Nelson & His World

Speaking of officers' cabins, with or without valuable possessions, where would a captain of the fleet be quartered? I've seen the cutaway diagrams of Victory for example, showing "Captain's Cabin" and "Admiral's Cabin"...Would the flag captain have to share?

Fiddler,

A Captain of the Fleet – or First Captain – acted as the chief advisor to an Admiral of a fleet. In 1795 he could be appointed if a fleet consisted of fifteen ships or more, this being reduced to ten in 1805. To a certain extent the title was an ambiguous one since the holder could be a rear admiral in rank. Even if only a captain however, he still drew the pay of a rear admiral and was entitled to the same priviledges.

However, the position of Captain of the Fleet was not always filled, fleets often sailing without one. This was so in the British fleet at Trafalgar where Nelson's flag captain, Hardy, assumed those duties. Quite why this was so is open to debate, but it may be that Nelson didn't feel the need for one where he felt sure, by the time of the battle, that all his captains knew what was expected of them. He may have been influenced by the situation which had occurred at Copenhagen, and of which he had had experience at first hand, where he believed that the Captain of the Fleet, William Domett, had caused uneccessary problems. Again it may have been caused by the circumstances, when many ships were away storing at the time the battle occurred. If more ships had been present one may have been appointed, although this does not seem likely. What does seem likely is that Nelson, whose style was to be in direct contact with his captains, would have believed that to appoint an officer to that position would have removed that direct contact, especially if that officer were another Domett.

As to the berthing arrangements on the Victory had a Captain of the Fleet been carried, then quite possibly as you say, Hardy may have had to share his quarters. Perhaps some arrangement may have been arrived at where the officer concerned occupied the great cabin, with its row of windows, whilst Hardy berthed in the state room forward of that. I can't imagine, however, that it would have been a particularly happy arrangement. It would have been inconceivable, of course, that Nelson would have given up any of his own quarters, situated on the deck below. Luckily perhaps, the situation never arose.

Nelson did have a Captain of the Fleet, Rear Admiral George Murray, with him on the Victory, but only until the return to England in August 1805. But as a result of the death of his father in law, Murray did not rejoin the Victory in September. It is reported (in the Naval Chronicle) of Nelson that "when several captains applied to his lordship, to fill the vacancy which Captain Murray had left, his reply was, if ever he had another captain of the fleet, it must be Murray!"

I am making this post "off the cuff" - I will check the details in a bit.

But I seem to recall that if Murray had been at Trafalgar he would have been at 3 or maybe even all 4 of Nelson's major actions.

So there was obviously a very strong bond between them. And may have been one of the reasons why he didn't immediately promote Hardy to Captain of the Fleet.

MB

I was along the right lines.

George Murray was at Cape St. Vincent, and Copenhagen - Trafalgar would have been the third major action with Nelson.

Having said that Hardy was at the Nile, Copenhagen and Trafalgar.

MB

Thanks guys!

Hardy was at Cape St. Vincent also, albeit as second lieutenant, La Minerve.