Nelson & His World

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Kester

Would love to see the badge you refer to.

Meanwhile some good news and some bad news regarding the "Notes and Recollections" book about William Fergusson.

Last night I couldn't trace one on the www - Google books etc. etc. Then this morning I must have used different search words and BINGO!!

Click here

Unfortunately it doesn't include the Copenhagen memoranda referred to above.

But there is mention of his being at Copenhagen - see pp xii and xiii of the Preface.

So we now know 100% that we have the right man - but the hunt for the full transcript of the memoranda is still on.

MB

Mark:

an extra tin of Chum for you!

It occurred to me that the memoranda might have been personal rather than professional notes, for private circulation rather than public dissemination - hence their absence from the published papers you've found.

I note that C & M say they had access through Sir Thomas Hardy from the memo in Mr Matcham's possession. I'm sure I've heard of The Matcham Papers. Am I imagining this? If not, where are they? Could the memo be there?

I also note that the archive of the Royal Army Medical Corps has records dating back to the 17th century of precursors of the RAMC. Maybe there's a copy there? I've dropped them an email, anyhow.

Sorry I can't do much more at the moment - am a little pressured.

Mark,

Her is the RGJ badge on a flag:

http://www.relics.org.uk/image.php?image=137

You'll have to manouver it around the screen a little, up and to the left, but the battle honour appears at the base of the badge, beneath the Maltese Cross. This is the only one I could find which shows it in sufficient detail, although the naval crown has somewhat disappeared in this rendition! It is also interesting to note that although the other battle honours are shown, on the arms of the Cross, that for Copenhagen is the only one bearing the date.

I haven't given up on finding this memorandum.

The Nelson Museum in Norfolk is 'on the case' and has enlisted several Nelson experts in the search.

Watch this space!

The Nelson Museum kindly asked their experts about the Ferguson Memoranda. No one seems able to trace the location of the orginal document: the closest anyone can get are the extracts in Clarke & M'Arthur on pages 265-7 and 282 in Volume 2, the memoranda having been 'transmitted by Mr Matcham through Sir Thomas Hardy'. So were they returned to Mr Matcham? The Matcham Papers have been dispersed so maybe the C & M source is now the only one available.

Is C&M available on Googlebooks? I've tried to locate it without success but Gbooks is a tricky site to navigate. There's a set for sale on ebay for £1500 - started off at £3500 and has been reduced. Pass.

On line C&M here:



http://www.archive.org/stream/lifeofadm ... 9/mode/2up