CUTHBERT COLLINGWOOD
A Hero of his Time and Ours?
The North-East of England has produced many famous men and women and Lord Cuthbert Collingwood deserves to be in the front rank. If he was a hero, he would not have recognised it in himself. He was born into a world where Britain was struggling for survival against the might of France and it produced, or brought out, the qualities people admired in him: devotion to duty, honesty, love of his family, humour and fearless bravery.
Collingwood was not perfect. He could be grumpy and short-tempered and could be mean with money and, at times, pompous.
These teaching materials and resources have been gathered together so that you can explore the evidence and decide for yourself.
They also provide you with a wealth of evidence about conditions in the navy at the time of the wars with France. At times you will shudder with horror at the thought of shattered limbs and rotten food, but amazed at how these men overcame these trials and hardships.
Click Here To See The Teaching Programme Summary of Activities
The Lessons
Select below from the menu of lessons:
Click here for a summary of the copyright and provenance details of the images used in the lessons
Image Gallery for use with the above lessons
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1 A Captain |
2 A Lieutenant |
3 A Midshipman |
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4 An Admiral |
5 America was famous for the export of tobacco |
6 An English Lady of the 18th Century - Mary Moutray (painted by John Downing) |
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7 An Oak Tree - Whenever Collingwood went for a walk, he planted acorns (original engraving by Thomas Bewick) |
8 A sailing ship of the 18th Century |
9 The sailor's farewell (original drawing by C. Mosley 1743) |
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10 A ship exploding |
11 A ship's crew |
12 A Spanish Pointer - this may have been "Bounce" (original engraving by Thomas Bewick) |
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13 A view of Newcastle in 1745 (original by Nathanial Buck 1745) |
14 The Battle of Cape St. Vincent 1797 (original painitng by J.W. Carmichael and G. Balmer) |
15 Boys playing with sailing boats, Newcastle |
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16 Cannon overlooking the harbour at Antigua |
17 Map showing Cape Trafalgar - where the famous battle was fought in 1805 |
18 Collingwood (engraving after original painting by Henry Howard, National Maritime Museum) |
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19 Collingwood House in Menorca |
20 Collingwood leaves home in 1803 - this would be the last time he saw his home |
21 Collingwood memorial |
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22 Collingwood memorial at Tynemouth |
23 Collingwood memorial at St. Nicholas' Cathedral, Newcastle |
24 Collingwood's family home in Morpeth |
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25 Collingwood's garden at Morpeth |
26 Collingwood's much-repaired telescope |
27 Collingwood's night-glass - the size of the lens concentrated the available light |
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28 Collingwood's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar - the 'Royal Sovereign' |
29 Map of Corsica and Sardinia |
30 Cross-section through a wooden sailing ship of Collingwood's time |
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31 Cuthbert Collingwood |
32 Cuthbert Collingwood (close-up) |
33 Announcement of the death of Collingwood's brother Wilfred |
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34 Extract from the logbook of Collingwood's ship |
35 The arrangement of gundecks in a warship of Collingwood's time |
36 Horatio Nelson |
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37 Horatio Nelson with all his medals and decorations |
38 Louis XVI - King of France (executed by guillotine) |
39 Modern view of Port Mahon in Menorca, where Collingwood was based in 1809 |
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40 Map of Sicily and southern Italy |
41 Map of Spain |
42 Map of the Caribbean and West Indies |
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43 Map of the English Channel |
44 Map of Western Europe |
45 An Admiral with a Midshipman |
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46 Morpeth Market Place |
47 Napoleon Bonaparte |
48 Napoleon - he was often described as a "bogey man" to frighten children in England (engraving after original painting by Isabey) |
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49 Napoleon's statue at Ajaccio, Corsica, where he was born |
50 Nelson aboard HMS 'Victory' - preparation of the famous signal immediately before the Battle of Trafalgar |
51 Collingwood's flagship at Trafalgar - HMS 'Royal Sovereign' |
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52 Plan of Attack at the Battle of Trafalgar (drawn from detail in Nelson's dispatches)
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53 HMS 'Prince' - Collingwood's ship in 1804 |
54 Sailors mutinied before sailing for France (from a mezzotint published July, 1797. From J.G. Bullocke, Sailors' Rebellion (London: Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1938) 246). |
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55 Sarah Collingwood |
56 Saying their goodbyes |
57 Ships battle at sea |
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58 Vice Admiral Lord Collingwood (original painting by William Owen) |
59 The Battle of Bunker's Hill, Boston 1775 |
60 The Battle of Trafalgar 1805 |
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61 The death of Nelson |
62 The future Admiral |
63 The harbour at Antigua in the West Indies |
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64 The House where Collingwood was born in 1848 |
65 The oldest commissioned floating warship in the world - USS 'Constitution' |
66 A man is taken from his wife by the Press Gang |
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67 'The Side' in Newcastle |
68 The great storm after the Battle of Trafalgar (JW Carmichael) |
Click here for a summary of the copyright and provenance details of the images used in the gallery
The Education Initiative has been devised and developed as part of the Collingwood 2010 Festival. The Festival Committee gratefully acknowledges those organisations who contributed directly and specifically towards the costs of the Initiative:
The North East Branch of the Nautical Institute Charitable Foundation
The Nelson Society
The Lord Collingwood Lodge, No 3246 in the Province of Northumberland
The Scrivener's Company of Newcastle upon Tyne
Whitley Bay Rotary Club
The Initiative worked in partnership with the following schools from North and South Tyneside, who also kindly made contributions towards the Initiative costs:
Biddick Hall Junior School
Collingwood Primary School
Fellgate Primary School
New York Primary School
Percy Main Primary School
Whitburn Village Primary School
The following are acknowledged for their organisation and administration of the Education Initiative:
Max Adams (Chair of the Festival Education Committee and author of 'Collingwood: Northumberland’s Heart of Oak')
Neil Tonge (Education Project Manager)
Dr. Tony Barrow (Author: 'Collingwood’s Northumbrians')
Capt. Stephen Healy (Deputy Master The Newcastle upon Tyne Trinity House)
Picture Credits for images used in the Lessons above
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1 Who Was Collingwood?
2 Presentations (1) Collingwood and Bounce: Engraving by Bewick Not subject to copyright (1) Collingwood and Nelson: Portrait of Nelson NMM BHC2901 (2) Collingwood and Nelson: Nelson’s death at Trafalgar NMM 3558 (1) Collingwood and the French: Cartoon Napoleon’s attempt to invade England NMM PW4005 (2) Collingwood and the French: Guillotine blade NMM F4342 (3) Collingwood and the French: Napoleon surrenders NMM BHC2876 Cartoon Napoleon enraged at the defeat at Trafalgar NMM PW3964 (1) Hard as Iron: Image of Collingwood as Admiral of the Fleet NMM BHC2625 (2) Hard as Iron: Cat o’ nine tails NMM D3920 (3) Hard as Iron: Engraving of sailors on deck NMM (1) Home Sweet Home: Birthplace Newcastle City Library; Morpeth family home Neil Tonge photograph (2) Home Sweet Home Collingwood’s birthplace Max Adams; His home in Morpeth Neil Tonge photograph (1) Other People Nelson’s death scene below decks NMMBHC0566
3A Hunt the Enemy
Map of the World; Rules of the Game Max Adams Sails and rigging Max Adams Sizes of ships Max Adams Side view of the ship Max Adams Signal flag exercise; Signal Flag Exercise 2 Max Adams Tacking the ship; Wearing the ship Max Adams
(1) Pigtails Image of sailors NMMPW6070 (1) George Castle Midshipman Midshipman by Rowlandson NMMPW4970 What did they wear? Sailors on a Saturday night NMM3646 Ranks in Nelson’s Navy NMM Cruikshank 1- 8
(1) Beware the Press Gang Press Gang Riot NMM PX8527 (2) Beware the Press Gang Mug showing the Press Gang NMMF3130-1 (3) Beware the Press Gang Sculpture ‘Dolly Peel’ N Tyneside LA (4) Beware the Press Gang Cartoon ‘Press Gang’ NMMPU4732 (1) Judging the Press Gang Press Gang NMMPW5934 (2) Judging the Press Gang Engraving ‘sweethearts’ NMM
1) Flog ‘em Flogging NMM PU0177
(1) Hazards on the Ship Flight of cannonball NMMPU0168 (2) Hazards on the Ship Sailor praying before the battle NMMPX8554 (1) Storm at Sea Storm at Sea NMMBHC1931 (2) Storm at Sea Ship broken up on rocks NMM BHC0724 (3) Storm at Sea Ship on fire 1801 NMMBHC0531
(1) Diseases and Death Battle in a launch NMMBHC2908 (2) Diseases and Death Picture of scurvy Artist impression Angus Mckie (1) On the operating Table Amputation NMM PU8484 (2) On the operating Table Surgeon’s knives Wellcome Trust (3) On the Operating Table Doctor treating patient Wellcome Trust
(1) Food for Officers Officers in the Navy NMM Rowlandson (2) Food for Officers Officers in the Navy NMM Rowlandson (1) Scurvy Treatment of patient Wellcome Trust (2) Scurvy Facial disfigurement Artist impression Angus Mckie Toilet Matters Engraving
(1) What on the Menu Ship’s Cook NMMPW4969
(1) Preparing for battle Scene at Trafalgar NMMBHC0555; Musket ball NMMF4935-1 Gunnery Practice |
Picture Credits for images in the Gallery above
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MA Max Adams NMM National Maritime Museum NLL Various, Newcastle Libraries' collections SCC Mrs. Susan Collingwood-Cameron NTH The Newcastle upon Tyne Trinity House TWM Tyne & Wear Museums ILN Illustrated London News NH Naval History (William James 1837) NCT Newcastle Courant CR Clive Richards U Unknown
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16,19,21,22,39,42,49,63,65 9,17,18,28,29,53,62,66 1,2,3,4,5,7,8,10,11,12,13,15,23,46,54,64,67 26,34,55,68 14 27,58 45,51 31,32,37 20,33 6 24,25,30,35,36,38,40,41,43,44,47,48,50,51,52,56,57,59,60,61 |