Thunderer
Wood Location
Hurstbourne Tarrant, near Andover, HAMPSHIRE
Ship Information
Ship Commander - Lieut John Stockham
Guns - 74
Constructed at - Deptford
Killed in the battle - 4
Injured in the battle - 12
Wood Information
Size - 10 acres
Owner - Hollington Estate
To be planted - December 2005
Thunderer wood is situated near Hurstbourne Tarrant in Hampshire. The site is about 10 acres in size and is currently farmed. This part of the country still has many pockets of Semi Natural Ancient Woodland and was once heavily wooded including the Forest of Bere and Buckholt Forest.
Events in Thunderer Wood
There will be two days of schools planting in December 2005.
A cadet planting day will take place in December 2005. More details to follow.
More information
John Stockham
Was promoted lieutenant in 1797. Served as 1st Lieutenant of the Thunderer in Sir Robert Calder's action in July 1805, and when Captain Lechmere was sent home to attend the court martial, acted as her captain at Trafalgar, 1805 – promoted Captain, gold medal, thanks of Parliament, and a sword of honour from the Patriotic Fund. Died in Exeter 1814.
HMS Thunderer
HMS Thunderer was built on the Thames and launched in 1784. She was one of a class of eight, two of which were later wrecked, Culloden off Long Island (New York) and Venerable in Tor Bay. Thunderer served with the fleet at the battle of the Glorious First of June and at other engagements in the Mediterranean and West Indies, before taking part in Admiral Calder’s action with the French on the 22nd July, 1805.
Her Captain, John Lechmore, then had to return with Thunderer to England to attend a court martial as a witness, and his First Lieutenant therefore took command at the Battle of Trafalgar.
On the 18th September Thunderer joined HMS Victory and Nelson off Plymouth and with HMS Ajax sailed to join the British fleet off Cadiz. At the battle, Thunderer was last but one in Admiral Collingwood’s line, between Defence and Defiance so she was late into action, when she joined HMS Dreadnought in relieving HMS Revenge, which was holding off four enemy ships at once. She placed herself across the bow of the Spanish Principe de Asturias (112 guns) and drove her off, and also engaged the French Neptune (80 guns), which also withdrew. Thunderer then went on to engage other enemy ships, but was fortunate in suffering light damage to her bow and masts, and only received 16 casualties, 4 killed and 12 wounded.
After the battle Thunderer helped to tow the Spanish Santa Ana, and reached Gibraltar on the 28th October where she was able to repair her rigging. She then sailed with Collingwood to blockade the surviving Spanish fleet at Cartagena.
Thunderer was broken up in 1814 after thirty years’ service.
Many thanks to Alan Aberg at the Society for Nautical Research for providing us with information on the ships and their commanders.
