First Monument to Admiral Horatio Nelson - Bridgetown, Barbados
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neoc1
N 13° 05.808 W 059° 36.864
21P E 216512 N 1449306
The first statue ever erected to honor Admiral Horatio (Lord) Nelson who died while defeating Napoleon's naval forces at the Battle of Trafalgar, is located in Heroes' (formerly Trafalgar) Square in Bridgetown, Barbados.
Waymark Code: WMGCRY
Location: Barbados
Date Posted: 02/15/2013
Views: 11
The statue of Admiral Nelson was sculpted by Sir Richard Westmacott and erected on March 22, 1813 in the former Trafalgar Square, now called Heroes' Square. It was the earliest monument to Admiral Nelson, predating the Nelson Column in Trafalgar Square, London by almost 30 years.
Admiral Nelson statue was erected because he was considered a hero by Bajans for his 1805 battles with Napoleon's navy in the Caribbean. The French controlled several nearby Caribbean islands and many islands in the Caribbean changed hands frequently. Barbados, however, remained under British rule until they achieved independence in 1966. The plaque on the statue notes his naval encounters at the Nile in Egypt, Copenhagen in Denmark and Trafalgar in Spain.
The 6.5' tall bronze statue depicts Admiral Nelson in full military uniform standing with his right hand over his heart. His left hand is resting on a partially draped object. Beneath the statue and on the front of the pedestal is the inscription:
NELSON
Three plaques provided information about the artist, statue and the Admiral. The artist plaque is inscribed:
SIR RICHARD WESTMACOTT R. A.
SCULPTOR
1744 - 1830
The dedication plaque is inscribed:
THIS STATUE
IN HONOUR OF THE HERO
THE INHABITANTS OF THIS ISLAND
ERECTED A.D. MDCCCXII
The biography plaque is inscribed:
HORATIO VISCOUNT AND BARON
NELSON
VICE ADMIRAL OF THE WHITE, K. B.
COMMANDED AND CONQUERED
ON THE FIRST OF AUGUST MDCCXCIX AT
THE NILE:
ON THE SECOND OF APRIL MDCCCI AT
COPENHAGEN
AND AT
TRAFALGAR
WHERE HE FELL IN THE MOMENT
OF VICTORY
ON THE TWENTY FIRST OF OCTOBER
MDCCV
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