Nelson & His World

Another name was initially proposed for Trafalgar Square. Does anyone know what it was?

I know the answer and will post it here if no one replies.

Tycho,

The original name was to have been 'King William The Fourth's Square'. I also came across this quite interesting site:

http://www.solarnavigator.net/history/n ... ngland.htm

Kester

Well done, Kester!

George Ledwell Taylor claimed credit for the name ‘Trafalgar Square’

He was a distinguished architect responsible for some of the buildings around Trafalgar Square, and having business about some architectural plans, went to St James’s Palace where he had an audience of the new king, William 1V. He records in his autobiography, published by Longman’s in 1870, that while awaiting his reception into the King’s presence:

‘I found other officers waiting, among them Sir Thomas Hardy.

‘Ah, Taylor, what are you here for?’

‘A private matter, Sir Thomas.’

However, while we were waiting, a thought struck me if I could get Sir Thomas, to moot this subject, in whose arms Nelson died. [Sentence structure and historical fact seem both somewhat confused here] So I addressed Sir Thomas, and told him my object, adding: if he would be so kind as to make the suggestion to His Majesty’.

‘What?’ said he, ‘What do you take me for?. To ask the King, who has consented to its being called after his own name? Are you mad? I wish you well through it. I will have nothing to do with it.’

Notwithstanding this unpropitious opinion, I awaited my time and was before the King. I had some difficulty in opening my case, but His Majesty took most kindly to my arguments and said, ‘I like the idea. Let it be called Trafalgar Square. Go and tell Lord Duncannon so from me.’

Here was an awkward situation. I said, ‘Your Majesty, I am but a humble man, unauthorised to convey such an order.’

‘I see,’ said His Majesty. ‘Give me your plan – pen and ink.’ He wrote: ‘Trafalgar Square – William Rex’.

Tycho,

To paraphrase the song, it's amazing what a little googling can do-oo-oo!

Referring to the meeting between Taylor and Hardy, the latter's reply to the request reminded me of another similar reaction of his, though I can't remember the source.

Apparently Hardy, when First Sea Lord in the 1830's, was about to sign the order for the disposal of a number of old warships and it would appear that the Victory was one of those on the list. He appears to have regarded her as just another old wooden wall and seems to have overlooked, or momentarily forgotten, the distinguished part she had played in the late Napoleanic Wars and her being Nelson's flagship at Trafalgar. Stranger still, when he himself had been her Flag Captain and had been intimately connected with those same events! We know he was a very practical man, Colin White also referring to him as 'reserved and unemotional', but was he really such a 'cold fish' with no feelings for such things?

I gather it was Lady Hardy who, when hearing of the Victory's approaching demise, appealed to any feelings that her husband might have had for his old command and for his old friend - and thus pursuaded him to remove Victory's name from the list. If the story is true, we must be eternally grateful to her that the old ship is still with us.

Kester