Admiral Lord Nelson remembered in visit to Forres monument
AN organisation which promotes interest in the life of Admiral Lord Nelson has visited the most northerly monument to him in Great Britain – Nelson Tower in Forres.
Members of the Nelson Society came to Forres last month to visit the tower which was the erected following his death in 1805 at the Battle of Trafalgar.
The guests also visited the Tolbooth, located in the centre of Forres and Sueno’s stone.
Nelson’s Tower is looked after by the Forres Heritage Trust (FHT) who hosted the visit.
Peter Haworth, a trustee with FHT, said: “The primary reason for the visit was to spend time at Nelson’s Tower.
"It had long been on the agenda for the society to visit the tower which was the first monument erected to Lord Nelson after his death and the most northerly of all Britain's Nelson monuments.”
Rev John Maynard from the society gave a presentation on John Scott, Nelson’s private secretary and friend.
He was born near Spey Bay to a farming family and was educated in Fochabers. He rose from a humble start as a purser on a small RN vessel to becoming a private secretary to several senior RN officers and ultimately to his position at Admiral Nelson’s side.
He died on the deck of HMS Victory during the early stages of the Battle of Trafalgar. He was held in such esteem that, although a non-commissioned officer, his family were awarded a service pension after his death.
Major General Seymour Monro, the Lord Lieutenant of Moray also attended the talk and
gave a resume of his ancestor, Admiral Brisbane, which included an oil painting of him capturing the Spanish vessel Pomona, a print of the capture of Curacao and the original document demanding the surrender of Curacao.
“The talk was fascinating,” said Peter. “John Maynard presented a copy of his research into
John Scott to George Alexander, chairman of the Forres Heritage Trust which is very
interesting and valuable to the trust who have had several requests from local historians for
an opportunity to view it.
"The society also presented the trust with a framed timeline of Nelson’s life and career which has now been hung in Nelson’s Tower so it can be viewed by visitors. It was a very successful visit and a lasting and supportive relationship has been formed between the two organisations.”
Chris Brett, chairman of The Nelson Society said: It was a great pleasure for us to meet with
representatives from the Forres Heritage Trust and to see the Tower and the work the trust
has done in maintaining not only the building but also Nelson's memory. We were given a
very warm welcome.”
Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson is regarded as arguably the finest figure in the history of the Royal Navy.
Born on September 29, 1758, in Norfolk, he died after being shot in battle on October 21, 1805, at sea, off Cape Trafalgar, Spain.
He was the British naval commander in the wars with Revolutionary and Napoleonic France, who won victories in battles at the Nile (1798) and Trafalgar (1805), where he was killed by enemy fire on the HMS Victory.
