William Nelson (abt. 1757 - 1835)

Born about 20 Apr 1757 in Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk, England

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah (Yonge) Nelson — married 9 Nov 1786 (to 15 Apr 1828) in Swaffham, Norfolk, England

Husband of Hilare (Barlow) Knight — married 26 Mar 1829 (to 28 Feb 1835) in St George, Hanover Square, London, England

Descendants

Died 28 Feb 1835 at about age 77 in London, England

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Biography

William Nelson is Notable.

William Nelson was born in 1757 at Burnham Thorpe in Norfolk, a son of the Rector, Edmund Nelson, and his wife, Catherine Suckling ^[1][2] and was baptised, probably by his father, on 20 April. ^[3] He was educated at Paston Grammar School, North Walsham and Christ's College, Cambridge, graduating BA 1778 and MA 1781. Educated for the Church he served as father as Curate at Burnham Thorpe 1779-1781 until he was ordained Priest on 4 June 1781 when he moved on to be Curate of Syderstone. He obtained the living at Brandon Parva in 1783. ^[1]

Whilst still a curate William had been pestering his younger brother, Horatio. Horatio had joined the Royal Navy and risen to the rank of Captain and William fancied becoming a Naval Chaplain and besought his brother's assistance. Horatio, who had little time for naval chaplains, replied that it was unsuitable, dangerous and uncomfortable: William would hate it. ^[4] Eventually however he gave in and William joined his brother on his new ship the Boreas in September 1784. ^[5] He hated it, pleaded illness and obtained his discharge in October 1786.^[1] He immediately married Sarah Yonge, daughter of the Reverend Henry Yonge, Vicar of Great Torrington in Devon, at Swaffham in Norfolk on 9 November 1786. ^[6][7] A son and a daughter were born of the marriage. In 1797 he became Rector of Hilborough.

Along with his siblings William joined in the denigration of Horatio's wife, Frances, when Horatio's affair with Emma Hamilton became a public scandal. By this time the younger brother had become a national hero and William bathed in the reflected glory. In January 1802 Cambridge University awarded him a DD as did Oxford the following year and in May 1803 he was awarded a prebendal stall at Canterbury.

On 21 October 1805 Horatio was killed at the Battle of Trafalgar. National elation at this significant victory was muted by the hero's death. He was buried at St Paul's Cathedral. His elder brother, Maurice having died in 1801, ^[2] William succeeded to his brother's baronies, Baron Nelson of the Nile and Baron Nelson of Hilborough and to the Dukedom of Bronté. A grateful government rewarded everyone who had served at Trafalgar but it was William who received the greatest reward. On the 10 November he was created Earl Nelson of Trafalgar and Merton and Viscount Merton. He received a pension of £5000 per annum and a grant of £90,000 to purchase a suitable estate. ^[5]

His only son, Horatio, died of Typhus fever in 1808 and was laid to rest beside his uncle in St Paul's Cathedral. ^[8] Then on 3 July 1810 his daughter, Charlotte, married into another naval family, marrying Samuel Hood at St Mary, Marylebone. ^[9]

In 1814 William bought the estate of Stanlynch in Wiltshire. ^[10]

Sarah died in 1828 and, in his seventies, William married in the Parish of St George, Hanover Square on 26 March 1829, 28 year old Hilare Barlow, daughter of Admiral Robert Barlow and widow of her cousin, George Ulric Barlow. ^[11][12] No children were born of this marriage.

William died 28 February 1835 and was buried in St Paul's Cathedral on 9 March. ^[13] The Dukedom of Bronte passed to his daughter, Charlotte, but the British titles were entailed to heirs male of Horatio's siblings. His two younger brothers, Edmund and Suckling having both died childless ^[2] the Earldom passed to Thomas Bolton, ^[1]son of William's deceased sister, Susannah, who changed his name to Nelson.

William Nelson: a man who could never have imagined where fortune would take him.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Venn, Cambridge Alumni: William Nelson
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} About Nelson website
3. ↑ Baptismal record, Burnham Thorpe (20 April 1857, William son of Edmund and Catherine Nelson) ( Norfolk Record Office) Viewed at Ancestry. Text only
4. ↑ Nelson: A Personal History; Christopher Hibbert ISBN 0-670-84342-3
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 40 Nelson, William (1757-1835) by John Knox Laughton
6. ↑ Marriage record, Swaffham, Norfolk (9 November 1786 William Nelson married Sarah Yonge)
7. ↑ Collin's Peerage (8 November 1766 Dr William Nelson married Miss Yonge daughter of Rev Henry Yonge Vicar of Great Torrington, Devonshire)
8. ↑ Burial record, St Paul's, London (25 January 1808 The Honourable Horatio Nelson)
9. ↑ Marriage record, St Mary, St Marylebone Rd, London (3rd July 1810 Charlotte Mary Nelson married Samuel Hood) Viewed at Ancestry. Text only
10. ↑ Trafalgar Park Website [1]
11. ↑ Marriage record St George Hanover Square (26 March 1829 The Right Honourable and Reverend William Earl Nelson a widower married by Special License granted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Hilare Barlow of the City of Canterbury a widow. Witnesses, William Barlow, Hilare Byng, Jane Hood, William Barlow, clerk, Frances Byng Torrington, Frances Harriet Torrington Hood, Evan Nepean)
12. ↑ Gentleman's Magazine 1835 (Barlow, Hilare daughter of Rear Admiral Sir Robert Barlow widow of George Ulric Barlow married 26 March 1829, Nelson Wm) From Pallot's Marriage Index.
13. ↑ Burial record, St Paul's Cathedral, London (The Right Honourable and Reverend William Nelson D. D. Baron Nelson of the Nile of Portman Square in the Parish of Marylebone buried 9 March 1835 aged 77) Viewed at Ancestry. Text only

See also

• antique-silver.biz

• 'Jane Austen's Family through Five Generations' by Maggie Lane, published by Robert Hale Limited, London. ISBN 0 7090 4832 7. Includes extensive family trees. Details of contemporaries and other connections are also mentioned in the text.Jane Austen's Family through Five Generations

Note

In the Hilborough parish register, immediately after the baptism of Daniel Anthony on 27th May 1806, William added the following memorandum:-

I succeeded to the title of Baron Nelson of the Nile and of Hilborough in the County of Norfolk and also Duke of Bronté in the kingdom of Farther Sicily on the death of my renowned & lamented brother Vice Admiral Horatio, Lord Viscount Nelson, Duke of Bronté, Knight of the Bath &c, &c, &c - on the 21st day of October 1805 and I was advanced by His Majesty George the third to the farther dignities of Earl Nelson of Trafalgar & of Merton in the County of Surry (sic) - Viscount Merton, on the 9th Day of November in the same year, & to my heirs Male, with remainder to the heirs male of my sisters, Susanna the wife of Thomas Bolton Esquire, & Catherine the wife of George Matcham Esquire - by which creation my son became Viscount Merton - and he is entered in the last register for this parish among the Births & Baptizms (sic) for the year 1788 in the following words - viz -

"Horatio, son of William Nelson, Clerk, Rector of this Parish, and Sarah his wife, (late Sarah Yonge, Spinster) was born October 26th - baptized privately October 28th - Received into the Church February 3rd 1789"

On the 6th day of August 1806 I resigned this Rectory & being patron thereof in full right, I presented my Brother-in-Law The Reverend William Yonge, A.M., Archdeacon of Norwich & Vicar of Swaffham.

In testimony of the truth of the above particulars I have set my hand this sixteenth day of September 1806.

Nelson & Bronté

Witness Wm Yonge Rector of Hilborough