Revenge

Wood Location
Wykeham, Scarborough, N. YORKSHIRE

Ship Information
Ship Commander - Capt Robert Moorsom
Guns - 74
Constructed at - Chatham
Crew - 640
Killed in the battle - 28
Injured in the battle - 51

Wood Information
Size - 10 acres
Owner - Dawnay Estate
To be planted - November 2005

Moorsom, captain of Revenge came from Whitby, a fishing port from which many of the crew members were recruited.

The site for the Revenge is 4.41 hectares (10.90 acres). It is adjacent to the A170 on the left hand side when travelling east and between the villages of Brompton - by - Sawdon and Ayton. Behind the field is the St Helens Caravan Park (Estate owned). The field itself is rectangular gently sloping arable site that is ideal for woodland creation and has a public right of way crossing it diagonally and good road access. It is surrounded by mature native hedgerows and some larger trees to the northern side. It affords excellent views to the south and the distant Yorkshire Wolds.

This is our only Trafalgar Wood in Yorkshire. The trees planted on the site will be primarily native broadleaves that thrive in this part of North Yorkshire.

Events in Revenge Wood
There will be a week long schools planting programme in November 2005.

A community planting day will take place on 19th November 2005 from 11-2pm.

More information

Robert Moorsom
Robert Moorsom was the second son of Richard Moorsom of Airy Hill, Whitby, Yorkshire, and born in June 1760. Entered navy 1777, was commissioned lieutenant in 1784 and captain in 1790. He commissioned the new Revenge (74) in April 1805 and served with the blockading squadron before Cadiz and in The Battle of Trafalgar, 1805, in which his ship was seriously engaged and he himself wounded. Received the Gold Medal, the thanks of Parliament and a sword of honour from the Patriotic fund. He carried the Grand Banner at Lord Nelson's funeral and was afterwards a lord of the Admiralty, Surveyor-General of the Ordnance and commander-in-chief at Chatham for three years. Died in 1835 at Cosgrove Priory, Northamptonshire.

Revenge
The Revenge (74 guns) was one of the ships to be built to meet the urgent demands of the Royal Navy in the defence of Britain against Napoleon and the threat of invasion from France. She was to be the newest ship at the Battle of Trafalgar. She was laid down at Chatham Dockyard in 1800, launched on 13 April 1805 and fitted out on the River Medway. She received 32lb guns for the lower deck, 24lb guns on the main deck and 9lb guns and carronades on the upper deck and poop. Most of the crew were taken on board from the depot ship HMS Zealand in the first week of June and the ship began “working up” as she made her way round to Spithead where she took on more men and stores before leaving on 16 July to join the Channel Fleet. She was detached to join the squadron blockading Cadiz and later witnessed the arrival of Victory with Admiral Lord Nelson on board.

At Trafalgar, Revenge was stationed eighth in the leeward column commanded by Admiral Collingwood, between HMS Polyphemus and HMS Swiftsure, but was signalled to sail forward in support of HMS Royal Sovereign and because of her speed she broke into the enemy column earlier than most of the other ships. She became entangled in the bowsprit of the French ship L'Aigle (74 guns), and discharged two carefully measured broadsides into her before she broke free. She received a tremendous fire and was run on board by one of the largest ships present, the Spanish Principe de Asturias (112 guns) which placed her bow across the stern of Revenge to try and board her by the bowsprit. The attack was repelled by the marines and fire from the carronade on the poop, which discharged canister shot that exploded in a hail of musket balls. In addition she had three French ships on her until HMS Dreadnought and HMS Thunderer came to her relief.

Revenge was unusual in having among her crew two ordinary seaman who have left accounts of the battle and life on board. John Martingale Powell from Pentonville, London, described in a letter home 'a shot coming in at the porthole of the gun to which I belong and killing midshipman and five other men besides cutting the foremast, but not I nor any of the men at my quarter was hurt'. William Robinson from Farnham, Surrey, describes how in clearing away the dead the crew nearly jettisoned overboard the ship's cobbler 'a very merry little fellow, the very life of the ship' company, for he was the mirth of the mess, and whatever duty he was ordered his spirit made light of the labour'. Unconscious, he was about to be thrown out of the gunport as dead when he began to kick and twitch which saved him.

Despite the damage and casualties, Revenge was fit enough after the battle to take in tow a Spanish prize, which had to be abandoned eventually on the morning of the 24th October before reaching Gibraltar. Leaks in the damaged hull overcame the pumps and boats removed as many of the crew as possible to become prisoners on the Revenge, where they joined a Frenchwoman, Jeanette, rescued from the sea after the French ship Achilles caught fire. Jeanette had disguised herself as a man to stay with her husband on the Achilles, but her real identity was revealed as she escaped the ship. She was picked up by HMS Pickle and passed over to the Revenge where she was kindly treated, before being landed at Gibraltar where to her joy she was reunited with her husband. While still on board, Captain Moorsom 'ordered her purser's shirts to make a petticoat, and most of the officers found something to clothe her.'

Revenge reached Gibraltar on the 28th October and returned to Portsmouth in November where she was dry docked for repairs, 'she bore the marks of her bravery in the action, and the acclamation had a pleasant effect' was the comment by William Robinson. After repair she returned to service and took part in cutting out enemy ships on the French coast, the actions at the Basque Roads and in 1813 served in the Mediterranean off the coast of Spain with the Inshore Squadron. Revenge was laid up in 1849 at Sheerness and broken up in 1851.

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