The reference on the ‘Nelson’s reading’ thread to Nelson’s loan of the book by Josephus to Captain Sawyer sent me back to Sugden’s account of Sawyer’s dismissal from the navy because of his homosexuality. Sugden notes afterwards that Sawyer thanked Nelson for his 'kind letter' so he must have looked with some sympathy on his situation. Earlier, he had mentioned his ‘indignation and melancholy’. Maybe he was indignant that Sawyer had allowed his private proclivities to impinge on his professional life, with all the associated threats to discipline and order? ‘Melancholy’ is an interesting word to use here: did he regard the business as sad and unfortunate rather than criminal, I wonder?
It set me thinking about Nelson’s complex nature and the strange contradictions in his attitudes, sometimes inflexible and judgemental, sometimes sympathetic and forbearing. He was, for example, totally dismissive of the French, making sweeping denunciations of their perfidy. He had no sympathy with atheism, with revolution against established authority, with political mutiny (as opposed to requests for more equitable treatment) nor with personal weaknesses such as drunkenness. He dismissed his servant Frank Lepée for drinking, and had some harsh words to say about his brother Suckling’s weakness for drink. At a time when drunkenness was rife among all classes, it was an unusually rigid standpoint, I think.
On the other hand, he was sympathetic to those who were victims of injustice such as the Norfolk peasants and the common seamen who mutinied at the Nore, though he felt that the remedy should be to make the system more responsive to their needs, not to seek a solution through destroying it. He supported the prompt execution of politically motivated upstarts in the navy and wanted those who preached sedition among the peasants in Norfolk to be prosecuted. Though he abhorred atheism, he was respectful of other Christian denominations such as Roman Catholics, (he donated gifts in gratitude to the Roman Catholic church at Maddelena), and also to other religions. He established good relations with Islamic leaders, and formed friendships with his Jewish neighbours in Merton – all this at a time when the law was discriminatory and the public attitude towards dissenting minorities in Britain was often one of suspicion if not open hostility.
It is clear too that he was sufficiently sympathetic to an individual accused of homosexuality to write to him kindly despite his ‘indignation’ and at a time when it was a criminal offence. There was another occasion too when he sought to help a young officer who had absconded with an opera dancer, leaving a string of debts behind. In view of his uncompromising and inflexible views on the demands of duty, this seems an interestingly tolerant and sympathetic stance.
We are none of us all of a piece, of course; but I do think these widely varying attitudes of Nelson’s are extremely interesting.
Incidentally, was any further action taken against Sawyer for his offence apart from dismissal from the navy? Homosexuality in civilian life at that time was, I believe, not only a criminal, but a capital offence. Would an officer have been turned over to the civilian authorities in cases of capital crimes such as murder etc?
_________________ Anna
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