HMS VICTORY BROUGHT TO LIFE UNIT IN BRIEF Children learn about the building of HMS Victory, the Battle of Trafalgar. Before visiting Victory Wood they paint a picture of HMS Victory. On-site they listen to the story of a boy who was on board the great ship told in the Victory footprint, measure the footprint and race HMS Victory in its run to battle. Back at school they hot seat characters from onboard ship. Children will learn: To use dates and vocabulary relating to the passing of time (NC History, Chronological understanding) About the experiences of men, women and children in the past (NC History, Knowledge and understanding of the past) To ask and answer questions, and to select and record information relevant to the focus of enquiry (NC History, Historical enquiry) To reflect on how working in role helps to explore complex issues (Framework for teaching of Literacy,Year 5) Create roles showing how behaviour can be interpreted from different points of view (Framework for teaching of Literacy,Year 4). STRUCTURE ACTIVITY TITLE TEACHER NOTES STUDENT WORKSHEETS Introduction Unit in brief 1 None Building HMS Victory 2 3 None Setting sail 4 6 7 8 9 10 Post visit activity Recounting life at sea 5 10 1
BUILDING HMS VICTORY At the Battle of Trafalgar on 21st October 1805, there were no cameras. Artists recorded pictures of great ships such as HMS Victory, sometimes a long time after the battle and sometimes during the battle itself. The most famous painting of this event was created by a marine artist called William Lionel Wylie. The painting can be seen at the Royal Naval Museum in Portsmouth. Download images of HMS Victory for children to use as reference when creating their own picture of the ship. Share interesting facts and figures about the building and construction of HMS Victory (pages 2 and 3): how many trees were felled to make her, the number of different types of trees used, how they were used, how much rope was used, how many men lived on board. What you will need: Trafalgar poster access online at www.naturedetectives.org.ukfor display on whiteboard or request A2 paper copy from learning@woodlandtrust.org.uk A picture of HMS Victory Staggering Facts It took 6 years to build HMS Victory and more than 6000 trees, 5000 of these were oak. Eighteen types of native trees were used: oak, box, beech, elm, scots pine, white willow, ash, poplar, hazel, wych elm, yew, rowan, alder, hornbeam, silver birch, spruce, larch, large leaved lime. The main timber used for the hull of HMS Victory was seasoned for 14 years. This was considered a very long time but it was for a special ship. The process of seasoning ensures that wood is dried out to reduce the amount of swelling that occurs when wet. Many uses were made of wood: Optional additional reading: HMS Victory by Peter Goodwin The Panorama of the Battle of Trafalgar by Valerie Billing hull thick wooden planks held together with iron nails deck planks of wood masts either pine or fir because these timbers are supple and light. Lower masts took between 7 and 9 trees which had to be carefully shaped and fitted together cont d page 3 2
cont d from page 2 figurehead at front of ship shows two cupids supporting the royal coat of arms BUILDING HMS VICTORY wooden stopper called a tompion kept in the gun muzzle prevented it getting wet when not in use toilets dishes, pots and mugs furniture: tables, chairs, bunks, cupboards, shelves internal walls, doors and window frames Cages for animals ship s wheel and capstan, used to haul up the seven anchors over 20 wooden staircases canons sat on wooden bases HMS Victory had its own carpentry workshop where repairs could be carried out Even more staggering facts: 27 miles of rope used to rig the ship To help move the heavy ropes, over 700 pulley blocks were used Total weight of masts, yards and booms was 88 tons. Sail area was 4 acres It took 20 men 83 days to make one complete set of sails The Victory had a crew of 820 men There were only two toilets for the whole crew, (the Captain and the Admiral Lord Nelson had their own). As many as 250 men worked to build the Victory at any one time. Trees used to build the Victory had to season (kept in store) for 14 years. Victory carried seven anchors with a total weight of approximately 15 tons The Victory was constructed from 6000 trees, 90% were of oak. 104 large guns Sailors were given a gallon (4 litres) of beer a day Punishment varied from 6 to 36 lashes with the cat-o-nine tails. The powder room held 35 tons of gunpowder. The top speed of the fastest ships at the time was only 12 miles per hour. A 32-pounder gun could fire a cannon ball 2400 metres. The big guns weighed 3278 kilograms. 3
SETTING SAIL ON HMS VICTORY On arrival gather around the sculpture near the car park. The sculpture is made from a tree from the Forest of Dean, planted at Lord Nelson s request 200 years ago. It was sculpted using a chainsaw and represents Lord Nelson and HMS Victory. Encourage the children to identify aspects of the ship shown: canon balls, gunpowder, rope, ship s wheel, capstan, sails, the date of the battle and names of trees used in building the ship. Why was this site chosen to be the flagship of the Woodland Trust s 33 sites established to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar? From here, HMS Victory, probably our greatest wooden sailing ship, could have been seen sailing down the Thames Estuary on her maiden voyage after completion in Chatham Docks on 7th May 1763. In Victory Copse the Woodland Trust has planted trees of each of the species used in the building of HMS Victory. Walk to the Victory footprint at the top of the hill in front of you. Refer to the map used in school for direction. The footprint consists of 35 posts which mark the outline of HMS Victory, measuring 69 metres from one end to the other. Gather the children inside to get some idea of the size of the ship. Remind the children of how 820 sailors, 31 of them boys, the youngest 13 years old, lived on board the ship. Read or tell the story of a young sailor on board HMS Victory. At the end, divide the class into two groups for two activities, each taking 20-30 minutes to complete. Activity 1 Provide each child with a plan of the HMS Victory footprint. Using strides, a click wheel or long tape, measure the distances and record them. The children re-create the footprint back at school, either in chalk on the playground or pegging out on grass. Activity 2 Stand at the bow (front) of the ship and look down the slope towards eight young evergreen oak trees that represent the What you will need: Story of a young sailor on board HMS Victory (page 6 8) Plan of Victory footprint (page 9) Roles of sailors on board HMS Victory (page 10) Scissors Pencils Stopwatch Spanish and French ships. Just in front of those trees is a short post that tells you how long it took HMS Victory to sail to that spot. Get the children to guess before they read it. Remind them that Victory was in full sail and travelling fast. Lord Nelson won the battle because he went through the line of ships and got into a position where even the ships closest could not fire at him because their guns were on the side of the ship and not the front. Use a stopwatch to time how long it takes the children to cover the distance. The ground can be rough so make a judgement about the safety of this exercise and modify if necessary ie a fast walk rather than running. Safety will vary according to the weather. Return to the car park and before leaving look across the road to the ancient tree which looks a little battered by time and weather. Its crown is mostly gone and some branches are broken. Point out that this tree would already have been 300 years old when HMS Victory sailed down the Thames Estuary. 4
RECOUNTING LIFE AT SEA Using the measurements taken from the Victory footprint, make a copy either in chalk on the playground or bean bags/rounders posts if recreated on grass. Sit inside the ship plan. Talk about the sounds and smells of battle and the roles played by the sailors on board ship. You begin by selecting a character to hot seat could be the character from the story told on the visit or one from those listed in Roles of sailors on board HMS Victory (page 10). Then encourage children to choose a character and take the hot seat next. What you will need: Role of sailors on board HMS Victory (page 10) Useful websites: www.hms-victory.com www.seaandlearn.co.uk 5
THE STORY OF A YOUNG SAILOR ON BOARD HMS VICTORY The main character in this story is Cornelius Carroll aged 12 years. He was on board HMS Victory during the Battle of Trafalgar, his father was the cook and we know that he joined the crew in 1803 and was discharged in 1806. Beyond these facts the story is based on what we know about life on board the ship and may or may not be true. My name is Cornelius Carroll. I am the oldest of a family of eight children, five of them are girls which, as my mum would say, is no good when it comes to putting food on the table. Talking of food, there s my Dad he s always coming up with crafty plans. One Saturday we went to see the warship HMS Victory down at Chatham Docks, it had been there two years being modernised. There were men all over it hammering and painting. Me and my dad just stood and looked at it, sort of full of wonder. As we was standing there along comes this sailor and says you want to volunteer he asks if me Dad can cook and me Dad says he can although it s news to me! He tells me Dad what he d get and I can see from his face that he s interested. Anyway, next thing I know he s offering me too and being told he ll get 1 straight away and more later for little old me! Well what with times being so difficult and the ship looking so brave and smart he decides we should go. Course when we go home and tell Mum I can see she feels a bit mixed, glad to have the money, proud that we are going to be on such a ship and scared that we might get hurt. Dad soon puts her straight and before I know where I am I m on my way to sea. At first it was exciting. Hoisting the sails and sailing down the Thames with me Mum crying and waiving on the dockside I felt like a man. It wasn t long before I felt like a boy again! There were a few of us boys but mostly it was men. Most had been to sea before but some hadn t, I think they were pressed men. They seemed the meanest of men and pushed us boys around no end. I tried to keep out of their way. The good thing was that every day we got food and beer it wasn t always great but it was food and my stomach was never completely empty. Dad would sometimes sneak me a bit cont d 6
extra although he had to be careful because if he was caught he would get a real flogging! Every morning at eleven the whole crew had to go and watch some poor bloke being flogged with the Cat o nine tails, usually cos he had been drunk. The Captain read out the thing what he had done and said how many lashes had to be given. Sometimes by the end of it the bloke looked like he might die, sometimes he did. Often times I had to close me eyes. For a couple of years we sailed around the seas, mostly chasing the French. Then two years in we are told we re going into Chatham Docks for a few days before we go to battle. I am so excited, I can hardly sleep- it s hard enough sleeping ordinary like, swinging in a hammock with up to 400 hundred others close to you. The air is often smelly and some of the older ones snore and snort all night! We were given leave to visit home, even though there was a lot to do on board. Mum was over the moon to see us and cuddled me till I moved away, it was too embarrassing, me being a man and everything. Anyway before we know it we re back on board and sailing down the Thames to sea again. We re off to get the French. It was a couple of months before Trafalgar the big one as we call it. This was when I think I really grew up! If I remember right the morning of October 21st was bright enough. It started quiet with everyone getting on with their jobs when suddenly there s cheers and men running to look out to sea. I ve got no idea what s going on so I run to ask Dad, quiet like. He s putting the fire out and it s before dinner. He says someone has seen the enemy about nine miles away and we re going to battle. I feel scared and wonder why the crew are cheering but Dad says it s because they want action. Suddenly there s a hullabaloo and everyone is rushing all over the place. I m given errands to run, taking messages for the offices. My head is buzzing and suddenly I think of me Mum. Some time later, can t remember how much later, the whole ship shook. It was like a thunderstorm a really bad one. Then for a moment it seemed quiet, like nothing had changed but then all hell broke loose. There was people screaming, wounded men walking around bumping into things, not knowing where they was going and cont d 7
blood, blood seemed to be everywhere. Sure enough some had been killed and they were just thrown over the side of the ship. The goats and chickens in the hold were making a right racket. At times the smoke was so thick you could hardly see your own hand but it s the noise and the smell I remember most. When the battle was really going we all had to do as we was told and just my luck I find instead of helping the cook because he aint cooking any more there s precious little to eat when we re in battle I m a powder monkey in the firing line. One of the other lads has been hurt real bad and he s lying on the floor moaning and holding his arm. He s moved to one side and I m shouted orders. I know what I have to do,we all learn how but none of us wants to do it. I run down to the hanging magazines to collect the bag of gunpowder and take it to the gun. I have to be quick because without the powder they can t fire the gun. So it s up and down, up and down. Then someone else is shouting that their monkeys down so now I have to fetch for two guns. It was no joke I can tell you and if I was too long I got abuse. Once I nearly slipped on the steps and when I looked down all I could see was a puddle of blood. I looked up quick. On one of me trips up and down there was a huge thud followed by a trembling and rattling and word soon got round that the main mast had fallen, this was very bad news. It seemed to make the gunners fire even more quickly and I had to fetch the powder even faster. Some of the other monkeys were getting tired, well they had been going longer than me. They were dragging themselves up by the railings, holding the gunpowder to their chests to stop the sparks from the fires setting it off after all that would be the end of another monkey! I just kept going, eyes watering and ears ringing then suddenly the rattling finished and we was ordered to stop firing. I thought oh God we ve lost but no we had won and everyone s cheering God save the King. It was then I realised how tired I was, dog tired. It was quiet, earily quiet, apart from the groans and the moans of them that was hurt. Then we all helped each other and just as we was recovering we heard that the Admiral is dead, I tell you that was not a good moment. Later I heard that they put him in a barrel of brandy to bring him home to London, it didn t seem very respectful to me. After all he won the battle. 8
HMS VICTORY BROUGHT TO LIFE How big was HMS Victory? To find out how big HMS Victory was, measure the distances between the markerposts and write the measurements in the spaces on the plan shown. You might be using a tape measure, a measuring wheel or leg strides. Your teacher can suggest which to use. Length of bowsprit (wooden pole at front of ship) Length of HMS Victory 9
HMS VICTORY BROUGHT TO LIFE Roles of sailors on board HMS Victory Admiral Lord Nelson commander of the fleet on board his flagship Captain Hardy carried out Nelson s orders, commanded the crew, and was responsible for navigation The Master in charge of sailing the ship Ship s surgeon managed the sick berth and dispensary, had limited medicines, and the most frequent operation was amputation Cook manned the galley, which comprised an iron stove and pantry. The stove had a fire hearth, two coppers for boiling water, two ovens for baking bread and two spits for roasting meat. The hanging stoves had a condenser for distilling salty sea water into fresh water. Carpenter undertook all repairs to ships equipment including masts, had his own storeroom which contained all materials and tools required. The Boatswain responsible for the rigging, sails, anchors and ship s boats. Gunner gun captain directed the guns. Powder monkey placed the powder in the gun muzzle Purser gave out all rations of food, drink, clothing and bedding including hammocks. Seamen carried out a wide range of tasks under the orders of the Boatswains, e.g. setting sails, climbing to the crows nest for lookout, manning the guns, lifting the anchors, manning the boats, fighting, and boarding other vessels. Marines guarded the many storerooms, manned the capstan, hauled ropes and provided extra manpower to operate guns in battle. 10