The Weasel's ancestors were all very nautical. His grandfather and great-grandfather died at sea, the former by a mine and the latter in a storm.
There exists a fully restored vessel, commissioned by another Weasel, in one of our maritime museums.
At least two direct ancestors of the Weasel served on ships at the battle of Trafalgar; Spencer Weasel, rated AB, on the Achilles and John Weasel, ranked Private, Marine on the Bellerophon. I don't know what became of them - they were ordinary men doing their jobs. We do know however that the Bellerophon took heavy casualties, among them the Captain, who, like Nelson, died with dignity and bravery.
I cannot imagine what it was like, but you get a very good idea in Patrick O'Brian's fictionalised accounts of life in the Wooden World at the time of Nelson.
I sometimes wonder about how I got to be here, where I am. Like anybody else, I am the result of a thousand mundane decisions like, "should I travel on the tube today" or "Should I call in sick and not go to work at the World Trade Centre" How do I know for certain that, if it were not for a stray musket ball, I might not be here?
1 comment:
I too come from a long line of ordinary working class navy (and a few army) types. In fact, to the best of my knowledge I'm the first not to join up for many generations. I oftne wonder what it was like for Tideliars in days of yore....bloody miserable probably...
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