Nelson’s nature was somewhat volatile. Yet in one sense the Downton Castle anecdote rings false. However bleakly he construed his prospects, Nelson knew that he had more than a ‘little’ interest – much more. In fact, the career of Maurice Suckling had progressed considerably in the years that Horace had been away, and news from home must have alerted him to it.
Young Nelson was probably less aware that his uncle’s success had a black lining, for, though barely middle aged, Captain Suckling was ill. This was probably why in 1775 he applied to the Admiralty for shore-based positions in Newfoundland or Jamaica. By the beginning of 1777 he was ‘in much bodily pain’ for days at a time, and there were fears for his life. 31
But as if to compensate for physical infirmity some juicy professional plums had fallen into Suckling’s lap. On 12 April 1775 Lord Sandwich, the first lord of the Admiralty, appointed him to succeed Sir Hugh Palliser as comptroller of the Navy Board, one of the most important positions in the service. It put him at the head of the Navy Office, and responsible for dockyards, ships and such warrant officers as masters, pursers, surgeons and boatswains. The recruitment of dockyard workers themselves was largely in the hands of the dockyard officials, and as the senior board the Admiralty could always impose candidates for warrants upon the Navy Office, but thecomptroller was still a man of prestige and patronage. He wielded enough sway over posts and dockyard contracts to reward those befriending him, and made a powerful ally. 32
Not only that, but such was Sandwich’s faith in Suckling that on 18 May 1776 he was returned Member of Parliament for Portsmouth. Portsmouth was a corporation borough that confined the franchise to the few members of the civic government. However, the navy’s influence in the town was immense, and the corporation usually returned a nominee of the Admiralty as their Member. The incumbent, therefore, was almost always a parliamentary placeman, approved by the current administration and ready to do its bidding. Captain Suckling never took his place in the House of Commons, but his ‘election’ increased his influence and his ability to serve expectant protégés.
The consequences of Suckling’s triumphal march were not long in coming. His oldest Nelson nephew, Maurice, was offered a position as purser of the Swift , but opted instead for a clerkship in the Navy Office, where from November 1775 he busied himself among bills and accounts. Both jobs were within the remit of the Navy Board, but Midshipman Horace looked to the Admiralty for his promotion and was a more difficult problem. Even so, while the boy was sailing eastern seas his uncle was recommending him to Lord Sandwich, and within weeks of reaching England, Nelson reaped the benefit. 33
After notifying the Admiralty of his arrival with dispatches from Commodore Hughes, Pigott took the ailing Dolphin to Woolwich. On 18 September she was lashed alongside a sheer-hulk in the dockyard, terminally ill, and on the 24th Nelson and the rest of her complement were paid off. Receiving net wages to the value of £9 17s. 4d., Horace may have pondered anew his good fortune in winning that skirmish at the gaming table. 34
Only two days later he received an order from Sir James Douglas, the port admiral of Portsmouth. It appointed him acting lieutenant of the sixty-four-gun Worcester , preparing to sail for Gibraltar. 35
BOOK TWO
‘TO GLORY WE STEER’, 1793–7
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
M Y interest in Horatio Nelson was kindled in another time – in the immediate post-war world, when the admiral was still generally revered and Trafalgar Day was ritually commemorated on national radio. Boys’ literature of all kinds held him up for emulation and I was only nine years old when it first touched me. A few years later I did my first serious reading about Nelson in the long gone S. R. Thomas library of Ainthorpe High and the
Young Nelson was probably less aware that his uncle’s success had a black lining, for, though barely middle aged, Captain Suckling was ill. This was probably why in 1775 he applied to the Admiralty for shore-based positions in Newfoundland or Jamaica. By the beginning of 1777 he was ‘in much bodily pain’ for days at a time, and there were fears for his life. 31
But as if to compensate for physical infirmity some juicy professional plums had fallen into Suckling’s lap. On 12 April 1775 Lord Sandwich, the first lord of the Admiralty, appointed him to succeed Sir Hugh Palliser as comptroller of the Navy Board, one of the most important positions in the service. It put him at the head of the Navy Office, and responsible for dockyards, ships and such warrant officers as masters, pursers, surgeons and boatswains. The recruitment of dockyard workers themselves was largely in the hands of the dockyard officials, and as the senior board the Admiralty could always impose candidates for warrants upon the Navy Office, but thecomptroller was still a man of prestige and patronage. He wielded enough sway over posts and dockyard contracts to reward those befriending him, and made a powerful ally. 32
Not only that, but such was Sandwich’s faith in Suckling that on 18 May 1776 he was returned Member of Parliament for Portsmouth. Portsmouth was a corporation borough that confined the franchise to the few members of the civic government. However, the navy’s influence in the town was immense, and the corporation usually returned a nominee of the Admiralty as their Member. The incumbent, therefore, was almost always a parliamentary placeman, approved by the current administration and ready to do its bidding. Captain Suckling never took his place in the House of Commons, but his ‘election’ increased his influence and his ability to serve expectant protégés.
The consequences of Suckling’s triumphal march were not long in coming. His oldest Nelson nephew, Maurice, was offered a position as purser of the Swift , but opted instead for a clerkship in the Navy Office, where from November 1775 he busied himself among bills and accounts. Both jobs were within the remit of the Navy Board, but Midshipman Horace looked to the Admiralty for his promotion and was a more difficult problem. Even so, while the boy was sailing eastern seas his uncle was recommending him to Lord Sandwich, and within weeks of reaching England, Nelson reaped the benefit. 33
After notifying the Admiralty of his arrival with dispatches from Commodore Hughes, Pigott took the ailing Dolphin to Woolwich. On 18 September she was lashed alongside a sheer-hulk in the dockyard, terminally ill, and on the 24th Nelson and the rest of her complement were paid off. Receiving net wages to the value of £9 17s. 4d., Horace may have pondered anew his good fortune in winning that skirmish at the gaming table. 34
Only two days later he received an order from Sir James Douglas, the port admiral of Portsmouth. It appointed him acting lieutenant of the sixty-four-gun Worcester , preparing to sail for Gibraltar. 35
BOOK TWO
‘TO GLORY WE STEER’, 1793–7
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
M Y interest in Horatio Nelson was kindled in another time – in the immediate post-war world, when the admiral was still generally revered and Trafalgar Day was ritually commemorated on national radio. Boys’ literature of all kinds held him up for emulation and I was only nine years old when it first touched me. A few years later I did my first serious reading about Nelson in the long gone S. R. Thomas library of Ainthorpe High and the
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