Lord Nelson's iconic speech made on the eve of the Battle of Trafalgar was changed seconds before it was sent to his navy, a note reveals....
England didn't expect this: Lord Nelson's iconic order on the eve of the Battle of Trafalgar was hastily rewritten by a signalman who couldn't sign 'England confides' as required
Lord Nelson was to issue message to his navy that 'England confides'
Just seconds before it was sent it was changed after an officer complained
Lieutenant John Pasco told Nelson he didn't know how to signal the word
His request that it should be changed to 'expects' was agreed by Nelson
By Matt Hunter For Mailonline
28 October 2016
Lord Nelson's iconic speech made on the eve of the Battle of Trafalgar was changed seconds before it was sent to his navy, a note reveals.
Just as Admiral Nelson's navy was about to go into battle against the combined French and Spanish fleet on October 21 1805, the hero sailor issued a rousing message to the crews.
Onboard HMS Victory he instructed his signal lieutenant, John Pasco, to hoist the message 'England confides that every man will do his duty'.
Just as Admiral Nelson's navy was about to go into battle against the combined French and Spanish fleet on October 21, 1805, the hero sailor issued a rousing message to the crews
In the 1830s John Pasco (pictured right) explained the series of events in the handwritten note (left) that is now to be sold at auction
Signal Lieutenant Pasco asked his master if he could change the word 'confides' to 'expects' as the former was not in his signal vocabulary
The famous signal was then given to the fleet and the British went on to defeat the enemy in the Battle of Trafalgar (pictured), a victory tainted by Nelson's death
But Pasco asked his master if he could change the word 'confides' to 'expects' as the former was not in his signal vocabulary.
The famous signal was then given to the fleet and the British went on to defeat the enemy, a victory tainted by Nelson's death.
In the 1830s Pasco explained the series of events in the handwritten note that is now to be sold at auction.
He wrote in third person narrative: 'John Pasco - Captain Royal Navy - was senior lieutenant of the Victory with Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar but had the honour to make the ever to be remembered signal. ''England expects every man to do his duty" and he was permitted by Lord Nelson to substitute the word "expects" instead of "confides", the word Lord Nelson chose.'
Several years later Pasco wrote a fuller account of the exchange.
He stated: 'His Lordship came to me on the poop [deck], and after ordering certain signals to be made, about a quarter to noon, he said, "Mr. Pasco, I wish to say to the fleet, 'England confides that every man will do his duty'" and he added 'You must be quick, for I have one more to make which is for close action.'"
Lord Horacio Nelson, born in Norfolk, in full regalia painted by Sir William Beechey
'I replied, "If your Lordship will permit me to substitute the confides for expects the signal will soon be completed, because the word expects is in the vocabulary, and confides must be spelt."'
'His Lordship replied, in haste, and with seeming satisfaction, "That will do, Pasco, make it directly.'''
Almost 200 years after it was penned the revealing note, which is signed at the top, has surfaced at auctioneers Bonhams where it is expected to sell for £3,000.
Sarah Lindberg, from the auction house, said: 'This handwritten note gives an account of what actually happened that fateful day, explaining how the wording was changed.
'Pasco's alteration to Nelson's signal has gone down in history.'
'Anyone who knew Nelson would be interested in meeting Pasco, it could even have belonged to an autograph hunter.
'It's very rare to come across Pasco memorabilia at auction but there are of course countless Nelson collectors, so this piece should generate significant interest.'
At the Battle of Trafalgar, which marked a momentous victory over the French Empire despite the death of the British leader, Pasco was also severely wounded in action, suffering a shot to his right side.
In January 1806 Pasco accompanied the coffin for Nelson's state funeral at St Paul's Cathedral.
He went on to have a distinguished naval career, taking command of six ships, the last of which coincidentally was HMS Victory, where he was promoted to Rear Admiral.
He died in 1853 at the age of 79.
His handwritten note has been brought to auction by a private UK collector but the ownership history before this point is not known.
It will be sold by Bonhams in London on November 9.
England didn't expect this: Lord Nelson's iconic order on the eve of the Battle of Trafalgar was hastily rewritten by a signalman who couldn't sign 'England confides' as required
Lord Nelson was to issue message to his navy that 'England confides'
Just seconds before it was sent it was changed after an officer complained
Lieutenant John Pasco told Nelson he didn't know how to signal the word
His request that it should be changed to 'expects' was agreed by Nelson
By Matt Hunter For Mailonline
28 October 2016
Lord Nelson's iconic speech made on the eve of the Battle of Trafalgar was changed seconds before it was sent to his navy, a note reveals.
Just as Admiral Nelson's navy was about to go into battle against the combined French and Spanish fleet on October 21 1805, the hero sailor issued a rousing message to the crews.
Onboard HMS Victory he instructed his signal lieutenant, John Pasco, to hoist the message 'England confides that every man will do his duty'.
Just as Admiral Nelson's navy was about to go into battle against the combined French and Spanish fleet on October 21, 1805, the hero sailor issued a rousing message to the crews
In the 1830s John Pasco (pictured right) explained the series of events in the handwritten note (left) that is now to be sold at auction
Signal Lieutenant Pasco asked his master if he could change the word 'confides' to 'expects' as the former was not in his signal vocabulary
The famous signal was then given to the fleet and the British went on to defeat the enemy in the Battle of Trafalgar (pictured), a victory tainted by Nelson's death
But Pasco asked his master if he could change the word 'confides' to 'expects' as the former was not in his signal vocabulary.
The famous signal was then given to the fleet and the British went on to defeat the enemy, a victory tainted by Nelson's death.
In the 1830s Pasco explained the series of events in the handwritten note that is now to be sold at auction.
He wrote in third person narrative: 'John Pasco - Captain Royal Navy - was senior lieutenant of the Victory with Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar but had the honour to make the ever to be remembered signal. ''England expects every man to do his duty" and he was permitted by Lord Nelson to substitute the word "expects" instead of "confides", the word Lord Nelson chose.'
Several years later Pasco wrote a fuller account of the exchange.
He stated: 'His Lordship came to me on the poop [deck], and after ordering certain signals to be made, about a quarter to noon, he said, "Mr. Pasco, I wish to say to the fleet, 'England confides that every man will do his duty'" and he added 'You must be quick, for I have one more to make which is for close action.'"
Lord Horacio Nelson, born in Norfolk, in full regalia painted by Sir William Beechey
'I replied, "If your Lordship will permit me to substitute the confides for expects the signal will soon be completed, because the word expects is in the vocabulary, and confides must be spelt."'
'His Lordship replied, in haste, and with seeming satisfaction, "That will do, Pasco, make it directly.'''
Almost 200 years after it was penned the revealing note, which is signed at the top, has surfaced at auctioneers Bonhams where it is expected to sell for £3,000.
Sarah Lindberg, from the auction house, said: 'This handwritten note gives an account of what actually happened that fateful day, explaining how the wording was changed.
'Pasco's alteration to Nelson's signal has gone down in history.'
'Anyone who knew Nelson would be interested in meeting Pasco, it could even have belonged to an autograph hunter.
'It's very rare to come across Pasco memorabilia at auction but there are of course countless Nelson collectors, so this piece should generate significant interest.'
At the Battle of Trafalgar, which marked a momentous victory over the French Empire despite the death of the British leader, Pasco was also severely wounded in action, suffering a shot to his right side.
In January 1806 Pasco accompanied the coffin for Nelson's state funeral at St Paul's Cathedral.
He went on to have a distinguished naval career, taking command of six ships, the last of which coincidentally was HMS Victory, where he was promoted to Rear Admiral.
He died in 1853 at the age of 79.
His handwritten note has been brought to auction by a private UK collector but the ownership history before this point is not known.
It will be sold by Bonhams in London on November 9.
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