shopify traffic stats
​Admiral Nelson and the Canary Islands Barrie Mahoney's Blog

'Writing Inspired by an Island in the Atlantic'

​Admiral Nelson and the Canary Islands

You may remember Horatio Nelson from school history lessons as the jolly little man with the big hat and equally inflated ego; his costume goes down a treat at fancy dress parties. In pictures, Nelson is instantly recognisable as the semi-blinded, one-armed naval officer who destroyed the French and Spanish fleets; he also had a fascinating ménage à trois with the rather interesting Lady Hamilton. So what is the real story of the man whose statue dominates London’s Trafalgar Square, and how does it link with the Canary Islands?

I am often surprised to discover that these lumps of volcanic rock, known as the Canary Islands, punch well above their weight when it comes to links with famous and interesting people, as well as key moments in history; the links with Admiral Nelson are yet another example.

According to the history books, Nelson lost his right eye capturing Corsica and his right arm whilst attacking the Canary Islands. He captured six and destroyed seven of Napoleon’s ships at the Battle of the Nile, trapped Napoleon in Egypt, assaulted Copenhagen and dealt with Napoleon’s combined French and Spanish fleets off the coast of Spain. This defeat of the French navy stopped Napoleon’s power at sea, and with it, his dreams of world domination. Nelson is, of course, best remembered for winning one of the greatest naval battles in history, the Battle of Trafalgar, on 21 October, 1805.

The Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife was launched by Nelson on 22 July 1797, and was heavily defeated. British soldiers who succeeded in reaching the beach were riddled with bullets fired by the citizens of Santa Cruz; indeed, these citizens were so closely involved in repelling the attack that many were given honours and medals. Three days later, the remains of the British landing party withdrew under a truce, which allowed the remaining British forces to return to their ships with full military honours. Part of the truce included an undertaking not to burn the town, or make any further attacks on Tenerife or the Canary Islands. The British fleet had received a painful defeat and would never again attempt to capture Santa Cruz, yet Nelson was given a hero's welcome back in England.

The Spanish suffered 30 dead and 40 injured, whilst the British lost 250 and 128 men were wounded. Nelson had lost many men and ships and so the journey back to England was going to be a problem. In a generous act of chivalry, General Gutiérrez let Nelson borrow two Spanish ships to help the British to get home, as well as allowing the British to leave with their arms and war honours. These acts of chivalry led to a friendly exchange of letters between Nelson and Gutiérrez. However, Nelson would later comment that Tenerife had been the most horrible hell he had ever endured. Nelson's letter offering a cheese as a gratitude token is actually on display at the Spanish Army Museum in Toledo.

Nelson himself had been wounded in the arm, which resulted in partial amputation. Nelson's operation was quick and the limb was thrown overboard, despite the admiral's wish to keep it, presumably as a macabre souvenir. Or was it?

One of the parts of this story that intrigues me is that during the assault against Tenerife are claims that Nelson's arm was kept as a souvenir and later stored behind the altar in Las Palmas Cathedral in Gran Canaria. Whether there is any truth in this story seems unlikely because it would have been against Roman Catholic rules, as only the relics of saints are kept under altars. Nelson may have been a great man, but a saint he was not. Maybe his arm was an exception to the rule?

Interestingly, Canarians also regard Nelson as a great man, and the date of Nelson's attack, 25 July, is still a public holiday in Santa Cruz de Tenerife where he is described as, “The most gallant enemy we ever had."

Although some sections of my old school history book are questionable, Nelson was certainly an outstanding naval commander. However, he did say, “Kiss me, Hardy,” and Captain Thomas Hardy did kiss him, twice. Sadly though, Nelson never wore an eye patch, so do remember this minor detail the next time you hire a costume for a fancy dress party.

© Barrie Mahoney 2012

This article is part of the book 'Message in a Bottle' by Barrie Mahoney.

You can find out more about the author and 'Footprints in the Sand' by clicking here: Message in a Bottle