Welcome to the third edition of our monthly newsletter, which outlines information on future events organised by the association, non-WA sponsored events, and other relevant information for members.
Waterloo Association members should receive this by email. If you do not please do let us know at: membershipsecretarywa@gmail.com
There are still places available for our final Regional Study Day of the year in Bristol; plus our weekend Conference in Peterborough; both of which will be held in October.
Below are the dates to add to your calendar. Please come and support them if you can.
Waterloo Association South-West Study Day in association with the Regional History Centre
Saturday 19th October 2024, 10am to 5pm
Venue: University of the West of England,
Coldharbour Lane, Bristol BS16 1QY
Ian Chard – Bristol’s Band of Brothers: Local men in the Napoleonic Wars
Robert Pocock – At a gallop, march! Mercer’s Troop in the Waterloo Campaign
John Ellis – Black soldiers in the regiments of the South-West, 1792 – 1815
Tony Hodge – Lunchtime ‘Show and Tell’ (bring your period artefacts along!)
Mike Robinson – The Old French Prison at Stapleton
Andrew Field – The battle of Wavre, 1815
Col. Sir William Mahon – Cheltenham celebrity: the life and times of General Charles Lefèbvre-Desnoëttes.
The cost is £10 to Waterloo Association members, £15 to non-members.
Prior registration is essential through Eventbrite.
UWE Bristol is a short distance from the M4 (Junction 19), within easy reach from the M5, and has ample free parking. The local and national rail network is served from nearby Bristol Parkway Station and there are regular bus services to Bristol city centre.
Tea, coffee, and biscuits are provided at various times during the day. Lunch is not provided, but there are several shops that sell sandwiches, snacks, and drinks.
Here is the link
The South-West in the Napoleonic Wars Tickets, Sat, Oct 19, 2024 at 10:00 AM | Eventbrite
If you have problems in clicking on the above link then select it from the Waterloo Association website
Waterloo Association Autumn Lecture Weekend
Friday 25th October to Sunday 27th October 2024
Venue: The Bull Hotel, Westgate, Peterborough, PE1 1RX
‘The French Revolution and the worldwide conflict that ensued, which was only brought to an end by
The battle of Waterloo retains a continuing fascination to this day. It was arguably the first modern global war, involving huge armies, and fought on land and sea. During this weekend we will particularly focus on the Peninsular War, Napoleon’s “Spanish Ulcer!” We will take a detailed look at the British soldier’s experiences during the war and the role of the Commissary department. There will be a detailed two part analysis of the battle of Talavera; the role of the Navy in the operations in the Peninsula; and for the first time we will look at the conflict from the Spanish perspective.
Lastly given the proximity of Norman Cross, the world’s first purpose built prisoner of war camp, we will include a visit to the Norman Cross Gallery at the Peterborough Museum on Saturday afternoon, in addition to the lecture on Prisoners of War.’
Gareth Glover – The British Soldiers’ Experience on Campaign
John Marsden – Spain under the Junta Suprema Central, September 1808 to January 1810
Paul Chamberlain – Norman Cross Prisoners of War
Andrew Field – Wellesley’s First Victory in Spain? The Battle and Campaign of Talavera Part I
Visit to Norman Cross Gallery at the Peterborough Museum
Andrew Field – Wellesley’s First Victory in Spain? The Battle and Campaign of Talavera Part II
Gareth Glover – The Life of a Commissary in the Peninsular – A Reappraisal
John Morewood – The Senior Service, the role of the Navy in the Peninsula.
Our venue, The Bull Hotel, is Peterborough’s premier hotel, and is the only AA recognised four star hotel in the city centre. Originally dating back to the 17th century, this grade two listed building has, over the years, been carefully restored and refurbished. The hotel is a ten minute walk from Peterborough railway station and offers free parking to hotel residents.
The cost includes full board, with two nights’ accommodation with breakfast, wine with dinner on the Friday and Saturday evenings, buffet lunches on Saturday and Sunday, and a donation to the Peterborough museum. The cost is £460 per single attendee, and £740 for two people sharing.
Payable in full at the time of booking.
Price on application for members not requiring the accommodation; and to include the lectures and meals only.
Bookings should be sent to Steve Wright at: wa1815.sjw@gmail.com
Payments should be made to The Waterloo Association, Lloyds Bank, Sort Code 309829, Account No. 01053522; or sent by cheque to the Treasurer at 6 Rhiwederyn Close, Culverhouse Cross, Cardiff CF5 4TR.
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Information on the above WA events is also available in the summer edition of the Waterloo Journal.
We hope to see you at some of these upcoming events.
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A Look ahead to next year, 2025, and the 210th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo
Our regular spring weekend in the Lake District, like Easter, will be a little later next year.
Waterloo Association Spring Conference
4th-6th April 2025
Higham Hall, Bassenthwaite Lake
Cockermouth, Cumbria CA13 9SH
‘The French Revolution, the rise of Napoleon; and the worldwide conflict that ensued, retains a deep fascination to this day.
Arguably the first modern global war, involving huge armies, and fought on land and sea, it was only finally brought to an end at the Battle of Waterloo.
In this, the 210th anniversary year, we will devote the entire weekend to the study of this dramatic campaign.
We will analyse the composition of the French army of 1815, and the pivotal action of Perponcher’s division at Quatre Bras. On the battlefield of Waterloo itself we will look at the attack of d’Erlon’s corps; discuss the action on Wellington’s left flank around the farms of La Haye, Papelotte, Frischermont, and Smohain; focus on Halkett’s 5th British Infantry Brigade in the thick of the action; and Marshal Grouchy’s failure to arrive at Waterloo.‘
Speakers include respected authors:
Andrew Field, Mike Robinson and Dr. Graeme Callister.
To complete your entertainment, we will also be holding the world’s greatest Waterloo Pub Quiz on Saturday night!
We will also be offering a ‘Show & Tell’ opportunity this year during the normal ‘free time’ on Saturday afternoon. It will operate between 2-3.30pm; so if you would like to bring something along to share with other members then please contact Steve Wright at: wa1815.sjw@gmail.com.
Residential £tbc Non-residential £tbc
All enquiries for the weekend please contact Steve Wright at: wa1815.sjw@gmail.com
When pricing has been determined please contact Higham Hall direct to make a booking:
Office Hours 09:00 to 17:00
Telephone 017687 76276
Email: admin@highamhall.com
Intelligence From Paul Chamberlain
Lt Colonel Charles Rowan and the Metropolitan Police
Speaker: Edward Smith from the Metropolitan Police Museums
Online presentation by the Napoleonic & Revolutionary War Graves Charity
Thursday 26 September 19:00 – 21:00. Event lasts 2 hours.
Book via Eventbrite on the charity’s website: www.nrwgc.com/events
As of 1829 Lieutenant Colonel Charles Rowan had been enjoying his army retirement for
seven years. That year he received news that he had been selected as one of the first pairs of
Commissioners of Police of the Metropolis, a post he would hold for over twenty years. How
was that time informed by his experience in the Peninsula? How did he get on with his
barrister colleague Richard Mayne? And what fellow Waterloo veterans did he find in the
ranks of the fledgling Metropolitan Police?
Edward Smith
Edward has worked in the museums and heritage sector for over fifteen years, including six
years at the National Army Museum. For the last six years he has worked as Curatorial
Assistant at the Metropolitan Police Museum.
Events at Apsley House
www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/apsley-house/
Soldierly Splendour: The 1st Duke of Wellington’s military uniforms
Five of Wellington’s military dress uniforms are on display in the opulent setting of the
Striped Drawing Room. Four of the uniforms on display represent the honours given to
Wellington by European nations in recognition of his victories during the Napoleonic Wars.
Wellington: His Life and Legacy
From May this year a new display at Apsley tells the story of the incredible life and legacy of
the 1st Duke of Wellington, through objects that belonged to him and his family. Discover
Wellington’s private and professional life in this exhibition, featuring artifacts from the Battle
of Waterloo as well as seeing an original plaster death mask and bronze cast of Wellington’s
crossed hands. Entry to this exhibition is included with your ticket to the house.
From Reason to Revolution Conference 2024: Siege Warfare in the Long Eighteenth
Century Saturday 2nd November 2024
Derby Museum and Art Gallery, The Strand, Derby, DE1 1B
For full details visit www.helion.co.uk
The papers presented at this year’s conference will cover siege warfare during the period.
They will examine the practical and technical aspects of military engineering, the experiences
of the soldiers engaged in what often became brutal and bloody assaults, and the strategic
significance of sieges in the campaigns and wars they were part of.
Many of the speakers are published authors of works in the From Reason to Revolution series
or are working towards some of Helion’s future titles. The day is intended to offer a stimulating
and informative environment, facilitating further research, and promoting interest in this
often-overlooked era.
The cost for the event is £35.
Conference Programme
David Flintham – ‘A Redoubt be built’: Scottish Fortifications from 1700 until 1750
John Harris – Thoughts on the Siege of Bergen-op-Zoom, 1747
Gavin Daly – The British Experience of Urban Warfare: Fighting Inside Seringapatam (1799)
and Buenos Aires (1807)
Martin Howard – Medical Aspects of a Napoleonic Siege
Gareth Glover – The Siege of Ragusa, 1814
Josh Provan – Nowhere to Run: Native American Sieges in the Long Eighteenth Century
Yolande Hodson – Siege and Fortification Plans in George III’s Military Map Collection at
Windsor Castle
Mark S Thompson – We Need Guns? Planning for the Third Siege of Badajoz, 1812
Sponsored by The Fortress Study Group.
Heritage Days (Canada) online talks
https://www.historysymposium.com/about-us/
Their autumn schedule of livestreams has been finalized and here are two that may be of
interest to members. All are offered for free and will be available on their YouTube channel
for both the livestream and post live recordings archived there. Check their website for
further details and remember these are streamed from Canada.
METOO in the Georgian Court: Mary Hamilton and George IV
by Sophie Coulombeau
19 October 2024, 2.00pm
In the early summer of 1779, Mary Hamilton was in a sticky situation. The 23-year-old
bluestocking, who was working as sub-governess to three of the daughters of George III and
Queen Charlotte, found herself bombarded with dozens of secret love letters from their
brother, the 17-year-old Prince of Wales and future George IV. In an age when reputation was
everything for a young woman, and she had no parent, guardian or workplace support to
protect her, the stakes could not be higher. Should Hamilton risk offending her current
monarchs by giving too favourable a response to the Prince’s advances, or risk insulting her
future one by rejecting them too forcefully?
In recent years, academics from the research project Unlocking the Mary Hamilton Papers
have been piecing together, transcribing and editing the extraordinary corpus of 139 letters
which ensued between Mary Hamilton and the Prince of Wales.
Soldiers that Made the Empire: The Men of Napoleon’s Grand Armée
by Graeme Callister
14 December 2024, 2.00pm
Napoleon’s army is famous for many reasons. Its glittering generals, its glorious victories, its
supposed tactical prowess; the corps system are frequently invoked as hallmarks of the
Grande Armée. But at the heart of all of this were hundreds of thousands of ordinary men
who filled the emperor’s ranks. Most were conscripts, young men often leaving their home
department for the first time. This talk will focus on those men, outlining their background,
service, and experiences in the army. Based on extensive research into the records of the
French army archives, it will offer new insights into the men who marched beneath the eagles
in victory, conquest, and ultimately defeat.
If you have any feedback or would prefer not to receive these monthly newsletters please contact Steve Wright at: wa1815.sjw@gmail.com to unsubscribe.
Finally a gentle reminder to all of our members that annual subscriptions fell due on the 18th June.