Northumbrian Gunner: Tynemouth - Collingoood Monument.

Saturday, 19 January 2019

Tynemouth - Collingoood Monument.

At the mouth of the River Tyne, at Tynemouth, stands the Collingwood Monument. It is dedicated to Admiral Lord Collingwood who served the Royal Navy for 49 years, and played a prominent role in the Battle of Trafalgar.

Collingwood Monument
Tynemouth

Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood

Cuthbert Collingwood was born in Newcastle on the 26th September 1748. He was educated at the Royal Grammar School Newcastle, before going to sea at the age of twelve. He first saw active service in the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783), fighting at the Battle of Bunker Hill (17-June-1715). Collingwood was commissioned as a Lieutenant on the same day.

He first met Nelson when they served together on HMS Lowestoff. He would later succeed Nelson as commander of HMS Badger. Collingwood's first major command was HMS Sampson. He would go on to command HMS Mediator serving in the West Indies Squadron alongside Nelson.

In June 1791 Collingwood married Sarah Blackett, daughter of the Newcastle merchant and politician John Erasmus Blackett. Blackett Street in Central Newcastle is named after him. When not at sea Collingwood resided in Morpeth or at the family home in Chirton, North Shields.

Following the French Revolution a series of conflicts ensued between the French First Republic and Great Britain. Collingwood would fight a number of engagements against the French Navy. The conflict would last from April 1792 till March 1802, ending with the signing of the Peace of Amiens, only for hostilities to resume in again in 1803.

Collingwood was promoted to Vice Admiral in 1804.
Whilst France dominated Continental Europe, the British Royal Navy controlled the seas and established a blockade on France. The blockade made it difficult for the Franco-Spanish Fleet to be effectively supplied reducing it's effectiveness. In September 1805 the Franco-Spanish Fleet was in Cadiz, and Nelson was making plans to attack the fleet should it leave port.
On 21st October 1805, under the command of the French Admiral Villenueve, the fleet made a break from Cadiz towards the Straits of Gibraltar, and Nelson gave pursuit. By 11:45 Nelson was ready to do battle and hoisted his famous signal, England expects every man will do his duty.

Vice Admiral Nelson

Nelsons Signal
England expects that every man will do his duty
By Ipankonin - Vectorized from raster image, CC BY-SA 3.0

Nelson' plan was to attack the enemy fleet in two lines, the first lead by himself in HMS Victory, the other by Vice Admiral Collingwood in HMS Royal Sovereign.

Battle of Trafalgar
Battle Plan

As the two lines approached the French Spanish Fleet, the Royal Sovereign sped ahead penetrating the enemy's centre and closed on the Santa Ana, damaging it severely , before any other British Ship had opened fire.

Battle of Trafalgar
Royal Sovereign engages the Santa Ana

Battle of Trafalgar
Clash of the Fleets

More and more British Ships joined the Battle, a melee developed during which Nelson was killed.

Battle of Trafalgar
Death of Nelson

Admiral Collingwood took command and by the end of the day the Royal Navy were victorious destroying 22 ships for the loss on none.

After Trafalgar, Collingwood was given a peerage becoming Baron Collingwood, of Caldburne and Hethpool in the County of Northumberland, and given an annual pension of £2,000. He was appointed Commander in Chief Mediterranean Fleet. In 1809 Collingwood's health started to fail. He set sail for England in March 1810, dying en-route on the 7th March.