NELSON. 145 



William (1757-1835), who was an M. A. of Christ College, Cambridge, became 

 rector of Little Brandon, 1773. In 1784 he tried sea-life as chaplain on his brother's 

 ship Boreas, but not caring for the life he left after a voyage and returned to Eng- 

 land, "thereafter living quietly and snugly" (Matcham, 1911, p. 20). He settled 

 on the family advowson of Hilborough, was a prebendary of Canterbury and a 

 doctor of divinity. On the death of the admiral he became the first Earl of Nelson 

 and immediately assumed an attitude of ungraciousness that led to a temporary 

 estrangement from his sisters. His only son died suddenly at the age of 20. His 

 daughter Charlotte inherited the title, from the admiral, of Duchess of Bronte and 

 married the second Baron Bridport, great-nephew of Admiral Alexander Hood. 

 Despite this union of the strains of two of England's greatest admirals, neither 

 her son Alexander nor any of her 6 grandsons showed exceptional performance. 



Anne (1762-1783), who died in her twenty-first year after nine days' illness, 

 due to coming out of a ballroom immediately after dancing. (Matcham, 1911, 20.) 



Edmund (1762-1790), who was unenterprising and unsuccessful. He joined 

 in partnership with his sister Susannah's husband in various undertakings, and 

 died, unmarried, of tuberculosis. 



Suckling (1764-1799), who was "silent and reserved," good-natured, indolent, 

 and fond of sport. He tried business with no success, was constantly in financial 

 difficulties, and yet he was easily influenced for good. He took holy orders, was 

 his father's curate, and died when still young and unmarried. 



Catherine (1767-1842), the "Kitty" of Nelson and his favorite sister, who 

 was the most like him of any of the family - - warm-hearted, energetic, petulant 

 at times, thorough and content in domestic life, and constantly interested in men 

 and things. In 1787 she married George Matcham (1753-1833), who was born 

 in Bombay, where his father was superintendent of the marine of the East India 

 Company. Sent early to London to school, Matchman entered the service of the 

 company in India, traveled extensively, went from India to England overland, and 

 finally settled in England, 1785, as a country gentleman, being especially interested 

 in inventions and public improvements. Of their three sons, two attained some 

 success in the law and one migrated to Australia, where he died. 



Thus it appears that all four of Nelson's brothers were without the drive 

 that characterized him; indeed, they were somewhat, or even strikingly, indolent 

 and from them all was descended only one child, a daughter, who survived to marry. 

 The sisters were livelier and two of them had descendants; but these descendants 

 apparently showed few traits of the admiral. It would be interesting to learn 

 more about Catherine's son, whose migration to Australia suggests a love of new 

 scenes and perhaps ambition. 1 



On the paternal side Lord Nelson is said to have come from a family of clergy- 

 men. His father, Rev. Edmund Nelson (1722-1802), is shown by his letters 

 (Matcham, 1911) to be a gentle, sweet-tempered English gentleman, interested 

 affectionately in the affairs of his numerous children, who were early bereft of their 



1 Female lines in which a future admiral may arise are: 1, daughters of Susanna: a, Catherine, 

 who married (1803) Capt. Sir William Bolton, Royal Navy; b, Elizabeth, who married 

 Rev. Henry Girdlestone; 2, daughters of Catherine: a, Catherine, who married (1820) 

 John Bendyshe, lieutenant, Royal Navy, of Cambridgeshire, and had 5 sons and 4 daugh- 

 ters; b, Elizabeth, who married (1824) Arthur Davies, post captain, Royal Navy; 

 c, Harriet, who married (1819) Edward Blanckley, captain, Royay Navy; d, Horatia 

 who married (1826) Henry W. Mason, lieutenant, Royal Navy; and e, Susannah, who 

 married, 1832, Alexander M. Moore, of County Tyrone. 



