Meetings Are Held

in the

 United Reform Church

(Opposite The Police Station)

46

Trafalgar Seamen

5/15/2007

Derek Aynsford

We, were treated to a facinating talk, excellenty illustrated by a computer presentation, about the sailors and marines who made up the navy at the end of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth and particularly those who served at Nelson's victory over the French at Trafalgar. These were the people, some 21,000, who never appear in the accounts of the battles.

Based mainly on the evidence of the muster rolls we heard that recruitment was 60% volunteers, although the choice was often being between volunteering and getting a bounty payment or being pressed.  Some came from the civil authorities, mostly criminals, and a small number of boys from the Marine Society.  British men between 18 - 35 with sea experience could be pressed although there were a number of exemptions. Those recruited came from a wide geographic spread. All counties were represented and a large number of Irishmen. The southern countiessaw the highest numbers. Other countries were represented including, suprisingly, France and Spain. There was even one lone Chinaman. Oxfordshire provided 43 seamen and 19 marines

in the battle 450 English were killed while the French lost 3300 and Spanish 1050. many died of desease and only 5% listed as killed in action.