Nelson & His World

Jacqui has done it again!

Those who subscribe to the Nelson Dispatch will be aware that Jacqui has had published there a lively and scholarly essay on Emma Carew, the first, illegitimate child of Lady Hamilton, who was thought to have died young on the continent. In a wonderful piece involving painstaking sleuthing among long forgotten archives, intelligent deduction, and insight based on profound knowledge, Jacqui pieces together the fragmented information about Emma's life, and reveals the location of Emma's burial, if not her actual grave, fully recorded but unmarked, in the English Cemetery in Florence, where she died aged 75.

Many congratulations on another splendid piece of research!

Congratulations Jacqui on a superb piece of a research and a brilliant article which I thoroughly enjoyed, and indeed also congratulations to Anna for the assistance provided.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the English Cemetery in Florence, a remarkable haven of tranquillity even though it is situated in the middle of an enormous roundabout with never-ending traffic. I merely collected the information in the records, under the guidance of the amazing director, a retired professor emerita, and Dante scholar. It was Jacqui whose persistence, knowledge and insight led her to piece together the frayed threads of the fabric, and thence to the cemetery in Florence.

It was very poignant to reflect, as I stood under the trees there, that the three Emmas, Lady Hamilton and her two daughters, all lay in unmarked graves.

Many thanks for such kind words about my search for Emma Carew and the resulting article in the Nelson Dispatch. Indeed, the research managed to spread itself across five years – you know how one snippet of information leads to another, then another, and so on.

But it was as much fun as it was hard work. And having been interested in locating the two ‘Little Emmas’ for an age, it was both moving and a pleasure to find her at last.

I’d hoped to visit the English Cemetery at Florence last year, to inform Julia Bolton Holloway personally about who Emma Carew was, say thank you and investigate whether some form of marker for Emma’s grave might be possible. My own family bereavement prevented it then, and the road back to re-engaging with the project has been difficult and long.

Anna’s visit to the cemetery and work with Julia was an act of kindness that it’s hard to find words for. I’m glad you enjoyed it, Anna, and as I wrote at the foot of the article for you and Julia:

‘Un semplice grazie non è sufficiente!’ – Thank you is not enough!

I would just like to add my congratulations on the excellent article on Emma Carew. Having read earlier this year the excellent biography on Horatia Nelson by Winifred Gerin, which inevitably only briefly mentions Emma, it was interesting to find out what eventually happened to her. I hope we can look forward to another of your articles in the future

I just read the article this weekend, it's brilliant and I enjoyed it very much and found it very interesting. Thankyou for sharing your wonderful research with us

Thank you all for such lovely comments. Blushing furiously here!

Phil - and anyone else interested in the subject - just thought I'd mention that there's another article coming up in the Trafalgar Chronicle Yearbook, published by the 1805 Club:

'Anonymous! The spurned servant, the cowardly cleric and the insolvent bookseller who revealed Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton's most intimate secrets.'

It explores the story behind the two notorious/anonymous books published in 1814 and 1815, 'Lord Nelson's Letters to Lady Hamilton' and 'The Memoirs of Lady Hamilton.'

Also sheds light on a few early Nelson biographies that never saw the light of day. Including one by Lady Hamilton herself.

I think it's due out soon.

Sincere thanks again,

Jacqui Livesey

And I believe there will be an article by a very eminent contributor to this forum. Tony?!?!

Hi, I'm new to the Forum, and have been trying to find the article Jacqui wrote on Emma Carew and what had happened to her. I searched in the Nelson Dispatch and found nothing. Could someone please help me? Thank you!

Hi Jesse,

I'd be happy to provide a copy of my article 'Finding the Lost Daughter of Lady Hamilton.' If you could send a DM with an email address, I'll forward it across.

Thank you for your interest!

Kind regards,

Jacqui Livesey

Well, it's over a year since I posted about the discovery of Emma Carew's grave in the English Cemetery at Florence. Then, our intention to visit the site and meet (and thank) Professor Julia Bolton Holloway, the custodian of the cemetery, had been delayed indefinitely.

I'm pleased to say we finally made the trip to Florence in August - and what a wonderful experience it was. In so many ways. The highlight, I have to say, was spending the day with Julia herself, to learn about the magnificent (fraught with bureaucracy) project she's leading - conserving and researching this ancient burial ground. We learned much more too. She's a hugely inspirational lady!

A memorial plaque for Emma Carew was being carved as we arrived. I hope it's in place now.

We took photographs and notes as we went along, and if a kindly expert could let me know how to post photographs here, I'd be happy to add them, along with a report on the visit.

If it hadn't been for Anna's ability to follow up on evidence, hunches, intuition etc., Emma Carew may have remained just another second-class burial without a history, parents or family ties. Thanks again, Anna. You were right about that enormous roundabout!

Jacqui, there are some instructions on how to post images here: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=685 Hope it helps - I would be very interested in seeing your photos.

Thanks Tony - that's just perfect!

I'll upload the images and report asap.

Jesse, hope you enjoyed the article.

Yes, Jacqui, I enjoyed it immensely, and cannot thank you enough. I can imagine how you felt coming across the Corsair article and realizing the author had learned so much but that so much was still missing. Forty years disappeared between the last message from her and her death. And we know nothing of just what happened in the interim, or just how those letters (referred to in the Corsair piece) were obtained, or just what they said, and, most importantly perhaps, we don't really know what kept Emma Hamilton from telling both of her daughters the truth about their birth. It is so sad and inexplicable.

My own suspicion is that Emma, who was such a warm and empathic person, must have been terribly afraid of the consequences that would have occurred if she had spoken to them of their birth. The consequences to them even more than to her. I think this because she was such a loyal person and not at all superficial. It is clear she cared a great deal about her offspring, and certainly her mother, Mrs. Cadogan, was also a powerful and positive force in her life. Another possibility: that she did speak of it at some point, but that both daughters, having heard the denials and invented stories for so long could not come to accept it. Horatia's disappointment in her mother's alcoholism and impoverishment might also have been a factor.

I think a lot about this, and although my own profession is in the medical/psychological arena it remains a deep puzzle to me.

Dear Jacqui, I am new to this site, too. I became fascinated with Lady Hamilton years ago, but few years ago more so after having read a book by Laura Kroft.
I cannot figure out how to obtain your article about Emma Carew.
Can you please help me?
Very sincerely, and thanks for your research.

Hi drmarina,

Happy to forward a PFD copy of the article to you.

If you send a DM (direct message) to me through this site and include your email address, I'll send it along. Hope you enjoy!

Re: pics and copy of the visit to Florence - apologies - the season has been a busy one. I was only flicking through the pics on Mr. T's computer and thinking about it last night! Will post soon.