Bellerophon

Ship Information
Ship Commander - Capt John Cooke
Guns - 74
Constructed at - Frindsbury
Crew - 550
Killed in the battle - 27
Injured in the battle - 123

Wood Information
Size - 30 acres
Owner - David Starling
To be planted - November 2005

A number of the Captains had connections with Essex, most notably Eliab Harvey of the Temeraire who later became MP for Essex. Bellerophon fought at the battle of The Glorious First of June, the Battle of the Nile and the Battle of Trafalgar, becoming one of the most famous British ships of the Napoleonic Wars. Her crew unable to pronounce the word ‘Bellerophon’ affectionately called her the Billy Ruffian.

The site for Bellerophon will be known as “Ruffian Wood” and is a 30 acre site near Kelvedon in Essex. The site until recently was farmed and will be planted with various native broadleaved species including oak which was used extensively for ship building in Nelson’s day.

Events in Bellerophon Wood
There was a week long schools planting programme for local schools in November 2005.

More information

John Cooke
Was the son of Francis Cooke, a cashier under the Admiralty, he was born in 1763 and entered service in 1776. Commanded the Bellerophon (74g) in the battle of Trafalgar 1805 when she formed one of the lee division under Collingwood, and greatly distinguished himself. When the signal, "England expects that every man will do his duty," was made out on the Victory, Captain Cooke went below and visited the guns' crews on each deck, giving them Nelson's message. She soon after came under fire; and fighting was fast and furious; and men were falling all round him. The first lieutenant, Cumby, pointed out to him that he was wearing his epaulettes and was marked out by them by the men in the enemy's tops. "It is too late to take them off," he replied; "I see my situation, but will die like a man." A few minutes later when in the act of reloading his pistols, he fell with two musket balls in the breast. The quartermaster asked that he should take him below. "No; let me die quietly one minute," was the reply. He died at eleven minutes past one, saying with his last breath, "Tell Lieut. Cumby never to strike." There is a monumental tablet to Captain Cooke's memory in St. Paul's.

Bellerophon
HMS Bellerophon was built in Frindsbury, near Rochester in Kent, and launched in 1786 so that by the battle of Trafalgar she was almost twenty years old. She was the epitome of the standard warship carrying large guns on two decks, and had a distinguished fighting career even before she joined Nelson’s fleet off the coast of Spain in 1805.

From 1792 - 94 Bellerophon was part of Lord flowe’s fleet serving in the Channel and the Western Approaches, and was engaged in the pursuit of the French Fleet that led up to the battle of the Glorious First of June, as well as the battle itself She was badly damaged aloft and suffered 34 casualties, but forced the French L’Eole ( 74 guns ) out of action, and shared in the escort of the French prizes into Spithead on the 10th June.

Four years later the Bellerophon was part of Nelson’s fleet which pursued Napoleon’s army and fleet across the Mediterranean to Egypt, engaging and defeating the fleet at the battle of the Nile. Under the captaincy of Henry Derby Bellerophon took on a greatly superior enemy ship, the three decker L’Oreont carrying 120 guns, and for an hour fought her bravely before being forced to break away. She had lost both mizen and main masts, a third of her crew were casualties and fifteen of her guns had been put out of action. With almost 200 dead and wounded Derby cut the anchor cable and tried to set sail in the foremast, but that too went over the side and she drifted away. Fires started on the L’Orient later grew out of control as other British ships took up the fight, and L’Orient later blew up.

At Trafalgar Bellerophon was fifth in the column led by Admiral Collingwood, between the Tonnant and the Achille. Captain Cooke headed his ship for the Spanish Bahama (74 guns), one of the four Spanish ships present which had been built at Havana, Cuba. However when he eventually broke into the enemy line it was astern of the Spanish Montanes (74 guns), discharging two broadsides as he steadily sailed through. The Bellerophon was then engaged by the French L’Aigle (74 guns) so that for a time she was fighting on both sides. L’Aigle had embarked troops to enlarge her crew, and they poured in a heavy fire from the deck and mast tops, as well as tossing grenades and fire brands on to the deck of Bellerophon. Captain Cooke was killed by musket fire and on assuming command, the First Lieutenant ordered men below to save casualties, while also directing the resistance to L’Aigle’s attempt to board. This was beaten off and L’Aigle moved away, but Bellerophon had suffered severely since she had also been fired on by other ships. Almost a quarter of the crew were casualties and she was severely damaged in the rigging, although she was still able to take the Spanish Monarca before the close of the battle.

After repairs in England, Bellerophon rejoined the fleet and served in the blockade of France, and on campaigns in the Baltic. In 1815 she had the distinction of receiving the surrender of Napoleon and transporting him to England before he was exiled to St Helena. She was hulked in 1816 after this final service, first at Sheerness and later at Plymouth, where she was broken up in 1836.

Her First Lieutenant Cumby was promoted Captain in 1806, and played an active role in the rest of the war before retiring to Heighington, Co. Durham.

Many thanks to Alan Aberg at the Society for Nautical Research for providing us with information on the ships and their commanders.