Horatio Nelson is generally regarded as the greatest officer in the history of the Royal Navy. His reputation is based on a series of remarkable victories, culminating at the Battle of Trafalgar where he was killed in his moment of triumph. The poet Byron referred to him as ‘Britannia’s God of War’.
Horatio Nelson was son of the Reverend Edmund Nelson, Rector of Burnham Thorpe, in the County of Norfolk, and Catherine his wife, daughter of Doctor Suckling, Prebendary of Westminster, whose grandmother was sister to Sir Robert Walpole, Earl of Orford. He was born September 29th 1758, in the Parsonage-house at Burnham Thorpe, was sent to the high school at Norwich, and afterwards removed to North Walsham. On the disturbance with Spain relative to the Falkland's Islands, he went to sea with his uncle Captain Maurice Suckling in the Raisonnable of 64 guns. The business with Spain being accommodated, he was sent in a West India ship with Mr John Rathbone, who had formerly been in the Navy, in the Dreadnought with Captain Suckling. He returned a practical Seaman, with a horror of the Royal Navy, and with a saying then constant with Seamen. 'After the most honour, forward the better man!' It was many weeks before he got in the least reconciled to a Man-of-war, so deep was the prejudice rooted. When the expedition towards the North Pole was fitted out in 1773 nothing could prevent his using every interest to go with Captain Skeffington Lutwidge in the Carcass. He begged he might be his coxswain, which finding his ardent desire for going with him, Captain L. complied with. On the 8th of April 1777, he passed his examination as a Lieutenant and received his commission next day as second Lieutenant of the Lowestoffe frigate of 32 guns, Captain William Locker. In this ship he went to the West Indies. On 20 October 1777, blowing a gale of wind and very heavy sea, the Lowestoffe captured an American privateer. The first Lieutenant was ordered to board her, which he did not do, owing to the very high sea. On his return on board the Captain said, 'Have I no Officer who can board the Prize?' On which the Master ran to the gangway, to get into the boat; when he stopped him saying, 'It is my turn now; and if I come back; it is yours. On the 11th of June 1779, he was made Post Captain into the Hinchinbroke, frigate. In 1781 he was involved in an action against the Spanish fortress of San Juan in Nicaragua.