Interlude The Peace of Amiens: October 1801–April 1803

Summary

The long conflict between Britain and France was broken by one short interlude of peace between March 1802 and May 1803. None of the key issues over which France and Britain had originally gone to war in 1793 had really been resolved, and many people, Nelson included, never expected the peace to last. However, the treaty had been concluded by the political group he supported, the Tories under Prime Minister Henry Addington, and so he loyally backed it publicly in one of his first speeches as a newly installed member of the House of Lords.

Nelson had gone ashore in late October 1801, genuinely exhausted, and in poor health, after a long spell of nine months’ almost uninterrupted active service, beginning with the build-up to the Copenhagen campaign and ending with his frustrating, and emotionally draining, command in the Channel. So, he spent most of the brief peace in semi-retirement with Sir William and Lady Hamilton, at his newly purchased home at Merton Place in Surrey, on the south-western outskirts of London.

There was one brief break, in July and August 1802, when the trio made a private visit to Sir William's estates in Pembrokeshire, South Wales, which turned into a triumphal progress. But Sir William was ailing and eventually, on 6 April 1803, he died in the arms of his wife and with Nelson holding his hand. By now the fragile peace was already fracturing, and a month later Nelson was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet and hoisted his flag in the Victory at Portsmouth.

Some new material for this period has been located, but none of it is important enough to justify the creation of a separate section. Nelson's postbag was made up mainly of requests for assistance from former naval colleagues and family members, together with correspondence concerning his own financial and personal affairs. Examples of his letters on these subjects will be found in the ‘Family’ and ‘Patronage’ chapters above.