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Nelson's Freedom Towns
http://www.nelsonandhisworld.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1521		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  raldis [ Sun Apr 14, 2013 2:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Nelson's Freedom Towns
I have been attempting to list all the towns/cities that awarded Nelson their 'Freedom'. So far I have logged 17 British towns (Bath, Berwick upon Tweed, Bristol, Exeter, Great Yarmouth, Haverfordwest, Hereford, Liverpool, London, Ludlow, New Sarum (Salisbury), Norwich, Monmouth, Oxford, Sandwich, Thetford, Worcester), plus Palermo, Sicily. The Drapers' Company also awarded the Admiral its 'Freedom'. I would be grateful if anyone can come up with any others (indicating source of information please).

Ray Aldis
Author:  tycho [ Sun Apr 14, 2013 3:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Nelson's Freedom Towns
Welcome to the forum!

I don't see Birmingham on your list though I have a feeling he was awarded the freedom of that city.

Mark, fount of knowledge on Nelson and Birmingham, can you confirm/refute?
Author:  raldis [ Sun Apr 14, 2013 4:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Nelson's Freedom Towns
Hi Anne,

Like you I thought Birmingham was a cert, but can find no evidence of its Freedom being awarded.

Ray
Author:  Mark Barrett [ Mon Apr 15, 2013 10:23 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Nelson's Freedom Towns
Hi Guys

No Nelson definitely wasn't given the Freedom of Birmingham.

This got me thinking as I am not aware that anyone was given the Freedom of Birmingham until late in the 19th century.

Did a place/town have to have a certain status before it could award a "Freedom"? I am wondering if it had to be a parliamentary borough or something like that. But that is just a random thought.

I have seen reference to a statute entitled Honorary Freedom of Boroughs Act (1885). It may be after this that Birmingham first awarded Freedoms.

Sorry a bit of muddled thinking here - but Birmingham definitely doesn't go on Ray's list.

MB
Author:  Mark Barrett [ Tue Apr 16, 2013 8:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Nelson's Freedom Towns
It's nice to see I was right - courtesy of Wikipedia!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honorary_F ... Birmingham

It does seem to be that Act of 1885 that finally enabled Birmingham to award "Freedoms".

There are quite a few names there that are well known in the history of Birmingham. But likewise there are some that I have never even heard of. i think I might be doing a bit of Googling later.

Ray - just out of interest is this a private research project or are you doing it for another reason? I'm always interested! :D

I'm not trying to make work for you - but wouldn't it be interesting to know how many of the "freedom scrolls" still exist and where they all are.

MB
Author:  Mark Barrett [ Tue Apr 16, 2013 9:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Nelson's Freedom Towns
Ray

I think you need Plymouth on your list.

Awarded 22nd January 1801.

MB
Author:  raldis [ Tue Apr 16, 2013 10:17 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Nelson's Freedom Towns
Thanks for Plymouth Mark. This is just some private research by another Nelson anorak! Your thinking is in line with mine. I live in Salisbury and got to wondering where their scroll was and then on to 'where are all of them'? May be a long flog.

I've also been doing some research on the Nile Clumps and discovered that HMS Leander is missing - I wonder why?

Ray
Author:  Mira [ Wed Apr 17, 2013 11:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Nelson's Freedom Towns
Ray

Another one for the list?

Reverend Edmund Nelson to Catherine Matcham, 8 Oct 1798:

Quote:
'... The Peerage is not what the publick are fully Satisfied with, But we are told it is only to begin with, the Comps, Letters &c., without number. He is this day to receive the Freedom of Ipswich, next Monday is fixed for a Grand Ball there on the Occasion...'
Author:  Mark Barrett [ Thu Apr 18, 2013 6:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Nelson's Freedom Towns
Ray

You asked for sources of info.

I am sure that this would have been in other newspapers but this particular notice was in the Morning Post of 27th January 1801.
Attachment:
freedomplymouth.jpg
freedomplymouth.jpg [ 40.78 KiB | Viewed 13309 times ]

Do you think that the town awarding the Freedom has 2 copies made - i.e. one for the recipient and one for their own "archive"? I am just thinking that that might give 2 possibilities of seeing what these various Freedom scrolls looked like.

Just me having random thoughts again! :D

MB
Author:  raldis [ Fri Apr 19, 2013 1:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Nelson's Freedom Towns
Thanks for 'Ipswich' Jacqui.

Is this now the definitive list: Bath, Berwick upon Tweed, Bristol, Exeter, Great Yarmouth, Haverfordwest, Hereford, Ipswich, Liverpool, London, Ludlow, New Sarum (Salisbury), Norwich, Monmouth, Oxford, Plymouth, Sandwich, Thetford, Worcester. Plus Palermo and the Drapers’ Company.

Guess the next question is "Is this a record for a non-royal"? I imagine only Wellington & Churchill would be contenders.

Mark - not sure about copies of Freedom Scrolls in the 19th Century. These days they are easily printed off, but when they were hand drawn on vellum they were works of art and I guess expensive to produce. The Salisbury scroll was presented in a casket made of Heart of Oak - it must be somewhere!

Ray
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