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Geoff Hunt,
naval artist. Naval art prints of Admiral Nelsons naval frigates including
HMS Victory, HMS Vanguard, HMS Agamemnon and HMS Boreas by leading naval
artist Geoff Hunt.
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| Geoff Hunt is one of the leading marine
artists of his generation. After formal art school training, Geoff Hunt
worked in marine publishing where he acquired a love of marine history. A
member of the Royal Society of Marine Artists since 1989, and a Trustee
since 1992, he was responsible for the RSMA's book "A Celebration of
Marine Art" and "The Tall Ship in Art". His work hangs in
public and private collections around the world. There are 12 of his
paintings in the Royal Naval Museum in Portsmouth. |
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HMS Victory by Geoff Hunt.
First Rate 100-gun ship. The masterpiece of the great designer Sir Thomas Slade, Nelsons flagship was far from new at the Battle of Trafalgar, having begun building in 1759. Preserved in dry-dock at Portsmouth Royal Dockyard since 1922, and immaculately restored in recent years, Victory today appears as she was in 1805.
Signed limited edition of 750 prints. Image size 10 inches x 13 inches (25cm x 33cm). Price £65.00
ITEM CODE LA0001
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Pickle by Geoff Hunt.
6-gun schooner. The schooner Pickle battles bravely through the waves, bearing to England the bitter-sweet news of Lord Nelsons death and the great victory at Trafalgar. Commanded by Lt. Lapenotiere, she arrived at Falmouth on the 4th November 1805 from where the Lieutenant brought the news to London by coach. For his efforts, Lapenotiere was promoted Master and Commander.
Signed limited edition of 750 prints. Image size 10 inches x 13 inches (25cm x 33cm). Price £65.00
ITEM CODE LA0002
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HMS Indefatigable by Geoff Hunt.
44-gun razee. HMS Indefatigable was an exceptionally powerful frigate, cut down from a 64-gun ship but still carrying 24-pounder cannon. On 13-14 January 1797 she encountered the 74-gun Droits de lHomme. After a running fight through the night in storm conditions the French battleship was wrecked on the Brittany coast.
Signed limited edition of 750 prints. Image size 10 inches x 13 inches (25cm x 33cm). Price £65.00
ITEM CODE LA0003
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HMS Temeraire by Geoff Hunt.
Second-rate 98-gun ship. One of the most famous names in the Royal Navy, associated with both the epic action alongside H.M.S. Victory at Trafalgar and with Turners famous painting, Temeraire was launched at Chatham in 1798. In contrast to her later career, her first day under sail, seen here, was calm and peaceful.
Signed limited edition of 750 prints. Image size 10 inches x 13 inches (25cm x 33cm). Price £65.00
ITEM CODE LA0004
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HMS Euryalus by Geoff Hunt.
Fifth-rate 36-gun frigate. A standard design of the numerous Apollo class, Euryalus was Captain Blackwoods command during the Trafalgar campaign, where she constantly accompanied Nelsons flagship HMS Victory to repeat signals, and to keep the British fleet precisely informed of the location of the Franco-Spanish fleet.
Signed limited edition of 750 prints. Image size 10 inches x 13 inches (25cm x 33cm). Price £65.00
ITEM CODE LA0005
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HMS Captain by Geoff Hunt.
74-gun ship. Commodore Nelsons flagship at the Battle of St. Vincent in 1797, the highlight of this ships career (1784-1813) Nelsons orders resulted in Captain steering through the British line in order to engage the leading Spanish battleships, of which two of the largest surrendered to Nelson himself.
Signed limited edition of 750 prints. Image size 10 inches x 13 inches (25cm x 33cm). Price £65.00
ITEM CODE LA0006
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Le Bucentaure by Geoff Hunt.
The French Flagship. 80-gun ship. Where the British used 98-gun three-deckers, the French preferred 80-gun two-deckers, of which this is the most famous example. Bucentaure, seen here off Toulon, served as Vice-Admital Villeneuves flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar.
Signed limited edition of 750 prints. Image size 10 inches x 13 inches (25cm x 33cm). Price £65.00
ITEM CODE LA0007
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Santisima Trinidad by Geoff Hunt.
The Spanish Flgship. First rate 136-gun ship. Built at Havana in 1769 as a 112-gun ship, re-armed in 1796 with about 136 guns to make her the worlds only
ship with four complete gundecks, this celebrated Spanish flagship fought at the battles of St. Vincent and Trafalgar. Several observers remarked on her red and white striped sides.
Signed limited edition of 750 prints. Image size 10 inches x 13 inches (25cm x 33cm). Price £65.00
ITEM CODE LA0008
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HMS Speedy by Geoff Hunt.
14-gun Brig. Famous for her action against the vastly superior Gamo under Lord Cochranes command, Speedy had an extremely active career in the Mediterranean. Much of this involved shore raids and boat work, as suggested in this scene. Patrick OBrian based much of the story of Jack Aubreys beloved Sophie on the exploits of Speedy.
Signed limited edition of 750 prints. Image size 10 inches x 13 inches (25cm x 33cm). Price £65.00
ITEM CODE LA0009
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HMS Leander by Geoff Hunt.
Fourth-rate 52-gun ship. By 1797 the fourth-rate was not considered fit for the line of battle, yet that is where H.M.S. Leander found herself, at the Battle of the Nile on 1st August. Here seen passing the grounded Culloden and the brig Mutine, Leander played a distinguished part in the ensuing night action.
Signed limited edition of 750 prints. Image size 10 inches x 13 inches (25cm x 33cm). Price £65.00
ITEM CODE LA0010
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HMS Surprise by Geoff Hunt.
Captured French ship, rated fifth-rate. Though credited with 34 guns, this very small frigate might be better described as a corvette. Originally the French lUnite, she was captured by HMS Inconstant in April 1796 and is here seen arriving at Ajaccio. Renamed HMS Surprise, she served until 1802 but is now best known for her subsequent fictional career in Patrick OBrians novels. The Surprise was made famous by the writings of Patrick OBrian, in his books on the adventures of Captain Aubrey and the surgeon Maturin, described by the world famous writer as his favourite ship. The fabulous frigate was constructed in Le Havre as LUnite in 1794. It was a 24-gun corvette, armed with 8lb long guns. The British captured her in April 1796 in the Mediterranean, and her name changed to the HMS Surprise. She was re-armed and classed as a 28-gun ship. She actually carried 24 32 lb carronades on her main deck, 8 32 lb carronades on her quarter deck, and 4 6 lb long guns on her foredeck. French frigates were much sought after by the British, because of their manoeuvrability and speed. The streamlined design of the hull below the waterline meant that these frigates could out run most other ships. Her big moment came in October 1799 under the command of Captain Edward Hamilton for the daring rescue of the frigate Hermoine. The latters crew had mutinied, killing their commander and officers. The ship was surrendered to the Spanish, and was taken to the harbour at Puerto Cabello in modern day Venezuela. In trying to rescue the ship, the boats of the HMS Surprise was spotted and fired on by patrolling gunboats. They soldiered on, boarded the Hermoine, cleared the deck and sailed her out. Their losses were 12 wounded, whilst the Spanish suffered a loss of 216 wounded (including many dead) Captain Hamilton who led the rescue was knighted for his conduct, and the Hermoine restored to the British Navy.
Signed limited edition of 750 prints. Image size 10 inches x 13 inches (25cm x 33cm). Price £65.00
ITEM CODE LA0011
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USS United States by Geoff Hunt.
44-gun Heavy Frigate. The first of the American super-frigates, completed at Philadelphia in 1797 to designs by Joshua Humphreys, this powerful ship could carry over 50 guns. Under Stephen Decaturs command, she out-fought and captured the British frigate Macedonian on 25 October 1812.
Signed limited edition of 750 prints. Image size 10 inches x 13 inches (25cm x 33cm). Price £65.00
ITEM CODE LA0012
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Victory on the Atlantic Chase by Geoff Hunt.
The Treaty of Amiens in March 1802 brought a brief respite in the long war between France and England, one that Nelson was able to enjoy as a country gentleman in his newly acquired estate at Merton in the company of Emma Hamilton and her husband, Sir Wilham Hamilton. The renewal of the war in the spring of 1803 saw Nelson appointed to the Mediterranean Command, hoisting his flag in Victory on May 18th. It was a renewal of the war in more ways than one, not least in the different strengths England and France brought to the conflict. Except where overweening ambition had brought his downfall, Napoleon was entirely dominant on land while the Royal Navy commanded the sea. In the long run, Napoleon could only win the war by invading England but this could not succeed without, at the very least, local naval supremacy in the Channel and Napoleons maritime strategy was largely devoted to achieving this. By the same token British strategy was driven by the need to prevent it. Rather than put the matter to the test in the Channel, the Royal Navys strategy was to keep the French, and later their new allies, the Spanish, bottled up in their own ports. This blockade was the campaign that Nelson joined when Victory finally arrived off Toulon on July 8th 1803. Although less glorious than any out-and-out naval battle, this campaign was an extraordinary feat of endurance by the Royal Navy which lasted with only a brief interruption for the Treaty of Amiens, from 1797 to 1805. It involved endless days and nights at sea, in all weathers, where boredom and morale became as big a factor as the elements, let alone the rarely glimpsed enemy. After joining his command mi the Mediterranean it would be nearly two years before Nelson set foot on land again. Napoleon would never be content to let his ships be contained forever. In January 1805, on his orders and rather to their own surprise, his fleets escaped the blockades at Toulon and Rochefort. Nelsons first reaction was to search the Mediterranean but for once his strategic instinct was wrong. Napoleon was about to attempt a piece of grand strategy that would allow his army of 175,000 now assembling at Boulogne to cross the Channel and finally defeat his old enemy. This would be achieved by concentrating all his naval forces together in the Channel, having first lured the Royal Navy off on chase across the Atlantic to the West Indies. After a hesitant start by the French, whose ships crews had spent too long in harbour and lacked seamanship, they were blessed with good luck and escaped observation by the Royal Navy. But Nelson had now guessed their plan, with its double threat to both English interests in the West Indies and the Channel. Nelsons pursuit of Admiral Villeneuve across the Atlantic was a classic naval chase and is the subject of Geoff Hunts painting. It was the only time Victory ever crossed the Atlantic (it was virtually unknown for first-rate ships to do so) and she is seen carrying a very full set of sails, including stun sails, for maximum speed on the westward run. Behind her stretches a colurnn of ships from the Mediterranean Fleet, with an accompanying frigate to starboard. Nelson completed his westward crossing of the Atlantic 10 days faster than Villeneuve and but for some mistaken intelligence might well have brought the French and Spanish fleet to battle. But Villeneuve had already fled the West Indies when Nelson arrived. Although Nelson resumed the chase back across the Atlantic he failed to catch the enemy fleet. While the results had been inconclusive and Nelson worried how it might be judged at the Admiralty, the reality was that Napoleons grand strategy had proved impractical. The Royal Navy had not been long misled and the enemy had only narrowly avoided a fleet encounter. When Villeneuve finally arrived at Cadiz on August 20th 1805 both his ships and the morale of his men were at a low ebb. He had little heart for the final test that he knew would come.
Signed limited edition of 850 prints. Image size 17 inches x 23 inches (43cm x 58cm). Price £120.00
ITEM CODE LI0026
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Victory Breaks the Enemy Line by Geoff Hunt.
Nelsons long-considered plan for dealing with a numerically superior force involved breaking their line in two places with two squadrons, the spearheads of each squadron being his biggest ships. The two squadrons were to attack the enemy line at right-angles, relying on breaking through quickly and then turning to overwhelm separated sections of their fleet before the remainder could turn back to intervene. The situation at Trafalgar did indeed produce a superior enemy force, 33 French and Spanish battleships to Nelsons 27, and the stage was set for his plan to be implemented. One of the two British squadrons was to be spearheaded by the Royal Sovereign, the other by Victory herself, although he had other heavy ships which could have led the way. But Nelson had not foreseen the very light wind and the consequent agonisingly slow approach, slower than walking pace, on the actual day. Victory took an awful pounding before she ever arrived at the Franco-Spanish line.The mizzen topmast was shot away, as was the ships wheel, which meant that she had to be steered by tiller in the gunroom, with instructions shouted down from on deck. Her crew already had casualties of twenty officers and men dead, thirty wounded, before she could fire a shot in reply. Nevertheless the pivotal moment finally arrived, as seen in this painting. Victory, her guns silent until now, is just about to pass under the stern of the French flagship, Admiral Villeneuves Bucentaure. The ships are so close that Victorys yardarm brushes the French Ships rigging. As Victory passes she fires her port broadside of fifty cannons and one carronade through Bucentaures transom and stern windows, the most vulnerable part of any sailing warship, sweeping the decks from end to end. This shattering blow which is thought to have dismounted twenty guns and killed or injured four hundred men, virtually knocked the French flagship out of the fight. Entering from the left is the 74-gun Redoutable, commanded by the formidable Captain Lucas, who had trained his crew to the highest pitch in fighting at close quarters. Victory will very shortly find herself alongside Redoutable, from which the shot is fired that kills Nelson.
Signed limited edition of 850 prints. Image size 17 inches x 23 inches (43cm x 58cm). Price £120.00
ITEM CODE LI0042
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Victory Races Temeraire for the Enemy Line, Trafalgar 21st October 1805 by Geoff Hunt.
The morning of 21st October 1805 dawned clear, under a hazy sky, with a breeze from the west-north-west so light that the sea was scarcely ruffled. At ten to six on this beautiful autumn morning, Nelsons ships sighted the French and Spanish fleet against the dawn sky. The British ships, in line ahead, were sailing slowly north and rolling in a long Atlantic swell. There were 17,000 men in the British fleet and the vast majority were relieved, if apprehensive, that their long years of waiting were about to come to an end. With Nelson in command there was never the slightest doubt of victory, only of how extensive the victory might be. As soon as it was light enough for flags to be seen, Lord Nelson hoisted the first of his signals that morning: to prepare for battle, and then, in the words of the naval signal book, to bear up and sail large on the course set by the Admiral. The Victorys bow began to swing into the path of the rising sun and soon every ship in the English fleet was altering course towards the enemy. All sail was set, and as the morning advanced and the sun grew warmer, an air that was almost festive pervaded the fleet. From rime to time, the captains hailed each other with megaphones, and wished each other an enemy ship in tow before the night. Small boats were launched and rowed from ship to ship, for in this light wind the speed of the fleet was easily overtaken by a rowers pace. And down in the gloom of the gundecks men chalked defiant slogans on their guns. The French and Spanish did not sight the British fleet until six oclock, because the light was behind them. When they did, their feelings at the sight were different. The British felt they had caught their enemy, the French and the Spanish felt they had been caught. The British never doubted Nelson would lead them to victory, but a good many of the French and Spanish suspected their own admiral of cowardice, and only hoped at the best to save their own honour in defeat. They were willing to fight, but among those who were well informed, there was not much doubt of what the result would be if a battle began. The only doubt at dawn was whether the breeze would hold so that a battle would begin that day, and end before the night. At nine oclock the enemy fleet were five miles distant. Any sombre thoughts had been dispelled by the air of gaiety. The sun was well up and the sea sparkling. The tension was relieved by the sound of bands on the poops of some of the ships playing Rule Britannia and Britons Strike Home and clearly heard in the ships that had no bands. In such light airs the great ships crept forward, rolling slowly in the Atlantic swell. Every captain made his rounds as the morning wore on, as did Nelson, and food was issued early - it seemed the battle would come at the time of their normal mid-day meal. At eleven oiclock the distance between the two fleets had closed to two miles. The English fleet was divided into two columns, Nelson and Victory leading one and Collingwood in Royal Sovereign the other. At this time it is said that Nelson was prevailed on by his staff to allow another ship ahead of the Victory to take the first shock of the attack. Nelson outwardly agreed to this, and Temeraire, Captain Harvey, was accordingly signalled to overtake. As she came up to do this Nelson himself, by one account, leaned over the quarterdeck rail and hailed her, calling out I will thank you, Captain Harvey, to keep in your proper station, which is astern of the Victory! Strictly true or not - and according to her log Temeraire was at one time within a ships length of the Victory the story provides the framework for this picture. Under very light winds, with a great ground swell running, the two leading ships of the British windward column have about 45 minutes, much of it under fire which they cannot return, before they can cut through the enemy line. Victorys original aiming-point was the great Spanish flagship the Santisima Trinidad, at 140 guns the worlds heaviest-armed warship, visible here between Victory and Temeraire. Aboard Victory the signal hoists are preparing for Nelsons celebrated signal, England expects that every man will do his duty. Away to the right Collingwoods flagship, Royal Sovereign, is leading the leeward column into action, some of the enemy ships already trying shots at her. The long, slow approach to battle gave Trafalgar a unique atmosphere. At dawn, there was the confidence on one side and the lack of it on the other: not many great battles have been fought in which the outnumbered side was perfectly sure it would win and the other was almost sure it would lose. Then, all through the forenoon, everyone waited with very little to do while the British fleet crept towards its enemy, and the French and the Spanish fleet manoeuvred helplessly in the ocean swell. The approach had taken six hours, enough time for every man to feel his secret fears and to steady himself by the thought of who and what he was fighting for. When the great shock of the battle came it must have been a relief. By nightfall a great naval victory had been won, dispelling for ever the possibility of an invasion of the British Isles by Napoleons armies. The victory that afternoon also established a supremacy at sea which was not challenged for a hundred years. The death of Nelson at the height of the battle placed the laurel leaves of immortality on his brow and he remains today Britains most enduring, and sympathetic, national hero.
Signed limited edition of 850 prints. Image size 17 inches x 23 inches (43cm x 58cm). Price £160.00
ITEM CODE LI0022
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Victory and Squadron in Light Airs by Geoff Hunt
SOLD OUT.
Limited edition print. . Price £
ITEM CODE LI0024
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Agamemnon Opens Fire on the Ca Ira, 13th March 1795 by Geoff Hunt.
Like most Royal Navy officers of his time, Nelsons continuing career was subject to the vicissitudes of the Services operational needs. After paying off Boreas in 1787 Nelson spent five years on the beach in his native Norfolk. In the winter of 1792, it looked as though, at last, Revolutionary France would declare war on England. To Nelsons delight, his endless entreaties to the Admiralty finally bore fruit. On 7th January 1793 he was appointed to command HMS Agamemnon. Nelson looked forward to his new command with enthusiasm. He was 34 years old, mature, experienced, with 14 years seniority on the post list and he had spent much of the last five years thinking about naval tactics. If Nelson was in the prime of life then so also was Agamemnon. Built twelve years previously, of New Forest Oak, she was launched at Bucklers Hard on the river Beaulieu in Hampshire and was, unusually at that time, for the technique was then still quite new, copper-bottomed. In 1793 Agamemnon was, for her size, one of the fastest warships afloat anywhere. Her 64 guns made her technically a thirdrate, by this date the smallest type to appear in the line of battle. Once in commission, Nelson decided that her size did not matter: far more importantly, she sailed well, and her strength and speed would offer opportunities a larger vessel might miss. It was said, she could outsail anything she could not outgun and outgun anything she could not outsail. As far as possible, Nelson recruited his crew from volunteers in Norfolk where he was well-known and which anyway had the reputation for producing fine seamen. The high proportion of volunteers undoubtedly contributed to the effectiveness of a ship that was to become renowned for its fighting efficiency. After a brief interlude of Channel patrols Agamemnon was soon despatched to the Mediterranean to serve under the command of Admiral Lord Hood. France had finally declared war on England on 1st February. For the next three years Nelson and Agamemnon served with distinction in a variety of naval operations in the Mediterranean. A happy ship, devoted to their Captain, Agamemnon was never far from the action. As might be expected with Nelson in command, many of the actions were somewhat unconventional. Perhaps the most notable of these was his involvement in the amphibious campaign in Corsica which finally resulted in the capture of Calvi. The incident portrayed in Geoff Hunts painting took place on 13th March 1795. By this time Lord Hood had been succeeded by Vice-Admiral Hotham as Commander-in-Chief in the Mediterranean. Hothams hesitancy and caution did not endear him to Nelson. The blockade of Toulon, a central part of British naval strategy, continued under Hotham who on 6th March ordered part of the fleet to pursue seventeen enemy ships of the line and five smaller ships that had been observed emerging from Toulon, bound for Corsica. Poor winds handicapped the pursuit but at dawn on 13th March the British fleet found itself twelve miles from a retreating enemy with Agamemnon, the fastest ship in the fleet, pulling away from the rest except for Captain Fremantles Inconstant. The French might have escaped altogether but one of their 80-gun sIrips of the line - the Ca Ira - had been in collision with another and lost her fore and main topmasts. The Inconstant, a frigate of only 36 guns, engaged the Ca Ira but had to withdraw badly damaged. Agamemnon, now several miles ahead of the rest of the fleet, was the next to engage. By this rime the Ca Ira was in tow by the Vestale and was protected by two other ships of the line - one of 74, the other of 120 guns. Nelsons technique of dealing with the far larger Ca Ira which Nelson described as absolutely large enough to have taken the Agamemnon in her hold was to attack her from the stern so that the Ca Ira could never bring either of her devastating broadsides to bear. However, considerable damage was done by her stern chasers. Nelson had not intended to fire until he was almost touching the Ca Ira but he changed his mind, allowing Agamemnon to bear away from the line of pursuit so that her broadside could be fired. It is precisely this moment that is portrayed in the painting. For 2 and a half hours Agamemnon slowly closed on the Ca Ira in the light airs, slowed only by bearing away to fire her broadside. Although Agamemnon was constantly hit by the accurate stern chaser fire from Ca Ira and her sails and rigging considerably damaged none of the ships crew were killed although some were wounded. The Ca Ira, on the other hand, was hit constantly by the double-shotted broadsides and suffered heavy casualties. By 1pm the signal of recall had been hoisted by Hotham and to Nelsons great irritation the Ca Ira was allowed to escape. She was captured next day by a larger force of British ships but Nelson was appalled at Hothams decision not to continue his pursuit of the main fleet. Absolutely in the horrors, as he described it, he heard Admiral Hotham say: We must be contented: we have done very well. In a further letter about the action Nelson spelled out his own ambition: I wish to be an Admiral, and in command of the English fleet. I should very soon either do much, or be ruined. My disposition cannot bear tame and slow measures.
Signed limited edition of 850 prints. Image size 17 inches x 23 inches (43cm x 58cm). Price £120.00
ITEM CODE LI0020
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Boreas in the West Indies March 1787 by Geoff Hunt.
On 18th March 1784, Nelson was extremely lucky to be appointed to command HMS Boreas. The previous September, the Treaty of Versailles had ended the American War of Independence and many naval officers anticipated an extended period on the beach. Perhaps through political influence, Nelson was singled out for the command of the 28-gun frigate Boreas which was destined for a commission in the West Indies. The frigate was the most glamorous warship type in the navy. Although not heavily gunned, it was fast enough to evade larger enemies. It was likely to be given an independent role, whilst ships of the line normally operated in fleets off the enemy coast. The frigate often fought singleship actions against enemy frigates and these were followed avidly by the press and public. Successful frigate captains had something of the image of top-scoring fighter pilots in the Second World War and a few achieved great fame and riches derived from prize money. The frigate was designed with an unarmed lower deck so that its guns were well above the water line, this meant that it could be allowed to heel quite considerably and carry sail in strong wind and heavy seas. On occasion frigates made fourteen knots, making them the fastest ships in the navy. The frigate was used for convoy escort, commerce raiding and patrols. They were also the eyes of the battle fleet. Nelsons time with Boreas, his only peacetime commission, came close to being professional suicide although on all occasions Nelson had, strictly speaking, been in the right. He also found himself being sued for £40,000, something of a problem for a man whose full pay was £260 a year! Before Boreas arrived on station, she had to make the long voyage across the Atlantic carrying passengers with government connections as was common at this time. Amongst the passengers was Lady Hughes, the wife of a senior naval officer with whom he was later to clash, but who provided good company on the voyage. Very much later she wrote about her experiences on Boreas. She observed, with considerable insight, Nelsons leadership abilities, particularly in regard to the many young midshipmen on board, some of whom might have been as young as 12 or 13. She wrote: Among such a number, it may reasonably be supposed there must have been timid spirits, as well as bold. The timid he never rebuked, but always wished to show them he desired nothing that he would not instantly do himself. and I have known him say, Well, sir, I am going a race to the mast-head, and beg I may meet you there. No denial could be given to such a request, and the poor little fellow instantly began to climb the shrouds. Captain Nelson never took the least notice in what manner it was done, but when they met in the top, spoke in the most cheerful terms to the midshipman, and observed how much any person was to be pitied who could fancy there was any danger, or even anything disagreeable in the attempt. After this excellent example, I have seen the same youth who before was so timid, lead another in like manner, and repeat his commanders words. The main problems he encountered in the West Indies, which made the next nine months on the station wretched and frustrating for him, were caused by the newly found independence of the American colonies which were, under the English Navigation Acts, no longer allowed to trade with British colonies, including those that were close at hand in the West Indies. Nelson later described the problem he faced: The Americans, when colonists, possessed almost all the trade from America to our West India islands, on the return to peace (after the War of Independence) they forgot, on this occasion, they became foreigners, and of course had no right to trade in the British colonies. But of course they were trading, and no one was trying to stop them: Our Governors and Custom-house Officers pretended that by the Navigation Act they had a right to trade, and all the West Indians wished that was so much in their interest. Nelson found he was senior captain on the station and he took his responsibility seriously. He knew the trade was illegal and was determined to stop it. Admiral Hughes was in overall command but he was a weak man and turned a blind eye to the local trade with America. Nelson declined to do this and the result was a confrontation, not just with Hughes but the local traders, including the islanders of Nevis who banded together to sue him for the trade he had lost them. Although Nelson was vindicated by the Admiralty the legal ramifications took years to sort out. If the island of Nevis brought him a very disagreeable legal action, it also brought him a wife. One might surmise that his somewhat impetuous decision to marry was prompted, to some extent, by the loneliness and unhappiness the commission had brought him. Frances Nisbet was a widow of 27, with a five-year-old son, Josiah. Her father had been a judge on the island, her husband, the | |
