The shot that killed Nelson
QUESTION Does the musket ball that killed Lord Nelson at Trafalgar still exist?
The lead musket ball that struck down Lord Nelson in his hour of triumph, after his daring tactics had shattered the Franco- Spanish fleet at Trafalgar on October 21, 1805, was preserved.
It is part of the Royal Collection and is displayed in Windsor Castle.
The ball was fired by an unknown French sniper aboard the French Temeraire Redoutable. It entered Nelson’s left shoulder, passed through his spine and lodged in his back.
Irish surgeon Sir William Beatty tried desperately to save Nelson’s life, but without success.
Beatty wrote in his Authentic Narrative Of The Death Of Lord Nelson how the slain admiral was avenged: ‘There were only two Frenchmen left alive in the mizzentop of the Redoutable at the time of his Lordship’s being wounded and by the hands of these he fell . . .
‘At length one of them was killed by a musket ball; and on the other then attempting to make his escape from the top down the rigging, Mr [John] Pollard (Midshipman) fired his musket at him and shot him in the back when he fell dead from the shrouds on the Redoutable’s poop.’
After Nelson died, Beatty extracted the 15mm lead musket ball. It was later mounted in a silver locket with remnants of lace from the epaulette of Nelson’s jacket. On Beatty’s death in 1842, it was presented to Queen Victoria along with a handwritten note that states: ‘The bullet by which Nelson was killed.’
T. e. G. lewis, Kidderminster, Worcs.
QUESTION Was eating meat banned in Japan?
CONSUMPTION of meat was banned in Japan over 12 centuries for religious and practical reasons. It was only in the 19th century that eating meat was enthusiastically embraced on health grounds.
The arrival of Buddhism in the sixth century saw principles of respect for life begin to shape Japanese culture and seep into the beliefs of the traditional Shinto religion. In April 675 AD, emperor Tenmu prohibited the eating of beef, horse, dog, monkey and chicken during the busy farming period between April and September. For 100 years, successive emperors had to reinforce the law, which indicates it was not well observed.
In the heian period (794 to 1185), a person who ate the meat of a domestic animal had to fast for three days.
however, in the Kamakura period (11851382), the order from the shinto Grand Ise shrine demanded a fast of 100 days.
After emperor Meiji assumed power in 1868, the Japanese government moved to end their two centuries of isolation and adopt Western practices and technology.
Meat eating was embraced because it was a widespread belief that the Japanese had poorer physiques compared with Westerners because they did not eat meat or dairy products.
Andrew Brewer, Basingstoke, Hants.
QUESTION Have any public schoolboys played Premier League football?
FURTheR to the earlier answer, the £ 33,000- a- year Millfield school in Somerset is famous for churning out more than 350 Olympic athletes, but has also produced professional footballers.
Among them is Bournemouth’s Tyrone Mings, who is on loan to Aston Villa, Forest Green Rovers’ Reuben Reid, Ben Nugent of Stevenage Town and harrison Dunk of Cambridge United.
Jonathan Alleyn, Wells, somerset.