the Navy Board to complain about Nelson's behaviour towards him outlining the course of events, 74 while Nelson later wrote to Charles Middleton (1726-1813), Comptroller of the Navy and chair of the Navy Board, explicitly accusing Munton of fraud, providing some supporting and implying that the Commander-in-Chief had not done his job properly. 75 Another complaint which Nelson made in a draft note to Middleton, written in November or December 1787, shortly after his return to England, referred specifically to Kerr.…”