Royal Sovereign

Ship Information
Nelson's second in command - Vice Admiral Collingwood
Ship Commander - Capt Edward Rotheram
Guns - 100
Constructed at - Plymouth
Crew - 850
Killed in the battle - 47
Injured in the battle - 94

Wood Information
Size - 10 acres
Owner - Greenwich Hospital
To be planted - November 2005

The land that will be planted and called Royal Sovereign Wood is close to Throckley to the west of Newcastle in the North East.

Vice Admiral Collingwood, Nelson's second in command was born near Morpeth. His descendents still live here. Wherever Collingwood went he planted an acorn. Edward Rotherham, who was captain of the Royal Sovereign, and Flag-Captain to Collingwood at Trafalgar, was also born in the North East.

It is a reasonably flat 10 acre site and currently down to rough pasture. Though the site doesn't have public access we hope to be able to arrange an annual open day for those who plant the trees in November. It is adjacent to the B6323 Ponteland Road on the left hand side when heading north.

The project gives the opportunity to increase the area of broadleaf woodland in the locality and will be an excellent wildlife habitat.

Events in Royal Sovereign Wood
There will be a schools planting programme day in November 2005.

A community planting day will take place on Sunday 20th November 2005 from 11am-2pm. More details in the events section.

More information

Cuthbert COLLINGWOOD, 1st Baron (1748-1810)
Was sent to sea at the age of 12 and served for several years on the home station. On the renewal of war in 1803, Collingwood was at once employed, chiefly in blockading Brest. He remained there until May 1805 (having in the meantime been promoted to vice admiral in May 1804), when he was given command of a small squadron which was intended to reinforce the Mediterranean fleet under Nelson. He placed himself off Cádiz, and there he was joined by Nelson, so becoming second in command at Trafalgar. In this battle he carried out brilliantly the part assigned to him by the commander in chief. With 15 ships he was to attack the rear of the enemy to prevent their escape. On Nelson's death in the battle, command passed to Collingwood, and he had the difficult task of conserving the fleet and its prizes during the storm that followed. For his services he was created Baron Collingwood and granted a pension of Stg 2,000 a year. The completeness of victory at Trafalgar prevented Nelson's immediate successors from achieving any comparable triumph, but Collingwood held the Mediterranean command with distinction until his death. He died at sea and was buried near Nelson in St. Paul's Cathedral.

Edward ROTHERAM (1753-1830)

Born at Hexham, Northumberland in 1753 and entered the service in 1777. Captain of Royal Sovereign, and Flag-Captain to Admiral Collingwood at Trafalgar, 1805 in recognition for his services at the Battle, he received a gold medal, and sword from the Patriotic Fund. Captain of the Bellerophon escorting the Victory, with the body of Nelson on board, to England, and commanded her in the Channel and the Baltic in 1806-9. Carried the guidon at Nelson's funeral 1806. CB 1815. Captain of Greenwich Hospital 1828-30. Died 1830 at Bildeston, Suffolk

Royal Sovereign
Royal Sovereign was built at Plymouth Dockyard and launched in 1786. Royal Sovereign joined Nelson's fleet off Cadiz on the 8th October, and Collingwood and Rotherham transferred to her before the battle, when she led the leeward column, outdistancing the others so that she was a mile ahead when she broke the French and Spanish line. As the French and Spanish opened fire during the approach, Collingwood and Rotherham remained on the poop, but ordered the crew to lie on the deck to save casualties while they could not return fire.

After half an hour at 12.15 Royal Sovereign broke into the French and Spanish line to Collingwood's delight at the honour of opening the battle. He remarked 'What would Nelson give to be here at the moment', not knowing that at almost the same time Nelson, who had observed the Royal Sovereign from Victory, exclaimed 'Look how that gallant fellow Collingwood takes his ship into action'.

Without support from other British ships Collingwood took Royal Sovereign between the stern of the black hulled Spanish Santa Ana (112 guns) and the bow of the French Fougeux (74 guns), discharging into each a double shotted broadside. In the Santa Ana this wreaked enormous damage, dismounting 14 guns and killing or wounding 400 men, but as Royal Sovereign swung aroung to engage the Santa Ana yardarm to yardarm, she attracted the attention of other French and Spanish ships and sustained severe damage while unprotected until the arrival of the other British ships. The Santa Ana surrendered at 2.15 with her starboard side entirely beaten in, while the Royal Sovereign was extensively damaged aloft and suffered casualties of 47 killed and 94 wounded.

After the battle Royal Sovereign sailed into Gibraltar fo temporary repairs before returning to England, and then resumed service with the British Fleet. In 1814 she was given the honour of transporting the French King Louis XVIII from Dover to Calais when the monarchy was restored, but that was her last duty. In 1825 she was hulked at Plymouth as a receiving ship and 1841 was broken up.

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