麻豆APP

Huratio Nelson. Photo by Lemeul Francis Abbott –

Top 10 Astonishing Facts about Horatio Nelson

The story of Horatio Nelson had an interesting life which had a couple of interesting facts. Horatio Nelson was one of the most famous naval officers in history. Nelson is surrounded by stories and myths throughout his career.

 Apart from Nelson being famous, he was also known for all sorts of other weird things. For instance, he was known to be eccentric and a troublemaker as well.  He was well known by both his enemies and his enemies and to this day is known as a genius and fierce tactician.

1. Nelson鈥檚 early life and Inauspicious beginnings.

Horatio Nelson Lay. Photo unatrributed –

Horatio Nelson was born in September 1758 in Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk. Nelson was born as the middle child among his eleven siblings. He was the sixth of eleven children and born in such a family, there weren鈥檛 many prospects in life.

This lack of life aspirations led him to join the Royal Navy in January 1771 at 12 years of age. This is how he showed early promises bypassing his lieutenant鈥檚 exam more than a year under the official age in 1771 at the age of 12 years.

  After joining the Navy, Nelson took his first command at age twenty, thereafter became a Captain in 1791, and was promoted to Admiral in 1797 at the age of thirty-nine years. With his command, Nelson was in a position where his skills and bravery would be noticed.

2. Horacio Nelson was not so vivid on if he was a lover of wildlife or not

Detail of the Statue of Horatio Nelson by Richard Westmacott in the Bull Ring, Birmingham. Photo by Rock Drum –

Nelson served under Commodore Phipps during his expedition to the North Pole, while still a Midshipman. The legend, Commodore Phipps goes that Nelson and of his shipmates bunked off duty and stalked a polar bear over the ice.

After having been surprised by the beast, nelson鈥檚 weapon misfired, forcing him to fend the creature off with the butt of his rifle until he was able to get away, leading to the creation of the now very famous painting of this moment, immortalizing the myth.

3. Horatio Nelson had two sides

The uniform coat worn by Vice Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar, on display at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England. This view of the coat shows the bullet hole in the left shoulder from the sharpshooter’s bullet which killed Nelson, as well as the decorations on the left breast and the insignia on the epaulette. Photo by Charles Lovett –

There are two paintings in the possession of the National Maritime Museum that portray Nelson as a fascinating and on the other hand complicated character. The first painting was begun by Jean Francis Rigaud in 1777 but did not come into completion until 1781.

This is because Rigaud had to alter the painting to reflect a sitter who had not only been promoted but also had lost weight through an illness while he was on duty. However, Rigaud was certainly able to capture Nelson鈥檚 determined keen eye, spirit, and strong sense of self-confidence.

It is these qualities that gave him a presence that won the attention of nearly all who met him. It was through Nelson鈥檚 qualities and charisma, he was soon able to win himself a very influential friend.

4. His charisma earned him great praise among great people

Horatio Nelson Vice Admiral, 1st Viscount Nelson, KB, 1758-1805. Photo by David Rogers –

The Prince of Wales, who was then a young midshipman, observed nelson on board Lord Hood鈥檚 flagship. The future King William IV also described Nelson as 鈥渢he merest boy of a captain I ever beheld鈥�.

The young Prince of Wales at one point recalled, 鈥淗is dress was worthy of attention. He had a full laced uniform: his lank unpowered hair was tied in a stiff hessian tail of quaintness of his figure鈥� I had never seen anything like it before鈥�.

However, Prince William went on to add, there was 鈥榮omething irresistibly pleasing in his address鈥� and the young royal sensed that Nelson was 鈥榥o ordinary being鈥�.

5. Nelson was punished through his career promotion

Horatio, Lord Nelson plaque. Photo by Megalit –

Horatio Nelson achieved his promotion following the Battle of Cape St. Vincent against the Spanish Armada. It is here that Nelson was almost at the end of the British line of ships during the battle when he broke from the line and engaged the Spanish ships against orders.

Nelson then found himself up against three Spanish ships until the HMS Culloden came to his aid. Instead of getting demoted for disobeying orders, the Royal navy promoted his success.

Disobeying orders was something that was a regular habit for Nelson, and once he claimed that he couldn鈥檛 see the signal to withdraw because he was looking through the telescope with his bad eye.

6. Nelson lost his sight while in the line of duty

Admiral on top of Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square, London. Photo by Beata May –

Horatio had several injuries over his life from battle. This is what led him to admit not to see the signal so that he would withdraw because he was looking through the telescope with his bad eye.

He since then lost sight in his right eye as well as his right arm. This was not a great thing for one to continually be in battle, nevertheless, he pressed on in his career.

7. Joining the Navy came with several illnesses which he might have predicted from the word go

Horatio Nelson janv 2020. Photo by Cloudapple –

Despite his prestigious career in the Royal Navy, Admiral Nelson suffered from seasickness his entire life. Nelson鈥檚 illness was what led the fictional character, Horatio Hornblower to get this trait from Nelson.

Hornblower鈥檚 first name was Horatio which was similar to Nelson鈥檚 first name and this too Hornblower borrowed from him.

8. Nelson rose the heights in his career despite him losing sight

The head from the statue of Horatio Nelson from the former Nelson’s Pillar in Dublin. The pillar was destroyed by a terrorist bomb on 8 March 1966. The head has been on display since 2005 in the research room on the first floor of the Dublin City Library and Archive (formerly The Gilbert Library) on Pearse Street in Dublin. Photo by O’Dea –

Nelson鈥檚 unorthodox naval tactics helped him to victory at Trafalgar, but it wasn鈥檛 the only time he broke the rules. During the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801, Nelson was ordered to retreat by the cautious Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, through the use of a system of signal flags.

 The story goes that, lifting his telescope to his blind right eye, Nelson said, 鈥淚 have a right to be blind sometimes鈥� I do not see the signal鈥�, before ordering his forces to continue the attack on the Dano-Norwegian forces.

 Despite the fact Nelson admitted he had 鈥榝ought contrary to orders鈥�, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief following the battle.    

9. Nelson made himself an easy target while approaching his death

Plaque commemorating British naval commander Horatio Nelson on the Barbican, Plymouth. Photo by Creative Commons Attribution –

It was partly Nelson鈥檚 fault to die at the Battle of Trafalgar. During the battle, Nelson opted to wear his full uniform and all his medals, making him very easy for a French sniper to spot.

Nelson鈥檚 subordinate Captain Thomas Hardy noticed that he was wounded and took him below decks. Nelson knew he was going to die, hence reportedly stating, 鈥淜iss me, Hardy鈥�, and at that point, Captain Hardy kissed him on the cheek.

This scene was witnessed by William Beatty, Walter Burke, and Chaplain Alexander Scott, a scene which is depicted in the painting 鈥淭he Death of Nelson鈥� by Arthur William Devis, done in 1805.

10. The fears that came after Nelson鈥檚 death

Statue of Admiral Horatio Nelson, Grand Parade, Southsea, Portsmouth, England. Photo by Harry Mitchell –

Following Nelson鈥檚 death at the battle of Trafalgar, there were fears that his body would succumb to rot on the voyage back to England. At the end of it all, his body was preserved in a brandy cask as far as Gibraltar.

The cast was last to the mast of the Victory and was guarded by a marine. Upon arrival to Gibraltar, Nelson鈥檚 body was transferred into a spirit for the journey back to London. By the time the body reached Greenwich, his face had to be covered as it lay in the state due to being unrecognizable from swelling.