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L110-001 Two letters from Maurice Nelson to Alexander Davison, Esq, October 2nd and 3rd 1798
CONTEXT BACKGROUND TO THE LETTER:
Maurice Nelson (1753-1811) was Horatio Nelson’s younger brother (incidentally, Horatio ‘employed’ Maurice as Royal Navy Chaplain on his frigate HMS Boreas when he served in the Leeward Islands squadron in the West Indies in the 1780’s, but Maurice wasn’t happy in Antigua so came home, but was still ‘employed’ on the ship!). This letter was written to Nelson’s Prize Agent, Alexander Davison, giving him the news that Horatio had won the mighty Battle of the Nile, off Aboukir Bay on the Nile Delta of Egypt, against Napoleon’s French Mediterranean Squadron. The battle took place on the 1st to the 3rd of August, 1798. The letter encloses a note from Horatio which relates to the number of ships he has captured during the battle (Prizes).
L110-001
Alexander Davison Esq
Swarland
Near Morpeth
Northumberland
Slide to transcribe
L110-002
Navy Office 3rd Octr 1798
My Dear Sir
The enclosed I have this day received
from my Brother altho’ it is probable you will hear
by the same conveyance yet I think it proper to give
you the information not any thing is necessary to
be done at present.
Yours most truly
Maurice Nelson
Slide to transcribe
L110-003
Alexander Davison Esq
Swarland
Near Morpeth
Northumberland
[Written vertically, top-to-bottom, down the side of the page by Nelson]
No Gazette in time for the Post – therefore inform
you 9 Sail of the Line & 2 frigates are taken 2 Sail of the
line Burnt 2 Sail of the line & 2 frigates escaped, The
French Admiral & his Captn are killed – we have lost
Captn Westcote of the Majestic – Sir James
[page torn here; letter is incomplete – see L110-005]
Slide to transcribe
L110-004
Navy Office 2nd Octr 1798
My Dear Sir/
My mind is so agitated I cannot
write have therefore enclosed you a Gazette which I
hope will give you first tidings of the signal
Victory obtained by my Brother he is slightly
wounded & was well when Captn Capel left him, but
he has written to Lady Spencer to say that his
Surgeon has advised him to return to England so
that I hope we shall soon see him again I now
think he has done enough & I hope the Country will
think so too. The Prizes are on their passage home
under convoy of the ships that have suffered most.
Pray present my best complts to Mrs Davison and believe
me to be with great truth
Yours most truly
Maurice Nelson
Alexr Davison, Esq. Swarland turn over/
Slide to transcribe
L110-005
[Nelson’s note repeated but including missing line from above L110-003]
No Gazette in time for the Post – therefore inform
you 9 Sail of the Line & 2 frigates are taken 2 Sail of the
line Burnt 2 Sail of the line & 2 frigates escaped, The
French Admiral & his Captn are killed – we have lost
Captn Westcote of the Majestic – Sir James Saumarez & Captn
Darly slightly wounded we have not lost a ship./
Alexr Davison, Esq. Swarland turn over/
