Members may be interested in the Nelson Lecture Series at the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich: from Wednesday 6 April 2022

Each lecture will be held in the Queen Mary Undercroft, (underneath the Chapel), from 7pm-8pm, with an opportunity to visit the newly refurbished Nelson Room and Painted Hall beforehand from 6pm-7pm.

  • Wednesday 6 April – Anthony Cross on “The Theft of the Nelson Relics, December 1900”. Lord Nelson’s relics, then on display in the Painted Hall, were stolen in a crime described as ‘an offence against the nation’.  Who was the thief? How was he caught? And what became of the precious relics? In his talk, Anthony Cross will answer these and other questions arising from this fascinating story.
  • Wednesday 4 May – Steve Martin on “Sea of Contradictions: Black Mariners in Nelson’s Navy”. While Britain was becoming the largest trader in human lives across the Atlantic, the Royal Navy was paradoxically the world’s largest employer of waged African labour. Sea of Contradictions reveals how Black men serving in Nelson’s navy contributed to revolutionary thought throughout the Atlantic World and laid the beginnings of multi-ethnic communities across the British Isles.
  • Tuesday 7 June – Andrew Lambert on “Nelson and the Transformation of War”. This lecture examines Nelson’s response to the strategic, political and cultural challenges that Britain faced in the age of the French Revolution, the emergence of total war using mass armies, and the defeat of the European powers. In order to make naval power more effective, Nelson adjusted his tactics to secure vital strategic and diplomatic outcomes at the Nile, Copenhagen and Trafalgar.

Booking is required and capacity is limited, so reserve your tickets now @ £10 pp: https://ornc.org/whats-on/nelson-lecture-series/

This event is not organised by The Nelson Society.