From the accession of William III in 1688 to the victories at Trafalgar (1805) and Waterloo (1815), political and economic rivalry made armed conflict with France a central feature of British political life. Both the very real risk of French invasion, and the importance to Britain of trade and our colonies, made the Navy our most significant defence; and the strength of the French navy our most significant threat. For the younger sons of major families, and to some extent for the middle classes, a career in the Navy offered excitement, danger, sacrifice and the opportunity not only of promotion, success and service to one’s country but of financial reward from the capture of enemy vessels – ‘prizes’, shared among officers and seamen according to established practices.

This exhibition showcases some of the original records from among the rich resources of Cambridgeshire Archives and Local Studies, which include the papers of some of those families. It has two aims: to provide some local links to the national story, in the hope of making some of the realities of conflict and success more real for a Cambridgeshire audience, and to increase access locally, nationally and the world over to the treasures we hold.

Anyone who wishes is welcome to see any of these records at Cambridgeshire Archives where they are preserved.

This exhibition looks at these momentous events from the Cambridgeshire persepctive. A fuller story of Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar, illustrated from the Public Records, is available on the website of the National Archives: please follow the link in the righthand column.

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to all those who have given or loaned the records which make this exhibition and our work possible:

• Cambridgeshire Libraries Service, especially the Cambridgeshire Collection
• The Norris Museum in St Ives
• Lt Colonel Brian Edwards RM, Chairman of Council, the Royal Marines Historical Society, for his willingness at short notice to undertake research to identifying the marine officers and context for item 5.