BY DOUG FORD
TWO hundred and twenty years ago today, as the sun rose over the eastern horizon, the men of the Royal Navy would have already gone through their morning ritual of rolling their hammock and setting them into the nets around the deck and eating with their messmates.
Then when the drummers sounded “prepare for Battle”, they cleared the ship for action – bulkheads were removed, cannon were loosened and nets were rigged over the open deck to prevent, as far as possible, falling spars and rigging injuring the crew.
With light winds slowing everything down, the men waited for the inevitable as 60 ships-of-the-line carrying 4,780 cannon, 12 times more than would be on the battlefield at Waterloo, approached each other with malicious intent.
Amongst the 18,000 men under Nelson’s command were 36 who described themselves as Jerseymen and the vast majority of them were to be found on the lower decks. Half of them were aged between 20 and 24 while the oldest, Peter Broford, was 49 years old and the youngest, Joseph Melle on HMS Ajax, was only 12 years old.
They would have been rated on ability. The best were Able Bodied seaman (ABs) who were paid £1 8s per lunar month – they were able to handle the sails and rigging as well as taking their turn at the wheel to steer the ship. Ordinary Seaman (OSs) were less experienced but could work on the sails and rigging, and were paid £1 3s 4d. With little or no naval training the lowest rated sailors were the Landsmen who received £1 1s per lunar month. They were used as muscle – pushing and pulling as directed by the more experienced men.
Life in Nelson’s Navy was not as brutal as it is sometimes portrayed. Wages were paid (usually in arrears) and seamen were guaranteed regular meals. Most seamen were entered on the ship’s books as Volunteers because they received a £5 bounty. This bounty was offered to all men who were pressed and even though as many 50-75% of men joined the navy involuntarily the fact that they were willing to take the bounty rated them as “volunteers”. Only those who refused the bounty were set down as “Pressed”.
The information we have managed to glean about these men tends to come from Pay Books and Crew Lists, written by bored clerks, who when confronted by an ‘unusual’ name, wrote down what they thought they had heard. This obviously happened on HMS Neptune when they received six Jerseymen from the Plymouth receiving ship, the Salvador del Mundo. Amos Huelin, was recorded as Ueling on his papers, Joseph Selous as Seloe and Elias Syvret as Civrac. Happily, Abraham Collas Laws, Nicholas Vesconte and John Le Maynard came through the ordeal with their names unchanged.
List of Jerseymen and their ships
In the Weather Column lead by Vice-Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson on board HMS Victory.
HMS Victory (100), Capt. Thomas Masterman Hardy
Two Jerseymen served under Captain Hardy:
- Nicholas Le Couteur, a 23-year-old AB from St Peter. He had been pressed into the Royal Navy and was severely wounded in the battle.
- Thomas Marat, a 22-year-old Landsman. He had transferred from HMS Amphion (32) a frigate the week before the battle.
HMS Temeraire (98), Capt. Elias Harvey
Three Jerseymen, who like Thomas Marat had transferred from the Amphion:
- Samuel Le Gresley, a 19-year-old Landsman born in St Ouen. Named Le Grady on his papers. He was the only Jerseyman to be killed in the battle.
- John Noel, another 19-year-old Landsman.
- Philip Langley, a 17-year-old, rated as a Boy 3rd Class.
HMS Neptune (98), Capt. Thomas Francis Freemantle
Six Jerseymen who had all been sent from the Plymouth receiving ship, the Salvador del Mundo served under Captain Freemantle:
- Amos Huelin, a 22-year-old Landsman.
- Abraham Collas Laws, a 22-year-old Landsman. Pressed into the Navy.
- Joseph Selous, a 22-year-old Landsman, named as Seloe on his papers.
- Elias Syvret, a 23-year-old Landsman, named as Civrac on his papers.
- Nicholas Vesconte, a 22-year-old Landsman.
- John Le Maynard, a 38-year-old OS.
HMS Leviathan (74), Capt. Henry William Bayntun
- Thomas Anthoine, a 23-year-old AB from St Brelade. Pressed into the Navy.
HMS Britannia (100), Capt. Charles Bullen
- Francis Daniel Lauzun, a 16-year-old Midshipman, who entered the Navy in October 1800 as an 11-year-old.
HMS Agamemnon (64) Capt. Sir Edward Berry
- John de Gruchy, a 22-year-old OS, named as De Greche on his papers. He had only just joined his new ship (September 1805) from the frigate HMS Uranie (38)
HMS Ajax (74), Lieut. John Pilford
- Joseph Melle, 12, served as a Boy 3rd Class on board HMS Ajax (74) Although he gave his birth place as Jersey, he may have already served in the French navy as he was transferred out of a prison ship.
HMS Orion (74), Capt. Edward Codrington
- Philip Mourant, a 19-year-old Landsman, named as Morrant on his papers, served as one of the 25 Landsmen on board HMS Orion.
HMS Minotaur (74), Capt. Charles John Moore Mansfield
Two Jerseymen served under Captain Mansfield:
- James Le Boeuf, a 34 year-old Gunner’s mate who was named as Le Bieuf on his papers. Pressed into the Navy.
- Thomas Spencer, a 23-year-old AB.
In the Lee Column lead by Vice-Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood on board HMS Royal Sovereign
HMS Royal Sovereign (100), Capt. Edward Rotheram
- James Le Vesconte, a 16-year-old Second Lieutenant in the Royal Marines. In the first half hour of the battle he was seriously wounded in his leg.
HMS Belleisle (74), Capt. William Hargood
- John Brown, a 34-year-old AB, he was wounded in the battle. When he sailed from Portsmouth in September 1805 he had a portion of his wage paid to his wife.
HMS Tonnant (80), Capt. Charles Tyler
- John Russell, a 42-year-old OS.
HMS Achille (74), Capt. Richard King
Six Jerseymen served under Captain King:
- Joseph Henry, a 22-year-old AB served as one of the 120 ABs on board HMS Achille (74). He applied for and was granted the Naval General Medal and Trafalgar clasp, issued in 1848.
- Josue Mars, a 38-year-old AB, from St Mary. Pressed into the Navy and joined from the Plymouth receiving ship, the Salvador del Mundo.
- George Boutillier, a 20-year-old OS.
- Peter Broford, a 47-year-old OS.
- John Hutton, a 26-year-old OS. He deserted along with George Boutillier with whom he had served in HMS Kite, when his ship reached Plymouth, on 5 January 1806.
- Philip Hocquard, a 21-year-old Landsman, named as Hocard on his papers. Pressed into the Royal Navy.
HMS Defiance (74), Capt. Philip Charles Durham
- John Norman, a 21-year-old OS. Pressed into the Navy, he had been sent from the Portsmouth guard ship, the Royal William.
HMS Thunderer (74), Lieut. John Stockham
- George Hemery, a 20-year-old OS from St Peter, named as George Emery on his papers. He joined his ship from the Plymouth receiving ship, the Salvador del Mundo.
In addition to the two columns of ‘battleships’, Nelson had four frigates with him. These were smaller and faster vessels that acted as “the eyes of the fleet”, couriers and, importantly, after a battle, they would provide crucial assistance to crippled larger ships, helping to tow them to safety.
HMS Euryalus (36), Capt. Hon Henry Blackwood
- William Mason, a 24-year-old AB.
HMS Naiad (38), Capt. Thomas Dundas
Three Jerseymen served under Captain Dundas:
- Henry Le Vesconte, a 26-year old Lieutenant baptised in St Peter in 1779. He had been in the Royal Navy since he was 11. His younger brother was Royal Marine Second Lieutenant James Le Vesconte serving on the Royal Sovereign.
- Edward Hammond, a 28-year-old AB.
- John Le Prevue, a 20-year-old OS from St Helier, named as George Prenvue on his papers.
HMS Phoebe (36), Capt. Hon. Thomas Bladen Capell
- John Richard, a 43-year-old AB. He joined the Phoebe having recovered from wounds received while attacking the French brig Eliza in his previous ship.
HMS Sirius (36), Capt. William Prowse
Two Jerseymen served as landsmen under Captain Prowse.
- John Britten, a 19-year-old from Grouville and
- John Gruchy, a 24-year-old, named as Grechie on his papers.
