CUTHBERT COLLINGWOOD
A Hero of his Time and Ours?

The North-East of England has produced many famous men and women and Lord Cuthbert Collingwood deserves to be in the front rank. If he was a hero, he would not have recognised it in himself. He was born into a world where Britain was struggling for survival against the might of France and it produced, or brought out, the qualities people admired in him: devotion to duty, honesty, love of his family, humour and fearless bravery.

Collingwood was not perfect. He could be grumpy and short-tempered and could be mean with money and, at times, pompous.

These teaching materials and resources have been gathered together so that you can explore the evidence and decide for yourself.

They also provide you with a wealth of evidence about conditions in the navy at the time of the wars with France. At times you will shudder with horror at the thought of shattered limbs and rotten food, but amazed at how these men overcame these trials and hardships.

Click Here To See The Teaching Programme Summary of Activities

The Lessons

Select below from the menu of lessons:

Click here for a summary of the copyright and provenance details of the images used in the lessons

Click here for a summary of the copyright and provenance details of the images used in the gallery

The Education Initiative has been devised and developed as part of the Collingwood 2010 Festival.  The Festival Committee gratefully acknowledges those organisations who contributed directly and specifically towards the costs of the Initiative:

The North East Branch of the Nautical Institute Charitable Foundation
The Nelson Society
The Lord Collingwood Lodge, No 3246 in the Province of Northumberland
The Scrivener’s Company of Newcastle upon Tyne
Whitley Bay Rotary Club
The Initiative worked in partnership with the following schools from North and South Tyneside, who also kindly made contributions towards the Initiative costs:

Biddick Hall Junior School
Collingwood Primary School
Fellgate Primary School
New York Primary School
Percy Main Primary School
Whitburn Village Primary School

The following are acknowledged for their organisation and administration of the Education Initiative:

Max Adams (Chair of the Festival Education Committee and author of ‘Collingwood: Northumberland’s Heart of Oak’)
Neil Tonge (Education Project Manager)
Dr. Tony Barrow (Author: ‘Collingwood’s Northumbrians’)
Capt. Stephen Healy (Deputy Master The Newcastle upon Tyne Trinity House)

Picture Credits for images used in the Lessons above

1 Who Was Collingwood?
Card sort 6:  Image of Collingwood as Admiral of the Fleet:  Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne

2 Presentations
(1) Collingwood and Bounce:  Engraving by Bewick  Not subject to copyright
(1) Collingwood and Nelson:  Portrait of Nelson NMM BHC2901
(2) Collingwood and Nelson:  Nelson’s death at Trafalgar NMM 3558
(1) Collingwood and the French: Cartoon Napoleon’s attempt to invade England NMM PW4005
(2) Collingwood and the French: Guillotine blade  NMM F4342
(3) Collingwood and the French:  Napoleon surrenders NMM BHC2876
Cartoon Napoleon enraged at the defeat at Trafalgar  NMM PW3964
(1) Hard as Iron:  Image of Collingwood as Admiral of the Fleet  NMM BHC2625
(2) Hard as Iron:  Cat o’ nine tails  NMM D3920
(3) Hard as Iron:  Engraving of sailors on deck NMM
(1) Home Sweet Home:  Birthplace Newcastle City Library;  Morpeth family home Neil Tonge photograph
(2) Home Sweet Home  Collingwood’s birthplace Max Adams;  His home in Morpeth  Neil Tonge photograph
(1) Other People   Nelson’s death scene below decks NMMBHC0566

3A Hunt the Enemy
Map of the World;  Rules of the Game   Max Adams
Engraving of sailing ships  Max Adams
Sails and rigging  Max Adams
Sizes of ships  Max Adams
Side view of the ship  Max Adams
Signal flag exercise;  Signal Flag Exercise 2 Max Adams
Tacking the ship;  Wearing the ship Max Adams

3B Who Was Jack Tar?
(1) Pigtails   Image of sailors  NMMPW6070
(1) George Castle Midshipman Midshipman by Rowlandson   NMMPW4970
What did they wear?  Sailors on a Saturday night  NMM3646
Ranks in Nelson’s Navy  NMM Cruikshank 1- 8

3C Press Gang
(1) Beware the Press Gang  Press Gang Riot  NMM PX8527
(2) Beware the Press Gang  Mug showing the Press Gang NMMF3130-1
(3) Beware the Press Gang  Sculpture ‘Dolly Peel’  N Tyneside LA
(4) Beware the Press Gang  Cartoon ‘Press Gang’  NMMPU4732
(1) Judging the Press Gang  Press Gang  NMMPW5934
(2) Judging the Press Gang  Engraving ‘sweethearts’   NMM

3D Flog ’em
(1) Flog ’em   Flogging NMM PU0177
(2) Flog ’em   Cat o’ nine tails  NMM D3920

3E Dangers at Sea
(1) Hazards on the Ship  Flight of cannonball  NMMPU0168
(2) Hazards on the Ship  Sailor praying before the battle  NMMPX8554
(1) Storm at Sea   Storm at Sea  NMMBHC1931
(2) Storm at Sea   Ship broken up on rocks  NMM  BHC0724
(3) Storm at Sea   Ship on fire 1801  NMMBHC0531

3F Under the Knife
(1) Diseases and Death  Battle in a launch  NMMBHC2908
(2) Diseases and Death  Picture of scurvy  Artist impression Angus Mckie
(1) On the operating Table  Amputation   NMM PU8484
(2) On the operating Table  Surgeon’s knives  Wellcome Trust
(3) On the Operating Table  Doctor treating patient  Wellcome Trust

3G What’s on the Menu
(1) Food for Officers  Officers in the Navy  NMM Rowlandson
(2) Food for Officers  Officers in the Navy  NMM Rowlandson
(1) Scurvy   Treatment of patient  Wellcome Trust
(2) Scurvy   Facial disfigurement  Artist impression Angus MckieToilet Matters   Engraving
(1) What on the Menu  Ship’s Cook  NMMPW4969
(2) What on the Menu  Ship’s biscuits  NMM D4001_1;  Tablet of soup  NMMD5217

3H Into Battle
(1) Preparing for battle  Scene at Trafalgar  NMMBHC0555;  Musket ball  NMMF4935-1
Gunnery Practice

Picture Credits for images in the Gallery above