The National Archives launches SeaBritain 2005 activities
The National Archives launches SeaBritain 2005 activities
21 June 2005
The National Archives has discovered its sea legs by launching two exciting initiatives to coincide with SeaBritain 2005 - the Trafalgar Ancestors online database and a new exhibition on Nelson, Cook and Bligh at its museum in Kew.
SeaBritain 2005 is a national maritime celebration on a grand scale. With festivities and events throughout 2005 and beyond, SeaBritain 2005 celebrates the ways in which the sea touches all of our lives. Whether you live by the coast or inland - every one can get involved at www.seabritain2005.com
At its heart is the Trafalgar Festival with events throughout summer and autumn 2005 to mark the 200th anniversary of Nelson's finest and last hour and encompassing the Trafalgar Weekend of 21-23 October 2005.
The Trafalgar Ancestors database features 18,000 individuals who served in the Battle of Trafalgar. It is free to search online, and offers users the opportunity to discover if an ancestor who served in the Royal Navy in 1805 would have fought in the great battle.
You can search the database by different categories, including: first name, last name, birth place, rating or rank, name(s) of ship(s) the individual fought on, and age at the time of the Battle of Trafalgar. As the project progresses, users will also be able to find full service records, trace the ships that their ancestors served on, and find genealogical information about the men´s families.
Go to the Trafalgar Ancestors database
Battles and Voyages of Nelson, Cook and Bligh
The National Archives' museum has also overcome seasickness by opening its new exhibition to the public. The exhibition delves into the stories behind these iconic legends including the mutiny on the Bounty, the violent death of Captain Cook and the creation of Nelson´s posthumous reputation.
Documents on display at the museum for the first time include:
- The Battle of Trafalgar action plan, intricately outlining the three positions of the British fleet
- A codicil belonging to Nelson, in which he writes about leaving Merton to serve King and country
- Cook´s log for the first voyage of the Resolution
- Examples of Nelson's writing before and after he lost an arm
- Bligh´s log book of the Bounty
The exhibition also features an interactive children's area with hands-on activities, including pirate costumes and a cabinet of curiosities that children can rummage through for surprising objects that Cook and his crew would have picked up on his famous three voyages.
