The 1805 Club

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The 1805 Club

Founded in 1990, The 1805 Club engages in preservation, research, and commemoration of the Sailing Navies of the Georgian Era

The Age of Sail in the Georgian Era was an exciting time of conflict, discovery and revolution. Our aim is to inspire greater understanding of the achievements of the maritime world of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The 1805 Club takes its name from the iconic Battle of Trafalgar, which gave Nelson his acclaimed place in history and confirmed the role of the Royal Navy in asserting sea power. Through our programme of commemorative initiatives, publications, research and education, we are building a global community open to enthusiasts from all background in naval history. We invite you to join us on our voyage, recognising the role of the sailing navies of the Georgian Era (1714 - 1837) and promoting their legacy into the modern seafaring age. The 1805 Club is a charity registered in England, No. 1071871.

11/10/2026

⚓ On this day in 1797: The Battle of Camperdown

On 11 October, Admiral Adam Duncan led the British fleet to victory over the Batavian Navy, capturing 11 ships and dealing a serious blow to Dutch naval power.

The battle took place during the French Revolutionary Wars, when Britain was fighting revolutionary France and its allies. The Batavian Republic, established in the Netherlands in 1795, was allied with France, making control of the North Sea strategically important to Britain.

When news of Duncan's victory reached England, Nelson was still recovering from the amputation of his right arm after the failed attack on Santa Cruz de Tenerife. He reportedly lamented that he would have given his other arm to have been at Camperdown.

09/10/2026

Sotheby’s will exhibit 415 letters, documents and manuscripts relating to Nelson ahead of an auction estimated at £4 million to £6 million.

08/10/2026

Still thinking about Trafalgar Night? ⚓️

If you’ve been on the fence about joining us for the 1805 Club’s Trafalgar Night Dinner in Portsmouth on 24 October, this is your sign.

The deadline to request a reservation has been extended to Tuesday, 13 October.

Don’t miss an evening of good company, good food and a proper celebration of Trafalgar.

See you in Portsmouth! 🥂

05/10/2026

⚓️The new Trafalgar Chronicle is on its way!

The latest edition of The Trafalgar Chronicle, the flagship naval history journal of The 1805 Club, is here!

The New Series 11 explores navies in the age of revolutions. Rebellions, piracy, privateering, conspiracies and battles at sea.

The editors thank the 17 authors who contributed articles for this year's edition

🇬🇧 One of the benefits of Club membership is receiving the Trafalgar Chronicle free of charge. UK members should be receiving their copies this month. Deliveries to the US and other countries will take a little longer, so please bear with us!

Not a member but want a copy? Additional copies are available to purchase from the 1805 Club.

Happy reading!

29/09/2026

🎂 Happy Birthday Horatio!

At the 1805 Club, we have a discussion every now and then about whether we talk about Nelson too much. But really, can there ever be too much Nelson in 1805?

Just like in Georgian times, everyone seems to have their favourite Nelson anecdote, and perhaps even their favourite portrait. As you can tell, we couldn't quite decide on just one...
268 years after his birth, Lord Nelson is certainly still the talk of the town in our little Club.

Happy birthday to the one and only!✨

26/09/2026

🎂 Happy birthday to Cuthbert Collingwood!

His most famous deed is probably sailing HMS Royal Sovereign into the Battle of Trafalgar as the first ship in the British line(s). But Collingwood was much more than a brilliant admiral.

He was known for his sharp wit, his deep love for his family, (including his dog Bounce) and for having the fastest gunners in the fleet.

One of Nelson’s favourites, and very much one of ours too. ⚓️

16/09/2026

Trafalgar Night is approaching! ⚓️

Don't forget to request your reservation for our Trafalgar Night Dinner in Portsmouth on 24 October.

Reservations are open until 30 September.

Not a member yet but want to join us? There’s still time to sign up... or to befriend one of our members!

10/09/2026

🎣 A Seaman Fishing off a Gun

There were few things more welcome aboard an 18th-century warship than something fresh for dinner.

The standard Royal Navy ration was dominated by salted beef and pork, ship’s biscuit, peas, cheese, and butter. Fish was not a major part of the regular ration, but sailors could supplement their provisions by fishing while at sea.

This 1775 watercolour by Gabriel Bray, drawn aboard HMS Pallas, gives us a glimpse of ordinary sailor life. A sailor has found a fishing spot with a questionable safety record: balanced on the barrel of a gun, leaning over the ship’s side, apparently entirely unconcerned about all the ways this could go wrong.

07/09/2026

On this day in 1776, a strange little vessel slipped beneath the waters of New York Harbor in what became history’s first documented submarine attack.

Built the previous year by American inventor David Bushnell, the one-man Turtle was designed to approach an enemy ship underwater and attach an explosive charge to its hull.

On 6 September, Continental Army Sergeant Ezra Lee climbed inside and set out for HMS Eagle, the flagship of British Admiral Richard Howe. In a letter to David Humphreys, Lee described what happened:

“When I rowed under the stern of the ship, could see men and deck and hear them talk-then I shut all doors, sunk down, and came up under the bottom of the ship, up with the screw against the bottom of the ship but found that it would not enter.”

The Eagle’s hull was protected by copper sheathing, and Lee’s drill simply could not pe*****te it. After several attempts, he abandoned the attack and escaped.

The Turtle may have failed, but the idea was certainly ahead of its time. The first successful submarine attack would not come until 1864, when the Confederate H. L. Hunley sank the Union warship USS Housatonic with a torpedo. And even 1864 sounds ridiculously early for submarine warfare!

02/09/2026

We are delighted to announce that Peter Turner has recently been elected by the Board of Trustees as the new Chairman of The 1805 Club✨

Many, if not all, of our members will already know Peter as the editor of our Club magazine — a role which he will be keeping, because Lord knows Peter loves keeping himself busy!

We are sure that he will take over the helm with the same care and attention to detail that he already puts into the Club’s publications, and probably the same cheeky humour too!

Peter will be supported by our newly elected Vice-Chairman, Jack Satterfield, who wooed the Trustees with a passionate little speech about the future of the Club. With these two leading the Club, we are certain that it is in very good hands.

We would also like to thank our former Chairman John Rodgaard, as well as former Secretary Stephen Howarth, both of whom have done a wonderful job. We are very pleased that both will remain involved with the Club and continue to assist us with their knowledge and experience.

Please join us in congratulating Peter and Jack, and wishing them all the very best in their new roles!🎉

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http://www.1805club.org/

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