One of England’s greatest heroes, Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson was responsible for numerous naval victories during the Napoleonic Wars, wounded several times, and finally killed during the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
I have attempted to find as many descendants as possible of Nelson, his parents and grandparents. However, this is a large family, and there are some gaps. If you find anything missing, please do let me know.
(By the way – if you’d like to learn how to trace your ancestors – have a look at my step-by-step beginner’s course)
Horatio Nelson was born at Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk on September 29th 1758, the son of the Reverend Edmund Nelson and his wife Catherine Nelson (nee Suckling). His grandfather was also Edmund Nelson, the son of William, the son of another Edmund, all clergymen. At this point the line gets a little dodgy. It is thought that this Edmund was born in about 1610, the son of a Thomas and Elizabeth, and the line may go back to 16th century London and 15th century Lancashire, but I have been unable to substantiate these earlier records.
If you are a descendant of Nelson (the only living descendants will be via his illegitimate daughter, Horatia), you are likely to already know about it as the name Nelson was carried though the generations in well documented families.
If you are wondering whether you are connected to Nelson via a less well known family link, then you will need to scroll down to see details of his siblings and his parents’ siblings.
If you are tracing your Nelson family name in Norfolk, great care needs to be taken, as there are several families with this name, so you should not assume a close link with the Admiral unless you can prove it without doubt using original sources
(Surnames that may have living descendants: WARD, SOMERSET, WEEKES, and JOHNSON)
Nelson married Frances Herbert WOOLWARD, the daughter of William WOOLWARD in 1787 at Montpelier in St. Nevis, but the marriage produced no surviving issue.
However, Nelson’s famous ongoing affair with Emma Hamilton (nee LYON) did produce a daughter, from whom there were descendants. This child was Horatia Nelson, and she married the Reverend Philip WARD in 1822. The WARD family is as follows:
Horatio Nelson WARD. Married Elizabeth Martha BLANDY in 1856 in Tooting, Surrey. Their children were:
Elizabeth Horatia Anne NELSON-WARD – Married Raglan Turberville Henry SOMERSET and had issue.
Horatio Nelson NELSON-WARD – No marriage.
Marmaduke Philip Blandy NELSON-WARD – No marriage found.
Hugh Herbert Edward NELSON-WARD – No marriage found
Admiral Philip NELSON-WARD – Married Hon. Dorothy CAULFIELD. No issue.
Rupert William NELSON-WARD – Died in infancy.
Eleanor Philippa WARD – did not marry. Died in 1872
Marmaduke Philip Smyth WARD – No marriage
John James Stephen WARD (died in childhood)
Nelson WARD – Married Jessie WARD. Their children were:
Nelson WARD – No marriage
Rose Nelson WARD – No marriage
Florence Nelson WARD – No marriage
Jessie Nelson WARD – Married Arthur WEEKES in 1888 and had issue in India and England.
Mary WARD – No marriage found
Kathleen Nelson WARD – No marriage
Agnes WARD – No marriage found
Maurice Suckling WARD – No marriage found
William George WARD – Married Toriana BLANCKLEY. Not sure if there was issue – please let me know if you have further information.
ADDENDUM – (Added 14th September 2016) – a descendant of William George Ward has very kindly emailed me with the following information:
“Lieutenant Colonel William George Ward married Catherine Parker Toriana Blanckley (the only daughter of Captain Edward Blanckley RN and Harriet Matcham, Lord Nelson’s niece) on 15 Nov 1864 •Clevedon, Somerset, England.
They had six daughters (great-granddaughters of Nelson & Emma Hamilton and Nelson’s sister, Catherine and George Matcham). Their first five daughters were born in India, where William Ward was stationed. The first five daughters were:
Ellen Catherine Ward 1865 – 1938
Ethel Mary Ward 1866 – 1946
Caroline Gertrude Ward 1868 – 1941
Evelyn Hervey Ward 1870 – 1961
Ada Blanche Ward 1871 – 1911
Their sixth daughter was born in Pinner, Middlesex in a house near William’s mother, Horatia. She was:
Alice Lilian Ward 1873 – 1911
William Ward died in Hastings on 10 Au 1878.
My 2nd great-grandmother, Tori, took her six daughters to live in Lutton House, a country house her father, Edward Blanckley had built near the village of South Brent in Dartmoor, Devon.
Of these six sisters, the only one to marry was the youngest, Alice. She married the village doctor, Frederick William Style on 24 Jun 1903 (please see attached Exeter and Plymouth Gazette announcement).
Alice and Dr Frederick Style had two children:
Professor Derrick William Style 1904 – 1979
Phyllis Horatia Style 1907 – 1987
Phyllis remained a spinster, but my grandfather, Derrick married:
1) Lilian Langford (1903 – 1946) in Sept 1940 in Westminster. They had one child: my mother, Ray Vanda Style (1942 – still living)
2) Hilde Frönwiesser (1918 – 1967) in Dec 1946 in Paddington. They had one child, Eric Frank Style (1948 – 1964)
3) Mary Whittaker (1923 – 2013) in Sep 1969 in Wandsworth, Surrey. They had no issue.”
(If anyone would like to see the copy of the marriage announcement in the Exeter & Plymouth Gazette, please email me at info@tracingancestors-uk.com).
Edmund Nelson WARD (died in infancy)
Horatia WARD – Married William JOHNSON in 1858. Their children were:
William Horatio JOHNSON – Married Mary Tress CURTEIS and had issue (Kent)
Margaret JOHNSON – No marriage found as far as I know.
Philip WARD – No marriage found
Caroline Mary WARD – No marriage.
Nelson’s Paternal Family – Surnames include NELSON, BLAND, ROLFE, GOULTY, HOOD, ROCHFORT, LAW, COOK, WILLIAMS, STILWELL, SHIRLEY, PURVIS, BENDYSHE, WALDY, CROWTHER, MASON, BOLTON, GIRDLESTONE and possibly the name CLAGUE and BUSSELL.
Nelson’s grandfather was Edmund NELSON. He was married to Mary BLAND (see below), and his other children were:
Thomas Bland NELSON (1719). No marriage found.
Martha NELSON (1726) Died in childhood.
Alice Bland NELSON (1730). Married Robert ROLFE. Their children were:
Ellen ROLFE(1761), Edmund ROLFE(1763) and Robert ROLFE (1767). If you can find links to these children you can claim to be a cousin of Nelson.
Thomasin NELSON (1732). Married John GOULTY. Their children (all born in Norwich) were:
Edmund GOULTY (1758) – No marriage found
Thomasin GOULTY (1759) – No marriage found.
William GOULTY (1763) – Married a Sarah WALLIS in 1785. Anyone tracing lineage back to this couple could claim to be cousins of Nelson.
John NELSON (1736). Possibly married Mary INANS in Hingham, 1758 – though needs further evidence.
Mary NELSON (date unknown). Several possible marriages – needs further research.
Nelson’s father Edmund married Catherine SUCKLING (see below). Nelson’s siblings were:
Maurice NELSON (1753). No marriage.
William NELSON (1757) – Married Sarah YONGE. Their children were:
Charlotte Mary NELSON – Married Samuel HOOD, 2nd Baron Bridport, in Marylebone in 1810, and became Duchess of Bronte. Her children were:
Frances Caroline HOOD – Married Sir John WALROND MP. Their children were:
William Hood WALROND (1st Baron Waleran) (1849)
Arthur Melville Hood WALROND.
Charlotte WALROND – Married Horace ROCHFORT in 1845 (probably in Ireland) and their children were:
Amy ROCHFORT – married Thomas P LAW and their living descendants may be found in Ireland and possibly in Northumberland.
William ROCHFORT – No information available.
Alexander Nelson ROCHFORT (Major General) – Did not marry.
Henry ROCHFORT – No information available.
Alexander ROCHFORT – married Mary Penelope, Viscount Bridport and they had the following children:
Mary ROCHFORT – No information at present.
Harriet ROCHFORT– No information found
Jane Sarah ROCHFORT – married Sir Charles HOTHAM KCB but there was no issue.
Arthur Wellington Alexander Nelson HOOD, 2nd Viscount Bridport – married Lady Maria Georgiana Julia Fox-Strangways and their descendants should be found in the London area. I do know that their daughter, Mary Nelson HOOD, married married Sir Herbert Frederick COOK, 3rd Baronet, and became Marchioness of Hertford. Their son was the artist, Sir Francis Ferdinand Maurice Cook, 4th Baronet, who married 7 times, with children still living.
Suckling NELSON (1764) Died without issue.
Edmund NELSON (1764). Died 1799 without issue.
Catherine NELSON – married George MATCHAM. Their children are as follows:
George MATCHAM – married Harriet EYRE in 1817. Their children were:
Horatio Nelson Eyre MATCHAM (died without issue)
Catherine Eyre MATCHAM – married Henry Blackstone WILLIAMS. They had 10 children and descendants will originate in Wiltshire and Dorset, and will include the surnames STILWELL and SHIRLEY.
George Simon Eyre MATCHAM (died young)
William Eyre MATCHAM – married Mary Elizabeth LONG. Their descendants can be found in Wiltshire and Oxfordshire.
Louisa Harriet Eyre MATCHAM – married Fortescue Richard PURVIS. Their descendants may be found in Essex, Hampshire, Shropshire and Wiltshire.
Henry Savage MATCHAM – I have no further information about him.
Catherine Anne MATCHAM – married John BENDYSHE and their children were:
John BENDYSHE (died without issue)
Richard BENDYSHE (died without issue)
Nelson BENDYSHE – married Charlotte BRODRICK. Their descendants may be found in Australia and Devon.
Caroline BENDYSHE – married John GIBSON (not sure if they had children)
Laura BENDYSHE – married Charles Richard William WALDY and their descendants may be found in Surrey and Essex.
Thomas BENDYSHE – no issue
Susannah BENDYSHE – married William CROWTHER Their children were born in Worcestershire.
Edward Nelson MATCHAM – I have no further information.
Elizabeth MATCHAM – I cannot find a definite marriage or death for her.
Francis Griffith MATCHAM – Died in 1808.
Horatio Nelson MATCHAM – Died in 1821 without issue.
Nelson MATCHAM – Did not marry. Died 1886.
Horatia MATCHAM – She married Henry William MASON. Their children were:
Mary Eliza MASON – no marriage or children
George Nelson Pomeroy MASON – married Marian ROUSE. Their children were born in Kent.
Susan MASON – I have no further information.
Horatia Nelson MASON – no marriage or children
Charlotte MASON – No further information
Augusta P MASON – No further information – probably did not marry.
Anne L MASON – no marriage or children
Frank MATCHAM – no further information
Harriet MATCHAM – No further information.
Anne NELSON – Possibly marriage William CLAGUE – but I have found no evidence. Please let me know if you have further information about this. (Added 04/01/2019 – See note in Comments below)
Susannah NELSON – married Thomas BOLTON. Descendants of this line also have the name NELSON, as their son Thomas took on the famous surname (see below). Their children were:
Catharine BOLTON – Did not marry, no issue.
Jemima Susanna BOLTON – Did not marry, no issue. Died 1864.
Anne Nelson BOLTON – As far as I know, she did not marry, and died in 1830.
Thomas BOLTON (NELSON) Esq. (later 2nd Earl Nelson) – Married Frances Elizabeth EYRE, and their children were:
Horatio NELSON (3rd Earl Nelson) – Married Lady Mary Jane Diana AGAR. Their children were born in Wiltshire. Their son Herbert was the Viscount Trafalgar.
Rev. John Horatio NELSON – Married Susan Spencer-Churchill. Their two children were born in Scottow, Norfolk.
Frances Catherine NELSON – Married Robert John BUSSELL – I have found no children for them and have no further information.
Susannah NELSON – Married Alexander Calvin BLUNT – but there seems to be no issue from this marriage.
Maurice Horatio NELSON – Married Emily BURRARD. Their children were born in Hampshire and Wiltshire.
Edward Foyle NELSON – Died young in 1859 without issue.
Henry NELSON – Died young in 1863.
Elizabeth Anne BOLTON – Married the Rev. Henry GIRDLESTONE. Their children, all bon in Earlham, Norfolk, were:
Henry GIRDLESTONE – Married (1) Caroline Warren PIGOT and (2) Eliza MASON. He emigrated to Australia in 1872, and their children were born in Queensland.
Elizabeth Ann GIRDLESTONE – Did not marry, no issue.
Horatio GIRDLESTONE – Married Ellen Catherine BOLTON. Their children were all born in Norfolk.
Charles GIRDLESTONE – Probably unmarried.
Nelson GIRDLESTONE – Married Caroline Warner (surname unknown) – probably in Nova Scotia. Their children were born in Norfolk, Gloucestershire and London.
Maurice Nelson GIRDLESTONE – Married Katherine Alice LINKLATER. They had just one son, Arthur Nelson, born in Streatham Hill, London.
Susanna Catharine GIRDLESTONE – no further information.
Eliza Nelson BOLTON – No further information.
George BOLTON – Died at sea in 1799. No issue.
Susannah BOLTON – Did not marry, no issue.
BLAND
Nelson’s paternal grandmother was Mary BLAND, the daughter of John (a baker) and Thomasin, born in 1698 in Cambridge. Her siblings may have been Thomazin (1706), Alice (1708) and Thomas (1711), though there may have been more, and they were probably non-conformists. If you have BLAND ancestors going back to these dates in Cambridge, then you may be able to find a connection.
Nelson’s Maternal Family – Surnames include SUCKLING, TURNER, WODEHOUSE and WALPOLE
SUCKLING
Nelson’s mother, Catherine Suckling, was the daughter of the Reverend Maurice Suckling and Mary Ann TURNER, and the sister of Captain Maurice Suckling who became Comptroller of the Navy in 1775. He was married to his cousin, Mary Walpole, the daughter of Robert Walpole, Earl of Oxford, but she died in 1766 and they had no children.
The only other sibling of Catherine’s who may have survived, was William, but I can find no marriage for him. There are therefore no descendants from Catherine’s generation. However, the father, Maurice had at least 13 siblings, most of whom seem to have survived to adulthood, so there may well be Suckling families who could be traced back to the parents, Robert Suckling and Ann WODEHOUSE of Norfolk in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.
TURNER
Nelson’s maternal grandmother was Mary Ann TURNER, the daughter of Sir Charles TURNER, 1st Bt., and Mary WALPOLE. Her only sibling was John TURNER, who died without issue. There does not seem to be much information about Charles’s parentage, but possibly if you can trace a TURNER line to Norfolk of the late 17th century you may have a chance of finding a connection there.
If you think you may have connections to Nelson’s tree and would like some professional help, please view my services on my Services Page before contacting me.
Would you like to learn how to trace your ancestors? Have a look at my Step-by-Step Beginner’s Course.
Hi my names marie, my grandparents did the family tree on paper over 40 years ago and I am a direct paternal, born in wedlock first granddaughter to my mother (nelson) and heir and lady to Lord Admirals heritage sites, me my family have been aware since birth as my grandfather, was an only son married in wedlock to Nelson. For heritage privacy purposes i have no need to pay for your services as my family tree was traced back to Lord Horatios birth but I wish to thank you dearly for your time and dedication for your research and will help me preserve my only goal to preserve the victory ongoing and perhapss open a gallery in our extended family and have a gallery in our family honour one day. I am a direct and youngest of Lord admirals brother on the paternal side and therefore our family are legislated heir. Your website popped up randomly! My grandfather was also high ranking naval officer and then Victor. So glad I have connected on my journey, I am currently a busy working mum of two!
Does Lord Nelson have a Canadian connection?
Hi Dawne
None that I know of. However, it is always possible that relatives descended from his family could be living in Canada.
Ros
Does Lord Nelson have a Australian connection? my grand mother has always stated we are apart of his blood line but im still curious if its true there is a written family tree with my grandmother but i want to do my own looking in to it
You would need to carry out research into your family tree in order to find a connection. If you can trace back to your UK roots, then I could help you with the UK side.
Ros
My Great Great Grandfather Andrew CLARENCE St Clair NELSON was inducted into the British RoyalNavy & travelled /settled in Australia He was a band master and the first teacher headmaster in Grafton NSW, he spoke 5 languages .His marriage certificate says parents unknown, which is highly unlikely due to his education.. He had many children with descendants now throughout Australia and my dec’d father Clarence Andrew Bloomfield Nelson D.o.B
27.12.1918 (Aust..Army no VX 18056)and his siblings always knew of a definite connection .. I am a member of the Victoria Australia branch. I can give copies and dates of all relevant Australian records.. except the most important HOW did Andrew St Clair join the navy with ongoing yearly REMITTANCES & PENSIONS etc. sent to him into his old age in Australia as he was only 17years old on discharge from the navy & arrival here? The inability to obtain paperwork on the source of his original and full career records and tracking of the same just makes us more convinced of the Lord Nelson connection. I’d be honoured by your reply. Best regards, Marlene-Grace Clare Gardner (nee nelson)
I am sure like Marie & Jack (Australia) .. my siblings & I are of direct paternal lineage.. And yes .. we have traced members to India .Nz & America
Hi Marlene. This is certainly a mystery. I can’t find any information about your great great grandfather using his full name in Ancestry, FindMyPast or the National Archives. The fact that his marriage certificate says his parents are unknown suggests to me that he was adopted – but then you would think he would enter his adoptive parents here – so he may have been fostered or brought up in an orphanage, but as you say, it seems strange that he was well educated.
My guess is that this full name differs from the name he was given at birth, and I have to say he may have taken the Nelson name because of its ‘kudos’.
I’d be interested in seeing the details, though whether I’d be able to help with this is another matter. You can email me at info@tracingancestors-uk.com if you’d like me to undertake a professional search.
Ros
Is there any connection between the Aldiss family & Lord Nelson. My friend says her mother was related to Nelson. Sorry cant give you any more info as far as names are concered. Thanks.
Hi Annette
Unfortunately, it’s not possible to answer this question without carrying out the necessary research. In my experience, trying to connect two families is very challenging, and it’s not always possible. However, if you or your friend would like to hire some professional research to try and find out, then do email me at info@tracingancestors-uk.com
Ros
Some members of my husband’s family inherited two items, a walking stick and a silver bowl, that family oral history said had belonged or been gifts from Lord Horatio Nelson. For years they didn’t know why they had the heirlooms, but several years ago I found an ancestor named Robert Nelson in Ontario, Canada. I’ve not been able to trace him further, but today I found a page from a history of Madison County, Illinois posted on Ancestry that mentions Robert and his connection to the Horatio Nelson family. The chapter is about a prominent person in that county named Robert Dempster, who married a Margaret Ellen “Nellie” Jenking. It then gives a little about her family stating: “Sarah E. Nelson, the mother, was a daughter of Robert Nelson, a native of Cornwall, England, and of the same family as Admiral Nelson, the hero of Trafalgar.” This is the first documentation I’ve found of the suspected link to Horatio Nelson’s extended family. Do you know which branch of the family might have had a Robert born in Cornwall about 1796-1797?
Hi Tammy
Thanks for this. Unfortunately, I don’t know of any branch of Admiral Nelson’s family in Cornwall. His own family was from Norfolk, and before that probably Lancashire or Cumbria – quite a long way from Cornwall! If there was a connection it must have been from further up, and a branch of the family that came down to Cornwall generations before Admiral Nelson. The only thing you could do here is to try and trace back from Robert Nelson – but it probably would not be easy to find out whether they came from another county. Let me know if you would like any professional help.
Best wishes
Ros
We may have a connection with Nelson.
My dad’s uncle Alfred Nelson went to Somerset house and was given a scroll saying that our family was an indiscretion of Nelson
Hi Carol. That’s interesting – though I’m not absolutely sure what kind of a scroll that would be? Can you give more details?
Ros
My husbands mother was Florence Nelson and their family tree goes back many years with Nelson appearing both in surnames and middle names. The family seem to have been involved with seafaring in a variety of ways over time – Naval Captains, owning their own ship and trading overseas, fisherman and also in latter years many were lightermen on the Thames. The family names include the following that I can find
Florence Nelson 1910-95
daughter of John William Nelson 1855-1914, married to Mary Ann Crooks
Son of John William Nelson, married to Sarah Angell
son of Leonard Nelson, 1797-1860 married to Mary
son of Leonard Nelson 1761-1799 married to Elizabeth Gage
son of John Nelson 1724-1764 married to Hannah Curzon
son of Rev Edmund Nelson 1693 -1747 (Grandfather to Lord Nelson)
Interested to hear anyone’s thoughts
Good evening. My family tree includes William Nelson who lives in Panama in the 1800s and married Mercedes Dutari . I told that Horacio Nelson was a great grand uncle to William Nelson. But I unable to find details.
Hi Juan
Have you tried tracing back from William to see if there is a connection? Let me know if you would like professional help.
Ros
Hello I to am an ancestor of Lord Nelson in Australia through Andrew St Clair Nelson in Grafton. My great grandmother was hisdaughter Elizabeth. A professor at the Sydney university and a nun traced the family history and they believe there were twins born to Lady Hamilton and one (our ancestor) went into an orphanage or workhouse. Unsure why this would have been the case. Does not seem to make sense.
Hi Karen. I wonder what evidence they used to make this claim? I’d be very interested to know how they came to these conclusions, as this kind of research is extremely difficult. Let me know if you’d like any further research done on this!
Ros
I have a great great grandmother named Mary Florence Nelson (maiden name) are there any known family in the Eastern US?
Hi I’ve just heard from my husband that there’s a story in his family they are far out cousins my husband grandfather is called Horatio Havelock Nelson Wilson we our in northern ireland would be lovely to find if there’s any connection
Hi Grace.
I’ve done some research on Nelson families, and I do believe that there is a chance that the Nelson surname originated in Ireland, then came across to Cumbria, and then spread into Lancashire – and it’s possible that Admiral Nelson’s family was a Norfolk branch who came from Lancashire. However, there is no surviving evidence to join the dots as it were.
However, this would be a LONG way back and out of memory or even legend, so perhaps your husband’s family were a branch that went to N.I. later. Unless there is anyone here that could help you, you would have to carry out some research and try and trace your family back – but I have to say it would be very challenging.
Best wishes
Ros
This is very interesting. It seems mine comment is among many similar. An old family tale that our ancestor Nelson Hamilton Goodall born 1858 in Rotherhithe London was the illegitimate son of Lord Nelson.
I would love to know finally one way or another
Hi Kiri
I’m afraid that would be impossible, as Nelson died at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805! However, it might be worth trying to trace his family in case there is a more distant connection with Nelson’s family.
Ros
Hi I think I’m connected and my dna says I’m related to the Nelson’s
My mom used to tell me about the family and I’m named after them my middle name is Thomasine they showed me a big house and said my great great grandparents died in a car crash and her and her brother lost everything but they did get a servants quarters to live in. It was a three bedroom house in Burnley.. I would really love any information because I live in San Diego Ca I remember what the house looks like but can’t find anything out because my mom and grandma are gone.
Thanks Anastasia – that’s very interesting. Burnley is in Lancashire, and Nelson and his immediate ancestors came from Norfolk – but it is believed the family originally came from Lancashire. The Nelson name is clustered in Lancashire and Cumbria.
I would suggest that you might try and find your great grandparents’ address using census records and/or electoral records – available on sites such as Ancestry and FindmyPast.
Best wishes
Ros
Hi Ros,
My 95 yo mother believes that there is a family connection back to Lord Nelson.
Researching Maternal names is so difficult. Her mothers maiden name was Mildred Finch.
Anything that you can help with?
Hi Phil
This kind of research is very difficult – particularly if it is unsure which line makes the connection – her mother’s or father’s – and then which grandparent – etc. So this would involve lengthy research, with no guarantee that the link would ever be found. However, if you would like to discuss this with me and look at fees etc, please email me at rosbott59@gmail.com and I’ll send you my terms & conditions. I’ll not be starting any new work until New Year, however.
Cheers
Ros
We have been told by my grandmother that we are descendants of Lord Horatio Nelson but have never pursued the family tree. My paternal grandfather’s family comes from England and Ireland. I was born in South Africa but now live in Australia. Not even sure where to begin.
Hi Elsie
It’s not easy trying to prove a link – but if you would like any professional help, do email me at rosbott59@gmail.com.
Ros
just stumbled on this page……..i am one of the Crowthers……some cousins have Bendyshe as middle name…….i don’t……
the family is now in Australia though a couple of my nephews felt the draw of the old country and have returned…….
we used to have a small painting of the old Lord in grandparents home…..it disappeared one night……someone obviously did know its value……. many stories were told by grandad……… some of which i doubt were true……..
more interesting in my family was we carry gene of the lushingtons of East india fame…and later the abolition of slavery….
I discovered that Letitia Emma Nelson married George W Mckeage, who’s son is James McKeage, who’s son is Robert J McKeage, who’s son is Robert J McKeage, who’s son is James A McKeage, who’s daughter is Lorraine M McKeage, and she is my Canadian mother, I was also born in Canada.
Thanks RJ. Do you know how Letitia is linked to the Admiral’s family?
Hello my name is NELSON TINEO. Tineo as in the town in Spain that is near where the wars that Lord Nelson was involved in. I believe I have a connection to Lord Nelson, maybe not a direct relative.
Hi Ros,
There has been a family story passed down on my mother’s side whose maiden name is Nelson, that we’re direct descendants of Admiral Lord Nelson. I have been researching this for some time and I believe (correctly) traced the Nelson name back to a Robert Nelson born in Bristol in 1776. According to your research anyone with the Nelson name stayed around Norfolk but I’m wondering if there was maybe another branch off the family from a couple of generations earlier? My mother’s family were so sure of this connection that two generations of the family named their eldest sons William Horatio Nelson, born 1867 and 1887 father and son of whom I’m descended. My uncle was suppose to hold this name as well but my grandma preferred a different middle name.
Just wondering if you knew anything extra as I’ve become very stuck at Robert and I cannot seem to trace any further. Thanks!
Hi Daisy
It can be extremely difficult and frustrating trying to find this kind of connection to prove a family story. Sometimes, this is because the research is just difficult, and sometimes it’s because it is just a story. Which yours is I cannot say, but as far as I know the original family is thought to have come from Lancashire, and I don’t know of any branches that went to Bristol – though it might be worth researching this.
The trouble is, because Nelson was such a hero, anyone with that name at the time would have been keen to connect themselves with the family and may have believed that they somehow were connected – and many people added the name Horatio to their children’s names because of this. These stories get handed down through the generations as absolute fact, when they may have started as just a possibility!
The Nelson name may originally have come from Ireland, then crossed over into Cumbria and into the Lancashire borders. It is entirely possible that all Nelson surnames have this origin, but the connection to Admiral Nelson’s family may be too far back to prove. It would certainly not be possible to be direct descendants.
I do believe, however, that it is always worth the search! If you would like any professional help with your research into Robert’s origins, then do contact me at rosbott59@gmail.com.
Ros
Hello!
I have been searching and searching for the info but nothing comes right out to say and I’ve gone completely silly trying to figure it out. I attended Nelson High School that I know is named after Horacio Nelson, what I’m trying to figure out is if Horacio Nelson had any relation to the Nelsons in Virginia?
My boyfriend shares the last name, descended from Nelsons who would have been one of the founding fathers.
Anyone able to share some insight?
Thank you
Hi Lucy
Not all people with the name Nelson are related to Horatio Nelson – and many people, and institutions, may have taken the name just because he was such a hero in his time. It’s very difficult to find connections – but you have to just trace the family back as far as you can. Let me know if you need any help.
Ros
I’m interested to know of the connection between lord Nelson and the Hurn family in Norfolk (possibly Blakeney). I am a descendant of the Hurn family.
Interesting site. Has anyone extracted DNA from Lord Nelson’s artifacts? That would go a long way to resolving parentage claims. I’m assuming that DNA could be found from his hairbrush, which I believe is in the National Maritime Museum. Comments?
Hi Jerry – that’s an interesting question. Unfortunately, I don’t know the answer. Perhaps it would be worthwhile contacting the museum and putting this to them? If I can find the time, I might do this – but if other people wrote too, it might be something they’d consider.
Ros
Your site was very helpful in helping us to ascertain that we are indeed related to Horatio via his grandfather’s brother Robert. We are second cousins 6/7 times removed. Horatio’s second cousin was William (Robert’s son) and the line then continues through George Samuel.
Hi Richard – I’m so glad that my post has helped you with your family history! Thanks very much for letting me know.
Ros
My Great Grandmother born 1858 has the name Eleanor Nelson Moffitt. I have no idea why she has the middle name Nelson. As far as I am aware she has no connection to the Nelson family.
Have you come across this before or have any idea why the family would use this as a middle name? The family was from Liverpool.
Thank you.
Hi Steve
Many thanks for your question.
There could be a couple of reasons for this. The most likely one is that the name has been passed down from a female ancestor. Very often a mother’s or grandmother’s maiden surname would be given to a child as a middle name in memory of that person. Sometimes these names remain in the family for several generations. The Nelson surname is actually fairly common in Lancashire and Cumbria, and it is thought that the early origins may be Irish. So as your great grandmother came from Liverpool, this seems very likely.
In fact, it is possible – or even likely – that Admiral Nelson’s family also came from Lancashire, and if your ancestor was named after a family member, then there is a possibility of a distant relationship – but this could never be proved because Nelson’s early ancestors have not been found.
Another explanation could be that some families gave children the names of heroes (just as many people today give children the names of movie or pop stars). After Nelson’s victory at Trafalgar, the name Nelson was used as a middle name in many families to honour the national hero (and causing much confusion for future genealogists!).
I hope this answers your question.
If you (or anyone else) would like to ask further questions about this or any other genealogical question, I am now producing short 5 min videos on YouTube to answer questions, and/or give brief info on various sources – you can find me at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSkQojE7jziHtA4tISeorsA
Ros
This has some really interesting information, thanks for sharing! I am currently researching my mum’s paternal tree but getting a bit stuck due to the repetition of names from father to son and it being the same. We are the Fish family descending to Aldeborough and somewhere married the Suckling family. That is the part I am looking into right now. I didn’t even know there could be a connection until I saw a note on someone else’s tree…let’s see what comes up
Thanks Amanda. That’s interesting – I hope you find the link. Do ask if you need any help.
Ros