Lord Admiral Nelson

Why is Nelson city called Nelson?? The settlers arrived here in 1842, a couple of years after the one of the world's most famous landmarks, Nelson's Column, had gone up in London's Trafalgar Square. Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson had defeated the French at Trafalgar in 1805.

In February 1841, the New Zealand Company announced that Arthur Wakefield RN would lead the expedition to the 'Second Colony'. Arthur was linked with Lord Admiral Nelson via his own former skipper, Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy.

The death of Hardy the year before may have prompted Wakefield to suggest Nelson, and to call one of the first streets Hardy St. Streets with references to the great Admirals include Nile St which was named for the famous battle where he kicked French derriere, Vanguard Street , after his flagship at the Nile and Collingwood (the street and the Golden Bay town) for Cuthbert Collingwood who was second in command at the Battle of Trafalgar.

Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, KB, was a British Admiral famous for his participation in the Napoleonic Wars, most notably in the Battle of Trafalgar, a decisive British victory in the war, during which he lost his life. Lord Admiral Nelson went against the conventional tactics of the time by cutting through the enemy's lines. Lord Admiral Nelson was noted for his ability to inspire and bring out the best in his men, to the point that it gained a name: "The Nelson Touch". His actions during these wars meant that before and after his death he was revered like few military figures have been throughout British history.

During the late 18th/early 19th centuries, even though he had been married for some time, Lord Admiral Nelson famously became embroiled in a love affair with Emma, Lady Hamilton, the wife of the British Ambassador to Naples. She became Nelson's mistress, returning to the United Kingdom to live openly with him, and eventually they had a daughter, Horatia. It was the public knowledge of this affair that induced the Navy to send Nelson back out to sea after he had been recalled. By his death in 1805 Nelson had become a national hero, and he was given a State Funeral. His memory lives on in numerous monuments, the most notable of which is London's Nelson's Column, which stands in the centre of Trafalgar Square.

Every year on October 21, England commemorates Trafalgar Day. One cannot use the term "celebrates," for although this holiday does commemorate one of the greatest victories at sea, it also memorializes the death of England's most beloved admiral. In the years that have passed since the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 Lord Admiral Nelson's reputation has not been surpassed, but rather has grown as the Admirals of other navies have looked to his life for inspiration and tactical instruction. Although many admirals have been compared to him, none has ever been set above him. Even Raymond Ames Spruance, who won an overwhelming victory over a superior Japanese force at Midway and went on to win many other great battles of World War II in the Pacific, can never take better than second place to this extraordinary man.