Hi – my name is Richard Hiscocks. I first became engaged with naval history when my parents bought me the Hornblower books in my early teens. Soon afterwards I came across Post Captain by the brilliant Patrick O Brian and I became totally hooked on the Georgian navy. When I should have been studying for my A levels and a shot at university I instead found myself delving into James, Clowes and the Naval Chronicle. In the ensuing forty years I ve spent far too much time researching this subject and this website is now the result.
However – just to let you know that I m not a total anorak I do have other passions beyond my family, friends and Nelson and his mates. Click here to see what they are!
Thank you for solving the mystery in a will of a family ancestor. Captain John Brisbane is mentioned in my husband’s ancestor’s Will. You have resolved which ship he served upon, and who John Brisbane actually was.
Thanks Susan, glad to be of help!
Very interesting collection of biographies, and a massive amount of work. In your bio of Duncan you mention that he punished sailors who swore with “a hot spike on the tongue”. I haven’t read of this as an official punishment, and haven’t seen it in his biographies, so I must have missed reading something! I’m not challenging it but would be grateful if you could tell me your source please about this specific point. Thank you!
Dear Sir
I wondered if the attached lot (letters from Lord Gardner to Duckworth), in our sale on Thursday, might be of interest to you:
https://clevedon-salerooms.com/lot1.aspx?%5BSale%20Item%20ID%5D=687
Kind regards, Mark
Mark Huddleston, Clevedon Salerooms
01934 830111
Have you got my e-mails.
My brother Chris Willcox found the information you have on Henry Colins, our Gt Grandfather x 4. That was most interesting, thank you. His son and grandson were also in the navy but the name then was spelt Collins.
Thank you for your comments, Janet. It was certainly a test attempting to verify whether he was known as Colins or Collins, but contemporary sources seemed to favour the former. What a shame he died before he rose to flag rank, as I suspect he would have been busily employed in the French wars of 1793-1815.