Lord Nelson marriage register sent to Yorkshire from Caribbean for repairs
HISTORIC DOCUMENTS which record Admiral Lord Nelson’s marriage have arrived in the UK for the first time in more than 130 years.
A parish register from the Caribbean island of Nevis, in the church parish where he married Fanny Nisbet in 1787, has been sent to the University of York for urgent repairs.
The 190-page register is in desperate need of restoration after being damaged by years of exposure to humidity and high temperatures on the island.
The last time it was in the UK was in 1886, when it appeared in an exhibition in South Kensington. Nelson met his future wife when he was commanding the British warship HMS
Boreas in the north east Caribbean The register, kept at the church of St John Figtree in Nevis, is being repaired at the University of York’s Borthwick Institute. Chris Webb, Keeper of Archives at the institute, said: “We are honoured to have the opportunity to preserve this historic document which marks an important moment in Lord Nelson’s life. We will use our expertise to conserve the register for future generations and it will also be digitally imaged before it’s returned to its home in the Caribbean.”
The restoration was arranged by the 1805 Club, a charity which conserves Royal Navy artefacts from the Georgian era.
Bill White, vice-chairman of the charity, said: “We are very grateful to the Bishop of the North East Caribbean and Aruba for giving us permission for this vital work to be carried out.”