Horatio Nelson

Roger Knight (University of Greenwich)
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Horatio Nelson was in his lifetime and is still Britain’s most celebrated admiral, winning a series of decisive victories over the French, Spanish and Danes during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars (1793-1815). He came to epitomise Britain’s defence against invasion by Napoleon Bonaparte, who was equally if not more successful on land. Nelson secured everlasting fame by dying at the moment of decisive victory at the battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805.

Nelson was born in Burnham Thorpe, north Norfolk, in 1758, the third surviving son of a country parson of middling means and the sixth of his eleven children. He went to sea at the age of twelve in 1771 as a midshipman on a ship commanded by Captain Maurice Suckling, his mother’s brother who eventually became

1866 words

Citation: Knight, Roger. "Horatio Nelson". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 17 May 2005 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5907, accessed 19 March 2024.]

5907 Horatio Nelson 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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