TOM ALLEN - His Story
(annotated to original sources)
1. VOLUNTEERING FOR
SERVICE WITH NELSON
Tom Allen
was a native of Nelson’s own home area of Burnham in north Norfolk.(17,18,19)
He was
baptized Thomas Allen on
Nelson, who
once remarked that ‘a Norfolk man was as good as two others’(25) sought local men from Burnham to join him for his command of HMS
Agamemnon at the beginning of the war with France. Tom joined as a 21 year old
volunteer on
It was said
that ‘from his earliest years’ Tom had been ‘in the service of the Nelson
family’(4) but he was not personally known to
Nelson’s wife Fanny before the voyage, as Nelson in a letter to her referred to
him not by his name but simply as a ‘Norfolk ploughman’. (11)
His grading
as an Ordinary Seaman, not a Landsman, ought to suggest some previous
experience at sea. It is possible that as a man on the north
Nelson
already had a long-established personal sailor-manservant appointed for the
campaign, Frank Lepée. Frank was almost part of his family, having
served Nelson for many years in the
It was to
be a long campaign in the
2. TOM APPOINTED NELSON’S
SERVANT/ BATTLE ST
VINCENT
Tom was a
rough country character, without education, clumsy and outspoken, and
ordinarily would not have been considered for the post. (1,4 ) But in the years that followed--the
continuing strenuous and unrelenting Mediterranean campaign--he and Nelson were
to establish a special relationship. It seemed that Tom possessed those
qualities that Nelson always valued above all others from himself and his
men—an unquestioning loyalty and a strong sense of duty.
First
mentioned in Nelson’s letter to Fanny on
It was
about this time, off
It is
universally agreed the two great men never did meet- and the writer of the
article wondered if Tom might have been mistaken- but the time and place for
such a historic meeting-- before either was famous-- are not implausible. (5)
After years
of vainly seeking out his enemy for a major confrontation, Nelson at last
secured his first famous victory at the Battle of St Vincent on
Tom was one
of the sailors fighting at Nelson’s side but he fell badly wounded. According
to his later pension record, the wound was in his ‘Privates’. (1,4,18)
He
recovered-- though perhaps left disabled with a walk ‘like a heavily laden ship
rolling before the wind’(1,3) There was no respite and no return to
Five months
later Nelson again led an attack barely surviving an action off
3. BATTLE OF THE NILE
The sudden
promotion Tom had gained three years before was now confirmed on their return
to
Tom now
also had money which was substantial enough to be deposited with Nelson’s own
agents, Marsh and Creed. (12)
It was not
long before they were back at sea for a new campaign in the Mediterranean on
board HMS Vanguard. (17)
Nelson this
time had a ‘retinue’ as a Rear-Admiral including Tom, aged 26. Letters back and
to between Nelson and Fanny refer to Tom’s part in the domestic preparations
for the voyage. (11,12)
On 1 Aug
1798 Nelson won his second great victory at the Battle of the Nile.
Tom again
took his turn in the action, being as usual stationed at ‘one of the upper-deck
guns’,(4) but his providential contribution to this
battle was an inadvertent one.
Before
action commenced Nelson’s hat had been too loose-fitting. Tom had sewed in a
special pad and this saved Nelson’s life when he took a shot to his head- so
serious Nelson believed himself mortally wounded. (5)
4. LADY HAMILTON
After the
victory, which secured for Britain control of the Mediterranean, Nelson
received congratulations from one and all. None more so than from Emma, Lady
Hamilton, at Naples, where her husband Sir William Hamilton was ambassador to
the court. Her devoted praise turned into a love affair.
On 26 Dec
1798 the court had to flee Naples to Palermo and in the worst storm Nelson
could remember Tom helped Emma care for the royal family unused to such
hardship. (12,13)
At
He became
so involved that he could later joke that ‘he might have married either of the
princesses, had he been so minded’. (4)
This was
the time of the famous moment he refused to kneel before or kiss the hand of the King of Naples, when he came on to the
Foudroyant for a royal visit. Instead Tom heartily shook his hand with the
rough greeting ‘How d’you do, Mr King’. As for not kneeling Tom explained, ‘he never
bent his knee but in prayer and he feared that was too seldom’. (1,3)
He was
similarly out of line on 14.2 1800 at a St Vincent anniversary dinner, when he
joined in conversation as if on equal terms with one of the guests, Captain Coffield, asking after the health of a shipmate. Nelson
dismissed him from the cabin for his ‘impudence’, though only to accept Tom
interrupting later to suggest he had drunk too much wine, and thus ‘the
greatest naval hero of the day was led from his own table by his faithful and
attached servant’. (1,2,3)
Tom never
felt unequal in his elevated surroundings. He later reminisced that ‘had he but
been a scholar, he might have been as high as Sir Thomas Hardy or any of the
rest of them’.(5)
He was more
than once threatened with dismissal—‘a threat so often used that it was at
length disregarded’. Said Tom on one occasion-‘He ma’ talk about turning me awa’, if he likes, but you know he awes me thirty pounds
and more’(8,26)
In the end
Tom’s loyalty and attentiveness were more important to Nelson than his
unruliness. ‘Next to Lady Hamilton, Tom Allen possessed the greatest influence
with his heroic master,’ witnessed Parsons (1,3)
Another
story was told at this time of how, when the Foudroyant
steered too close to the coast of Malta and cannon-fire began to threaten the
decks, Tom ‘interposed his bulky form between those forts and his little
master’. (1,3,4).
When a
coffin was presented to Nelson made from a French wreck from the Battle of the
Nile- the mainmast of L’Orient- Tom insisted it be
removed from his cabin, as he said it would bring bad luck. (10,20,26). “It always puts me in mind of a corpse”, said
Tom. (9a)
Meanwhile
Nelson and Fanny were still exchanging letters and one of Fanny’s included a
love-letter for Tom himself. (11) Tom’s clumsiness was also
mentioned- he had overset the ink’, as he busied himself in Nelson’s cabin. (11,13,14,15)
5. RETURN TO ENGLAND/
BATTLE OF COPENHAGEN
In the
middle of 1800, Nelson was forced finally to return to England. He took a
land-route through Europe, which became an almost regal celebration. Emma, now
pregnant, accompanied him.
Tom is
mentioned once as warning Nelson not to drink too much champagne. (21)
Once they
were back home, the separation from Fanny began, as Nelson spent as much time
as he could with Emma. While Nelson and Emma were being entertained for
Christmas at Fonthill, Tom took the opportunity to
return to Norfolk to marry Jane Dextern at Docking on
31 Dec 1800. (19) Jane was the sister of Elizabeth Dextern, who had married Tom’s brother William Allen some
years earlier.
Tom had
more money- a draft for £95 just given to him, (12) as well as his share of the 100
ounces of silver the King of Naples had donated to Nelson’s servants. (10)
Soon Tom
would also be mentioned in Nelson’s new Will of 16 Mar 1801, to be given £50
and all his ‘cloaths’. (12)
Now a
Vice-Admiral, Nelson joined HMS San Josef on 17 Jan 1801 in readiness for his
next great campaign in the Baltic. (17)
Before
setting off, Tom was recorded to have accompanied Nelson on a furtive visit to
see Nelson and Emma’s new baby daughter, Horatia,
being cared for by a Mrs Gibson (22). Later in life Tom would be quizzed
on what he knew of this secret birth.
On 2 April
1801 Nelson fought and won his third famous victory -the Battle of Copenhagen.
Once again Tom played his part by insisting at the pre-battle conference the
night before that Nelson took rest. An eye-witness Hon. Col. Stewart noted that
Tom ‘assumed much command on these occasions’. (10,20)
It was a battle
Tom later was reluctant to talk about, for reasons he did not explain. (4)
After the
battle Nelson and Emma took a holiday at Staines. Emma received there a poem
from Lord William Gordon, which included a mention of Tom’s bravery and
recording also how before Copenhagen Tom had taken special care of Emma’s
portrait that took pride of place in Nelson’s cabin. (13)
“Nor, by
our Muse shall Allen be forgot
who for himself nor bullets fear’d nor shot…”
6. AT HOME IN MERTON
In August
1801, when fear of an invasion by Napoleon was at its height, Nelson and Tom
took to sea again, defending the Channel coast. (17)
There is a
firm record at this time of Nelson seriously losing his temper with Tom. A case
containing all Nelson’s papers and £200 was mislaid. It was soon recovered but
Nelson claimed that Tom ‘never says truth’. ‘He will one day ruin me by his
ignorance, obstinacy and lies’.(13)
Despite
this, Tom was to be part of the new household that Nelson and Emma were
establishing at Merton. Peace with Napoleon was being negotiated and Nelson was
looking forward to his retirement.
Tom’s new
wife Jane had come down from Norfolk and she was to be the dairymaid. (11)
Jane got on
well with Emma pleasing her on one occasion by remarking that Emma and William
Nelson’s wife were both ‘like so many Venuses’.(23)
In the last
months on board, Tom’s letters to Jane were being enclosed with Nelson’s
letters to Emma.(12,13,15)
As a
farewell present Captain Sutton gave Tom a goat. (15)
At Merton,
Tom became butler for a short time and in one of his reminiscences Lt. Parsons
describes a visit he made to Merton to request a favour from his old captain.
Tom and Emma conspired to help him gain Nelson’s cooperation. (1,2)
On 9 Feb
1802 Tom, now 30 years old, left Nelson’s service, returning home to Norfolk
with Jane to start a family. This meant he had to be discharged from the Navy
and Nelson wrote accordingly to Captain Sutton. (10,17) Later
that year their first son was baptized at Fakenham—Horatio
Nelson Allen- on 10 October. (19) It was said Nelson was his godfather. (4)
Two drafts
were paid to Tom, £100 on
However all
the sources agree that the two men quarrelled at some point. (4,7)
This
appears to be the time of the quarrel as shown by the next mention of Tom, two
years later when Nelson was back at sea.
In a letter to Emma from his ship on 13 Oct 1804, Nelson reported that
Tom-“poor foolish man”- had written for a reference. (15) Similarly on 30 Aug 1805, when briefly back at
Merton, Nelson responded to another request for a reference on Tom received
from Rev Glasse- Tom had applied to be his steward-
and Nelson’s language is more critical-
Tom ‘did not make a very grateful return’ and ‘would not be able perform
such a service well’ (16)
7. TOM MISSES THE BATTLE
OF TRAFALGAR-21OCT 1805
The usual
account in the original sources was that Tom became reconciled to Nelson. So
reconciled, he was intended to be at Trafalgar but was left behind on shore
accidentally when Nelson left hurriedly to rejoin HMS Victory on 14 Sept 1805.
It states ‘Tom was left at Merton with orders to join his master as soon as
possible’ but ‘the last ship had sailed before his arrival in Portsmouth’. (4,5,6,9)
However Tom
was never on the Victory Ship’s Muster (17), and given the now known letter to Rev.Glasse –only recently published--, the usual account
seems most unlikely. The letter was dated only two weeks before setting sail
and would have required a complete change of heart by Nelson within only days
of his writing it.
Another
source is worded differently. It says that ‘on his Lordship’s obtaining the
command of the Mediterranean, Tom Allen said that his Lordship wrote to him to
go with him again.’ Tom, it went on, missed Nelson leaving London, missed him
again at Portsmouth, was offered a place on the next passage, but changed his
mind and returned to his wife, Jane. (8)
This makes
more sense because the date would be much earlier-May 1803- when Nelson first
sailed and would explain Nelson feeling let down, hence the problem he had
giving Tom a reference.
(In another
copy of this source there is an additional footnote stating ‘on very good
authority’ that Nelson did not write to Tom.) (7)
Finally
there is a memory in Tom’s family of a critical letter from the Admiralty,
implying Tom missed Trafalgar due to intoxication. (16a)
Tom was
certainly eager to return to sea- this is proved by his subsequent rejoining
the Navy in 1809.
But his
reluctance to leave Jane is understandable—she had a second son baptized at Fakenham on
The
conclusion seems to be that Tom made some effort to be with Nelson for his last
campaign-though in 1803 rather than 1805- either with or without Nelson’s
knowledge- but he did not see it through.
The popular
account, depicting Tom left on the quayside as Nelson sailed to his death,
fitted the earnest debate in the sources as to whether Nelson died only because
Tom failed to be with him at Trafalgar. In earlier battles Tom had insisted on
Nelson wearing modest uniform. On the deck of the Victory at Trafalgar, wearing
dress uniform instead, Nelson was more conspicuous and, in the hour of his
greatest victory, fell mortally wounded to a sniper’s bullet. (All)
Tom later said “I never told anybody that if I had been there, Lord
Nelson would not have been killed: but this I have said, and say again, that if
I had been there, he should not have put on that coat. He would mind me like a
child”.(9a)
8. TOM’S LATER LIFE
His family
(two boys) now complete, Tom did go back to sea, four years after Trafalgar,
volunteering on 26.11.1809 for HMS Circe. He served just over two years off the
coast of Spain in the Peninsular War, before being invalided out on 14 March
1812. (17,18)
The next we
hear of Tom is back home in Burnham—about 1817- when he became a personal
servant to Sir William Bolton—Nelson’s close relative. (4,5,7,8,9) It was while he served the Boltons
that Nelson’s daughter Horatia came to live with
them. Horatia married the local curate Rev. Philip
Ward and started a family. (Tom’s niece, Bet Allen, was around this time
appointed the nursemaid (24). She remained so until her death in
1860, when Horatia provided a headstone in gratitude,
still standing in Burnham Sutton churchyard).
Having
started her family Horatia began to research her
mysterious past and took the opportunity to question Tom about what he knew of
the scandal of her birth.
Horatia
had always known Nelson to be her father but never publicly accepted Emma to be
her mother. Later Emma’s parentage was not questioned but at the time there was
much public controversy.
If there
was one person who could help it should have been a close servant such as Tom
Allen, but his contribution simply added further mystery. He said his memory
was of a quite different pregnant woman enquiring of Nelson at the time and
that he had recognized her to be the sister of a merchant they had met at
9. PENSIONER AT GREENWICH
When Sir
William Bolton died in 1830, Tom was aged 58 and facing hardship. A local
Norwich gentleman Page Nicol Scott, an ex-naval
surgeon, took up his cause, writing to both Sir Thomas Hardy and Sir William
Beatty to arrange Tom’s admission as an In-Pensioner at Greenwich Naval
Hospital. (4) Perhaps Scott had been a friend of
Sir William Bolton but there was also another connection, -- Scott, Nelson and
Tom had been freemasons. (8)
On 19
October 1831, Tom was duly admitted to Greenwich and employed as a gardener by
the Lieutenant-Governor Sir Jahleel Brenton. (4)
He was aged
59 but his entry record stated he was much older at 66/67 years old. All
subsequent Greenwich records, including his memorial stone and the memorial
card above these notes assumed this higher age. It is not known if this was a
simple error, or a deliberate way of easing in his entry as an In-Pensioner. (18)
On 19 June
1837, Sir Thomas Hardy himself became governor and Tom was promoted to Pewterer. This gave him a handsome salary of £65 p.a. and
also gave him an apartment in the West Hall for himself, his wife Jane and his
granddaughter, Susan. (4,18)
Nelson’s
memory had always been revered since Trafalgar but around this time there was a
particular revival of interest, especially seeking the reminiscences of the
dwindling band of those who had sailed with him. Tom became something of a
celebrity and his life was used, broadly, as a model for a popular novel of the
day- Captain Chamier’s ‘Ben Brace, the Last of the Agamemnons’. (1,3,4,5,6,7)
Tom was
also employed by Hardy for a particular task in September 1837 in attending an
enquiry at Southwark to identify some jewels of Nelson that had been deposited
by Lady Hamilton’s executor. (4)
When Tom
died
10.
SOURCES
Much of the
original source material was written around the time of Tom’s death in 1838.
It was 30
years since Trafalgar and there was a growing appetite to record memories of
Nelson’s exploits from the dwindling band of those who had sailed with him.
1. Nelsonian
Reminiscences (1843)—Lt. G.S.Parsons
Republished
as I Sailed with Nelson (1973), Lieutenant Parsons was a young
midshipman on HMS Foudroyant 1799-1800 and was an
eye-witness to many colourful stories of Tom’s close relationship to Nelson and
Lady Hamilton. His reminiscences had appeared earlier in
2. Metropolitan
Magazine Vol 19 1837
and
3. Metropolitan
Magazine Vol 28 May-Aug 1840.
The other
major tribute to Tom is contained in an Appendix to
4. 1840
Edition of Clarke & M’Arthur’s The Life and
Services of Horatio Viscount Nelson
This
contains some of the earlier Parsons material and the Appendix is then itself
reproduced in Parsons (1843)
Much of the
above was repeated in other publications but other material is added in:-
5. United Service Journal
& Naval & Military Magazine Feb 1836
6.
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement and Instruction 9 Nov 1839
7.
United Services Journal Oct 1839
8.
Freemason’s Quarterly Review 31 Dec 1839
9.
Extracts from the Norwich
9a.
Notes and Queries- Nov 15 1856 and July 16 1864 .
These were
reminiscences of the Catholic writer Dr F.C. Husenbeth,
priest near Sir William Bolton’s final home at Costessey,
who “ met Tom almost every day.. and got into chat
with him about his brave and noble master”.
http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/ilej/image1.pl?item=page&seq=6&size=1&id=nq.1856.11.15.2.46.x.384
http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/ilej/image1.pl?item=page&seq=1&size=1&id=nq.1864.7.16.6.133.x.60
Earlier
there were many mentions of Tom in Nelson’s own correspondence, published in:-
10
The Dispatches and Letters of Vice-Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson- Nicolas (1845)
11.
Nelson’s Letters to his Wife and Other Documents—Naish
(1958)
12. The Hamilton & Nelson Papers- Morrison
(1893/4)
13.
Memoirs of the Life of Vice-Admiral Lord Viscount Nelson- Pettigrew (1849)
14.
Faber Book of Letters, ed. Felix Pryor
15.
Letters of Lord Nelson to Lady Hamilton- Anon (1814)
16.
Eastern Daily Press 10.11.1995 and the Times 31.10.1995, etc.
16a.
Eastern Daily Press 1.1.2005
Official
Records are:-
17.
Ship’s Musters at PRO Kew
18.
Greenwich Hospital Records at PRO Kew
19. Parish Registers
Nelson
biographies have found other material:-