The Brave Benbow website [visit link] makes mention of the
busts:
"Busts, head and shoulders, within
decorated roundels, of British admirals in uniforms of their period. Each
roundel consists of a plain outer moulding with inner circular wreath (laurel?)
topped by single rose motif. The base has an inscription panel with each
admiral’s surname. The innermost moulding is rimmed by a rope. All are in very
high relief. Each head is either more or less face on or at a three quarter turn
to the left or right. They run along the top of the north facade of the building
facing the river. From left to right (east to west): Anson, Drake, Cook (these
first three on east pavilion), Howard, Blake, Benbow, Sandwich (over door),
Rodney, Duncan, Collingwood, Howe, Nelson, St Vincent."
The building is Grade II listed and the
entry at the English Heritage website [visit
link] tells us:
"Former rackets courts, now
laboratories. The western block 1874-5 by Colonel Clarke RE, the central screen
and eastern part identical in design and added in 1882-3 by General Pudsey RE to
form a symmetrical composition. Converted to laboratories in c.1906. Stone and
stuccoed facades, roof hidden by high parapets. Seven-bay screen with higher
two-bay ends. Tuscan pilasters across screen break forward into pairs of Ionic
columns set between engaged columns with fluted capitals, all these in antis
under projecting parapets at ends. The parapets are elaborate, with raised
centrepieces supported on swags and urns set on high and elaborately carved
plinths as cornerpieces; all this decoration the work of C R Smith. Rusticated
ground floor. At first-floor height busts in high relief set in roundels depict
from east to west: Anson, Drake, Cook, Howard, Blake, Benbow, Sandwich, Rodney,
Duncan, Collingwood, Howe, Nelson and St Vincent. Nine-bay side elevations and
three-bay rear also denoted by pilasters, the ground floor rusticated under
fluted frieze and with empty first-floor roundels. Above these a deep frieze and
an attic storey also broken into bays by short pilaster strips."
The Royal Naval Museum website [visit
link] tells us about Cuthbert Collingwood:
"Cuthbert Collingwood was born on
26 September 1748 in Newcastle Upon Tyne. He received an early education in the
city's grammar school but at the age of eleven, he entered the Royal Navy as a
volunteer on board HMS Shannon under Captain Richard Brathwaite, his maternal
cousin. In March 1772, Collingwood was appointed to HMS Lennox under Captain
Roddam and then in 1774, he sailed with HMS Preston under Vice-Admiral Graves to
serve in North America. During the American War of Independence, Collingwood was
in charge of conveying supplies to the British army. After the Battle of Bunker
Hill, he was promoted to Lieutenant on 17 June 1775.
In March 1776, Collingwood was
appointed to HMS Hornet, which was sent to the Caribbean. He had little respect
for his commanding officer, Captain Haswell, who later accused him of
disobedience and neglect of duty. On 30 September 1777, Collingwood faced a
court-martial for those charges but he was acquitted and he gained a compliment
from the court for his cheerful and lively nature, which was regarded as an
asset for the Royal Navy, This must have caught the attention of Admiral Parker
who had him moved to HMS Lowestoffe as a First Lieutenant. Whilst serving on his
vessel, Collingwood met Horatio Nelson, who was then a Lieutenant, with whom he
would have a close friendship. Collingwood would go on to take over the command
of the vessels that Nelson would leave as he made his way up the
ranks.
In June 1779, Collingwood was
appointed to HMS Badger when Nelson took command of HMS Hinchingbrook. Then, in
March 1780, Collingwood was appointed to the Hinchingbrook as a Post-Captain
after Nelson had again been promoted and was moved to HMS Janus. In the Spring
of 1780, they fought alongside each other in a campaign against the Spanish fort
of San Juan (as Spain was supportive of the American war against Britain). The
expedition was affected by the area's pestilential climate and out of two
hundred men in Collingwood's company, only twenty survived. In the following
December, he took command of HMS Pelican, only to have it unfortunately wrecked
on the Morant Keys in August 1781.
Until 1786, Collingwood commanded
HMS Mediator and with his brother, Captain Wilfred Collingwood and Nelson, he
took part in the seizure of American ships, which had been illegally trading
with the British West Indian colonies. With the possibility of a war with Spain
looming, Collingwood returned to the Caribbean on HMS Mermaid in 1790 until
April 1791. He then returned to Newcastle and there he married Sarah Blackett, a
granddaughter of Admiral Roddam, his old Captain on HMS Lennox. The couple
settled at Morpeth, a quiet retreat just outside Newcastle and in the next two
years, they had two daughters, Sarah, born in 1792 and Mary Patience, born in
1793. When France had declared war on Britain later that year, Collingwood
became Captain of HMS Barfleur, in which he flew the flag of Rear-Admiral Bowyer
and which was part of the Channel Fleet led by Lord Howe.
In the Battle of the First of June
1794, which took place to the west of Ushant, Collingwood was forced to take
command after Bowyer had received a severe wound. Despite his prominent role in
Howe's victory, Collingwood was surprised to learn that the Admiralty had
ignored him in the presentation of gold medals to the officers involved. Bowyer,
however, was granted a peerage. Collingwood moved onto HMS Excellent and was
sent to the Mediterranean to take part in a long and tedious blockade of Toulon.
After Spain had pledged allegiance with France and declared war, the Excellent
fought at the battle Cape of St. Vincent on 14 February 1797, under the
direction of Admiral John Jervis. Collingwood distinguished himself by seizing
two Spanish ships, El Salvador del Mondo and the Santissima Trinidad, a large,
four-decker. He received the warm praise of Nelson, who had also been present at
the battle. When Admiral Jervis informed Collingwood that he was to receive a
gold medal, he refused to accept it whilst his role in the Battle of the First
of June would remain officially unrecognized. In the end, he received the two
gold medals, which acknowledged his role in both battles.
Until the end of 1798, Collingwood
remained in HMS Excellent off Cadiz, to keep watch on French and Spanish
movements but this task gradually began to test both his temper and his
patience. When HMS Excellent was paid off at Portsmouth in January 1799,
Collingwood became a Rear-Admiral. He raised his flag on HMS Triumph and went to
join Lord Keith's fleet in the Mediterranean. The Royal Navy were later
mortified to learn that they had failed to prevent the French fleet from uniting
with the Spanish fleet at Cartagena and was then proceeding through the Straits
of Gibraltar. Collingwood returned to HMS Barfleur to take part in a blockade of
Brest, where he remained until the Treaty of Amiens was completed in February
1802. He then returned to his family in Morpeth.
In May 1803, with the renewal of
hostilities between Britain and France, Collingwood was sent with a fleet under
Admiral Cornwallis to be stationed off Brest. On 23 April 1804, Collingwood was
promoted to Vice-Admiral. During the following year, he was stationed off Cadiz
to again monitor the movements of French and Spanish vessels, with the
expectation that the Emperor Napoleon was planning an invasion of the British
Isles. Collingwood remained at Cadiz, whilst Nelson, on HMS Victory, pursued the
fleet of the French Admiral, Pierre Villenueve to the West Indies and back to
Europe.
On 28 September 1805, Nelson
returned to the fleet at Cadiz with HMS Victory to join Collingwood. Nelson
attempted to keep his fleet concealed in order to encourage Villenueve to lead
his fleet from Cadiz. On 21 October 1805, the British fleets advanced on
Villenueve's fleet in two parallel lines off the Cape of Trafalgar. One line was
led by Nelson on the Victory, with the other line led by Collingwood on HMS
Royal Sovereign. When he saw HMS Victory setting her studding sails, Collingwood
did the same and took the Royal Sovereign in advance to break through the
enemy's line. The Royal Sovereign's main battle was with a Spanish flagship and
the Santa Anna. After being informed that Nelson had been mortally wounded,
Collingwood took command of the fleet. He removed his flag to HMS Euryalus,
taking the damaged HMS Royal Sovereign in tow and from there, he made
appropriate signals to the fleet.
After the battle had resulted in a
British victory, Collingwood received a pension of £2,000 per annum and was made
Baron Collingwood of Caldburne and Hethpoole in Northumberland. On 9 November
1805, he was promoted to Vice-Admiral of the Red. Succeeding Nelson as the
Commander in Chief of the Mediterranean fleet, Collingwood returned to the
station off Cadiz. He was now responsible for ensuring that the French fleet was
kept out of the Mediterranean and was prevented from uniting with the Spanish
forces again. It was a task that put Collingwood under much pressure. In 1807,
he was becoming concerned over Turkey's growing sympathies towards the French
campaign against Russia. In the June of that year, in order to force Turkey to
negotiate on British demands, Collingwood sent a fleet under Admiral Duckworth
through the Dardanelles to attack Turkish warships but he was mortified when
this came to no avail.
By now, Collingwood's heath was
beginning to deteriorate, as he was striven with all the clerical work that came
with the command of a large fleet. He would work at his desk for hours and he
rarely went onto the deck of his ship. This period of command was largely
uneventful except for two skirmishes in 1809. In the first engagement, which
occurred in the Spring of 1809, Collingwood failed to prevent five French
convoys from transporting reinforcements of troops and supplies from Barcelona
to Toulon. However in the second engagement which took place in the following
October, he was more successful in intercepting three French vessels, two of
which were driven to the shore and destroyed.
Collingwood's health continued to
suffer as he remained in his lonely and sedentary position and he hoped that the
Admiralty would grant him permission to return to Northumberland to see his
family, whom he had become increasingly estranged from. On 3 March 1810, after
finally receiving the orders to return home, Collingwood resigned his post to
Rear-Admiral Martin and departed from Port Mahon on the Ville de Paris. Although
in cheerful anticipation of his return, Lord Collingwood died on the evening of
7 March 1810 before he reached England. His remains were laid in state at the
Painted Hall in Greenwich, before he was buried at St. Paul's Cathedral, beside
the tomb of his friend Nelson. With no male heir, Collingwood had been anxious
to have his peerage inherited through his two daughters but as this was
rejected, it became extinct."