Temeraire
Wood Location
Cadland, near Southampton, HAMPSHIRE Ship Information
Ship Commander - Capt Eliab Harvey
Guns - 98
Constructed at - Chatham
Killed in the battle - 47
Injured in the battle - 76
Wood Information
Size - 10 acres
Owner - Manor of Cadland
To be planted - November 2005
Temeraire Wood is being hosted by the Manor of Cadland in Hampshire. This site overlooks the Solent near the entrance of the Beaulieu river, where three of the ships at the battle were constructed (Agamemnon, Swiftsure and Euryalus). The beaches that flank the site were used for launching the temporary harbours used in the Normandy invasion in 1944. Evidence of their construction and launching ramps still remains. The site adjoins an existing area of woodland and it's focal point will be a large pond.
378 oak seedlings have been grown on from acorns collected at Cadland and from those given by the New Forest Oak Society members collected and supplied the acorns from the Forest of Dean from oak trees planted in 1804-1808. Both Forests supplied oak to the Royal dockyards in Nelson's time. The Forest of Dean in particular was criticised by Nelson in a surviving memorandum of August 1802 for the state of the timber and the losses incurred through theft and malpractice.
The first seedlings were planted in March 2005 by seven year olds from the Manor Infant School, Holbury and Fawley Infants School. The planting will be only be the beginning of a 10 acre wood, running from the Solent shore, around a new reservoir, Temeraire Water, and connecting into an ancient oak wood, Pits Copse, where the Romans are said to have built ships.
There is no public access to the wood, but the plan is that the Year 2 pupils from both schools will have a Trafalgar picnic in October each year, so that they can report on how the wood is doing, and learn again about Nelson and the Battle. This will encourage and sustain an interest in British naval history in the two primary schools. An education pack is being assembled for the libraries of both schools, as an inspirational source for project work associated with the Solent and Southampton Water for successive teachers and their pupils.
After the planting event both schools received a copy of Admiral Harvey's arms and a citation. With a similar one for The Manor School, Holbury, this will read 'Presented to Fawley Infant School in recognition of their gallant efforts in beginning the planting of Temeraire Wood on the Manor of Cadland in March 2005, in memory of the Battle of Trafalgar, 1805, and the glorious action of Temeraire commanded by Captain, later Admiral Harvey'. The Admiral's arms were inherited arms, born by the celebrated Dr William Harvey, who discovered the circulation of the blood, with additions for Trafalgar. The insignia round the shield is that of a Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, Military Division. Motto riband (Tria Juncto in Uno), Laurel garland, a symbol of Triumph since Roman times, and a collar with a pendant badge. As mottoes, the Admiral added the names of his ships and the French prizes. There is a Triton and the White Horse of Hanover with naval crowns and the Trafalgar medal.
Events in Temeraire Wood Local schools have already taken part in a planting event in March 2005, where they sang sea shantys and planted some trees.
There will be another schools planting day in October 2005.
More Information
Eliab Harvey
Was the second son of William Harvey, MP of Rolls Park, Chigwell, Essex, and entered service in 1771. MP for Essex 1802-12. On the recommencement of the war with France in 1803 was appointed to the Temeraire and in command of her greatly distinguished himself at Trafalgar on the 21st October 1805. Received the thanks of Parliament and of Lord Collingwood, a gold medal, a sword of honour from the Patriotic Fund, and was promote Rear-Admiral. Was one of the pall-bearers at Lord Nelson's funeral. Died in 1830.
Admiral Harvey's youngest daughter, Georgiana Augusta, married John Drummond of Redenham, Senior Partner of Drummonds Bank, whose portrait hangs at Cadland. The Admiral's sons had predeceased him and surviving members of the Harvey family descend from Georgiana and her eldest sister, Louisa who had married William Lloyd of Aston Hall, Shropshire, and his other daughters. The present Lloyd descendents are Lady Newborough and Mrs Andrea Hamilton Hill. There are very few descendents of John Drummond but these include Peter Drummond-Murray, Slains Pursuivant, who has been most helpful.
Temeraire
HMS Temeraire was built in Chatham Dockyard and launched in 1798. As a first rate of three decks she carried 98 guns, and was a powerfull addition to the Channel Fleet which she joined on her first commission. In 1803, Captain Harvey took command.
At Trafalgar, Temeraire was second in the line between HMS Victory and HMS Neptune, and being a faster sailor threatened at one point to overtake Victory. Nelson's officers urged him to adjust sail to let Temeraire take the lead, but as she came up close to Victory's stern, Nelson himself addressed her 'I'll thank you, Captain Harvey, to keep in your proper station, which is astern of Victory'. Harvey had no option but to reduce sail and drop away.
After opening fire on the French ships, Neptune (84 guns) and Bucentaire (74 guns) the Temeraire became locked against the starboard side of the French Redoubtable (74 guns), to which she did dreadful damage, killing or wounding over 200 of the crew with her first broadside. In the fierce fighting that followed, Temeraire like Victory, which was also engaged against Redoubtable on the opposite side, was troubled by the fire from the mast tops of her opponent, who also tossed down grenades and fireballs. One of these almost set fire to one of Temeraire's magazines, but it was quelled in time by a vigilent master-at-arms. Temeraire was then beset on her opposite side by the French Fougueux (74 guns), but fought both ships to a standstill and succesfully boarded and took Redoubtable. A prominent image in many paintings of the battle is the Temeraire locked yardarm to yardarm between the two French ships, both of which were lost in the storm that followed. She lost 47 crew and 76 were wounded in the battle including Midshipman Pitman whio died after receiving a gunshot wound while fighting on the deck of the Redoubtable, when she boarded across her main mast that fell on the after part of Temeraire and acted as a bridge.
Temeraire had to be towed into Gibraltar and it was over two weeks before temporary repairs enabled her to sail for England on the 19th November. In 1813 she was hulked at Plymouth but was later moved to Sheerness, where she served as receiving ship until she was broken up in 1838, her last journey being recorded by William Turner in his famous painting 'The Fighting Temeraire'.
Many thanks to Alan Aberg at the Society for Nautical Research for providing us with information on the ships and their commanders.
