NELSON, HORATIO, Viscount (1758-1505). The most famous of English admirals. Ile was born at Burnham-Thorpe, Norfolk, England, on September 29, 1758. His father was the rector of his native place, while his mother was a grand-niece of Sir Robert Walpole. Nelson re ceived only a slender education, and at the age of twelve he entered the navy under the care of his maternal uncle, Captain :Nlmarice Suckling. To this uncle he owed his early rapid promotion, and the advice which led to his careful training in seamanship. During his first period of service he made voyages to the Arctic regions and the East Indies, and suffered considerably from ill health, for throughout life Nelson was very weak phys ically, and often was maintained only by sheer force of will. In 1777 Nelson waS made second lieutenant, and again went to the West Indies. In 1779 he became captain, and henceforth promo tion eame to him only in due order, since the regulations did not allow any promotion other than according to seniority after the rank of cap tain.
In 1783, after the war with France and the American colonies had closed, Nelson was for a short time put on half pay, hut after a few months, part of which time was spent in France. he was appointed to the Bowcos, on which he served in the West Indies until 1787. Here he performed his first notable service, which. how ever, brought him into conflict with his com mander, Sir Richard Hughes. a well-meaning, hut timid man. Contrary to the latter's orders and in opposition to powerful interests in the West Indies, Nelson insisted upon enforcing the Navi gation Acts against the United States and other foreign nations. lle was ultimately upheld by the British Government, but for the time it in volved him in vexatious law-suits and caused him much anxiety. While on this station Nelson first met at Nevis the widow of Dr. Josiah Nisbet, by birth a Miss Frances Woolward, whom lie ulti mately married on March 11, 1787, Prince William, afterwards William IV., giving the bride away.
Soon after his marriage Nelson started fur home, and on November 30, 1787, he was relieved from active service. For some obscure reasons a
coolness hail sprung up between Nelson and the Admiralty, with the result that he remained in retirement until the threatened outbreak of the war with France in 1792 caused all officers to be recalled into active service. On January 30, 1793, Nelson received command of the sixty-four-gun ship Agamemnon, which, together with his last ship, the Victory, is most closely associated with his career. lie served on it for over three years. He was assigned to the Mediterranean fleet, serving first under Admiral Hood. then under Hotham, and finally under Sir John .Iervis (later the Earl of Saint Vincent ). Several times he was sent on diplomatic missions, and on the occasion of one to Naples in September, 1793, Nelson for the first time met Sir 'William Hamil ton and his wife Emma, the Lady Hamilton who was to have later so great an influence over him. Nelson took an active part in Hood's conquest of Corsica, commanding the marines at Bastia and Calvi, where he lost the sight of his right eye. This period of his life Nelson always considered the happiest part of his career, and it prepared him for the great events to come. In 1796 he was made a commodore, and received a new ship.
At this time Napoleon was winning his great victories over the Austrians in Italy. The posi tion of the British tleet in the Mediterranean was becoming precarious, as Spain was about to join France, in which case the English fleet would be greatly outnumbered. The hold of the British on Corsica was loosening, since, under the influence of the great French victories, the Republicans were becoming very active on the island. Taking all these things into consideration, the British Gov ernment ordered Sir John Jervis to abandon Cor sica, to withdraw from the Mediterranean, and return to England. These orders were received on September 25, 1796. and Nelson had to super intend the work. though he considered it hest for Great Britain to retain everything, since he be lieved the British tleet sufficiently powerful to cope with the enemy.