Dumfries and Galloway school children join the Woodland Trust Scotland to plant a new wood on Buccleuch Estate to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar on 1st November 2005
Hundreds of local school children will join the Woodland Trust Scotland (1), part of the UK's leading conservation charity, at Langmyre Farm on the Buccleuch Estate (2), near Thornhill, Dumfries and Galloway, to plant thousands of oaks and other native trees, creating the 10-hectare ‘Defiance Wood’ – one of 33 ‘Trafalgar Woods’ throughout the UK. The wood will be named after the HMS Defiance (3), one of the ships of the Trafalgar fleet, which was captained by a Scot, Captain Philip Durham (4).
Event: Local school children planting a new ‘Trafalgar wood’
Venue: On the Buccleuch Estate, near Thornhill, Dumfries and Galloway
When: Between 10.30am and 2.30pm on Tuesday 1st November 2005
Scotland has a strong maritime past and contributed significantly to the Battle of Trafalgar. Five of the 27 Captains of the fleet’s warships were Scottish. In addition, Scotland’s industry contributed through timber products, sails from Baxter’s of Dundee, iron cannons from Falkirk and, most importantly, crewmembers, with almost 30% of the 18,000-strong crew hailing from Scottish towns and fishing villages. Nelson’s Doctor and the woman who embalmed his body when he died were Scottish. In addition, children as young as 10 years old served as crew during the Battle – the youngest being a cabin boy from Leith, Edinburgh.
Trees played a vital role in the Battle of Trafalgar. The fleet of 27 war ships contained timber from around 50,000 oaks, representing roughly two million years of oak tree growth. Nelson himself acknowledged the importance of trees to the success of the British navy and, in 1803, wrote to Parliament calling for more trees to be planted to safeguard ship building timber supplies.
Andrew Fairbairn, Development Manager for the Woodland Trust Scotland, said: “Our aim is to highlight the important role timber played in British Naval history. We want to get people thinking about just how pivotal timber was then, and remains today – not only to the navy but also in everyday life. Scotland’s trees are as important now as they were 200 years ago, and we can all do our bit to protect them, and to plant new ones.”
25 Trafalgar crewmembers are known to have hailed from Dumfries and Galloway, including ordinary and able seamen, landsmen, gunners and stewards. Their ages ranged from teenagers to men in their mid forties.
Amongst the younger crew members from Dumfries were: John Gordon, a 16 year old able seaman on HMS Ajax; Adam Murray Gordon, a 14 Year old volunteer 1st Class on HMS Ajax; and Robert Mumford, a volunteer 1st class boy in the Royal Marines, who served on the HMS Agamemnon and was only 9 years old at the time of the Battle of Trafalgar.
Amongst the crew members from Galloway were: David Jankin. a landsman on HMS Neptune; James Daily, an ordinary seaman on HMS Mars; James Dennisson, an able seaman on HMS Leviathan, John Kelly, a landsman on HMS Ajax; and Andrew McWilliams, an able seaman on Nelson’s flagship, HMS Victory. A searchable crew database can be found at: www.treeforall.org.uk/trafalgar/crewlist.
The Earl of Dalkeith and his father, the Duke of Buccleuch have a long-standing admiration for Naval history and woodlands. The Duke served on the HMS Affleck during WW2 and it is understood that Affleck hailed from Southwest Scotland and was a ship Commander from the same era as Nelson. Buccleuch Estates regularly encourages local school children and the community to become more involved in tree planting and conservation initiatives.
The new Defiance wood will be planted predominantly with oak, but will also have some ash, birch, rowan, gean, hazel and hawthorn. The site is visible from the main road and there will be a public footpath linking the site with the village of Thornhill.
Lord Dalkeith said: “Trees were an important resource for the navy at the time of Trafalgar and continue to be so today. Timber continues to play a vital role to this day in our buildings, as furniture and particularly for our environment. Growing timber requires a long term commitment to good woodland management, oaks of the type used for the Trafalgar ships, were probably 250 or more years old when felled and in our Buccleuch woodlands we are proud to continue that tradition. The planting of this woodland will help ensure we always have a resource available for timber, for wildlife and for all to enjoy, not jut for today, but for generations to come.”
The Trafalgar Woods Project is part of the Tree for All campaign, the largest children’s tree planting initiative Scotland has ever seen, which provides a range of online educational resources to support schools planting a hedge or copse in their school grounds. Community groups can also organise their own events and register them with the Woodland Trust Scotland. The campaign’s vision is that every child should have the chance to plant trees. Two million trees will be planted across Scotland over the next five years as part of the campaign – two for every child under the age of 16. More information can be found at: www.treeforall.org.uk/trafalgar
Media contacts:
• Andrew Fairbairn, Development Manager, Woodland Trust Scotland:
Tel: 01764 662554, Mob: 07770 482939, E-mail: andrewfairbairn@woodland-trust.org.uk
• Paula Batters, Press Officer, Buccleuch Group:
Tel: 01750 23765, E-mail: pbatters@buccleuch.com
• Stan Blackley, Portable PR
Tel: 08700 742449, Mobile: 07770 742449, E-mail: stan@portablepr.com
Notes to Editors:
1. The Woodland Trust
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity. It has 300,000 members and supporters. Established in 1972, the organisation now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres). In 1984, the Trust acquired its first wood in Scotland. Today the Trust owns 80 sites across Scotland covering 8,100 hectares. Further news can be accessed at: www.woodland-trust.org.uk
2. The Buccleuch Group
The Buccleuch Group is a Scottish property group with international interests with its roots deep in the Scottish countryside. For decades it has enjoyed a reputation for enlightened and responsible stewardship of its rural estates, which cover 400 square miles across Scotland, including Bowhill, Drumlanrig, Langholm and Boughton in North Hamptonshire.
3. HMS Defiance
HMS Defiance saw extensive action before the Battle of Trafalgar. She served in Nelson’s fleet at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801, and took part in Admiral Calder’s fight with a combined French and Spanish fleet off the coast of Portugal in 1805, just before the Battle of Trafalgar. HMS Defiance was placed at the rear of Admiral Collingwood’s line.
After exchanging fire with the Spanish Principe de Asturias, she engaged the French L’Aigle, already badly damaged by HMS Bellerophon. After silencing her, HMS Defiance drifted away Her Master’s Mate, James Spratt, offered to lead a boarding party, which would have to swim across because all of Defiance’s the boats had been destroyed. Spratt was well known on Defiance as an excellent swimmer and a fighter of some reputation. Armed only with a cutlass, Spratt swam over to L’Aigle, climbed the rudder chain, entered through the stern ports, and was engaged in cutting down the French ensign on the stern before the crew of L’Aigle realised who he was.
A short fight ensued while HMS Defiance drew alongside and L’Aigle surrendered, though not before Spratt was severely wounded in one leg. A crew was now put aboard, but in the storm that followed the Battle, L’Aigle drifted away from her captors, who had not been able to take her in tow, and the French crew regained control and managed to take her into Cadiz. HMS Defiance lost 17 men in the Battle of Trafagar and another 53 were wounded. She was hulked at Chatham in 1813, and was broken up in 1817.
4. Captain Philip Durham
Captain Philip Charles Durham was the third son of James Durham of Largo, Fife, by Ann, daughter and heiress of Thomas Calderwood of Polton, Midlothian. He was brother of General James Durham, to which property he succeeded in 1840. Born in 1763, he entered the service in 1777. He served as Captain of HMS Defiance in Calder's action off Finisterre, and in the battle of Trafalgar 1805, where he was slightly wounded. He received a gold medal, the thanks of Parliament, and the sword of honour from the Patriotic Fund. He bore Nelson's banner as a KB at his funeral in 1806. He died in Naples in 1845. His portrait hangs in the Painted Hall, Greenwich.
