Trafalgar – An International Battle

The Battle of Trafalgar is traditionally presented as a battle between two protagonists – with the Royal Navy on one side and the French navy on the other. But in the 1800’s all navies consisted of volunteers and pressed men from across the globe. Some of those nations serving in the Royal Navy at the Battle of Trafalgar are listed here.

The United States of America

Every British ship at Trafalgar had at least one man on board claiming American birth. We can definitely identify two African Americans, both served in HMS Royal Sovereign, both of whom lost their right arm.

The youngest American at Trafalgar was Robert Holbrooke, age 11, Boy 3rd Class, HMS Orion. Astonishingly, there were four or five other boys - British and Irish-born - younger than him in the fleet.

Two Americans enlisted voluntarily to serve as Royal Marines.

There were seventy-four pressed men, two hundred and three volunteers, one hundred 'not known',three recruited 'in lieu', and one allotted by Civil Power.

There were thirteen Americans killed or died of wounds at the battle; twenty nine were wounded. Six men survived to claim the Naval General Service medal with Trafalgar Clasp in the 1840s; thirty received monetary grants from Lloyds Patriotic Fund; two, Captains Laforey and Rutherford, received Trafalgar Gold Medals, Lloyds' swords etc.

Denmark

There were thirty six Danes in the British fleet at Trafalgar, and at least one on board HMS Victory.

Hans le Dam, born in Denmark, aged 21, joined Victory from Ambuscade/Halcyon in 1804 and was at Trafalgar, but was later discharged from Victory on 14th January 1805 ‘for being a Dane’.

John Gutlipster, ordinary seaman, claimed to be born in Denmark, and was aged 24 at the time of Trafalgar, although he was later discharged from HMS Ocean in 1806 for ‘being a Prussian.’   

Poland

Twelve Poles served at Trafalgar according to Ashford, although there were none on Victory.

John Godlip, aged 29, born in Dantzic, Poland, was an able seaman on HMS Minotaur.

South Africa

One seaman at Trafalgar was from South Africa - John Abraham, aged 22, born in Cape of Good Hope, serving as an ordinary seaman on HMS Temeraire.

Sweden

There were 87 Swedes serving at Trafalgar, four of whom on board Victory: 

  • Peter Blumberry, aged 28, born in Gottenburgh, able seaman
  • John Melsbury, aged 35, born in Sweden, armourer’s mate, discharged from HMS Ocean in February 1806
  • Andrew Stallett, aged 34, born in Sweden, at Trafalgar and continued in service until 9th November 1814 when he drowned at Bermuda whilst serving on HMS Armide
  • Peter Which or Ulrick, aged 23, born in Stockholm, Sweden, ordinary seaman, discharged from HMS Fame on 23rd February 1806.

France

The Ayshford Roll records around fifty-nine men born in France who were serving in the British fleet. Some have very English names, although it is always hard to know if these were British citizens born abroad, or Frenchmen whose names have been Anglicised.

There were four men born in France actually serving on HMS Victory, including John (Jean) Dupuis from Nantes, ordinary seaman, aged 32, and John (Jean) Baptish from Rouen, able seaman, aged 36.

One Frenchman serving with the British fleet was killed in action (Louis Davit, able seaman on Bellerophon, aged 24), and three others were wounded:

  • Pierre Pellerin from Versaille, landsman on MARS, aged 22, who lost his right arm at the shoulder joint
  • Francis Jeanson from Pi Brabant, Royal Marines private, aged 33, who suffered a head wound
  • John Duggers from Bordeaux, ordinary seaman, aged 45 who received an unspecified wound and died on consumption soon after, both serving on HMS Revenge.