Captains, Pirates and Castaways: Battles and Voyages of Nelson, Cook and Bligh

This exhibition has now finished

Admiral Nelson

Nelson went to war in 1793 an unknown Captain, four years later he was national hero, a Rear Admiral, and Knight of the Bath. Yet his successes came at a high price. He lost the sight of his left eye while serving ashore in Corsica in 1794, at Cape St. Vincent he suffered a serious internal injury, and in July 1797 during a disastrous attack on Tenerife he was hit in the right elbow, and his arm was amputated. Despite the trauma of the operation, conducted without anaesthetic, he wrote with his left hand the next day. Nelson returned to Britain in despair, fearing his career was over. His spirits were restored when he realised that he had become a national hero. Nelson wore his wounds as badges of honour, pinning his empty sleeve across his chest before sailing back to war.

Captain Cook

A son of a Yorkshire labourer James Cook (1728-1779) was the ultimate navigator. He charted New Zealand and Australia, ranged from the Antarctic to the Arctic Circle in three great voyages that defined the European vision of the Pacific. Accounts of Cook´s travels were eagerly awaited from Paris to St. Petersburg. He rose from merchant seaman to naval officer, astronomer and Fellow of the Royal Society on mathematical ability, hard work and a concern for precision in two action packed decades. A tall spare-framed man Cook possessed enormous natural authority and self-reliance. No-one questioned his command. His consideration for the peoples he met, and their customs, was noteworthy. He shared their meals, although he knew the main course was hardly to European taste, be it rotten fish, dog flesh, or worse. His death, killed and dismembered in Hawai´i, provided a dramatic, immediate and strange end to his career.

Captain Bligh

Serving under Cook on the Third voyage William Bligh (1754-1817) demonstrated remarkable navigational skills. In 1787 Joseph Banks selected Bligh to command a voyage to Tahiti in His Majesty´s armed (Fruit) transport the Bounty. His mission was simple, to obtain and transport Bread fruit plants back to the West Indies, and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. As part of his global vision of an imperial botany Banks hoped the bread fruit would become a cheap staple food for West Indian slaves, increasing the economic returns of sugar plantations. While no-one doubted Bligh was the finest navigator among Cook´s followers, his failings as a leader would turn him into a byword for tyranny. He became the antithesis of Cook and Nelson, the sea monster of the age of sail.

UKTV History

UKTV History

UKTV History is sponsoring this exhibition, lectures and family events.

UKTV History is the UK´s leading specialist factual TV channel. Appealing to history enthusiasts looking for engaging, intelligent and historical programmes, they offer context and insight into the events and people that shaped the world we live in today. Part of the UKTV Network, UKTV History is available on Freeview Channel 12, Sky Digital 582, NTL home 607/100 and Telewest 203.

Trafalgar Woods Project

The Trafalgar Woods Projectwill plant an incredible 250,000 trees in the UK and involve at least 15,000 children at the tree planting events. 33 new woods will be planted to commemorate each of the ships in Nelson´s fleet and to celebrate the important role British timber played in our naval heritage.

SeaBritain 2005

SeaBritain 2005

SeaBritain 2005 is a national maritime celebration on a grand scale. With festivities and events throughout 2005 and beyond, SeaBritain 2005 celebrates the ways in which the sea touches all of our lives. Whether you live by the coast or inland. At its heart is the Trafalgar Festival with events throughout summer and autumn 2005 to mark the 200th anniversary of Nelson's finest and last hour and encompassing the Trafalgar Weekend of 21-23 October 2005.