Frances Woolward was the daughter of William Woolward, the senior Judge on the Island of Nevis in the West Indies. Her mother was the niece of John Richardson Herbert, president of the Council of Nevis.

Frances married a doctor, Josiah Nisbet MD on the 28th June 1779 but shortly after their marriage he became deranged and died within eighteen months leaving Frances and their young son Josiah to fend for themselves.

Although Frances had some money from her late husband’s estate it was insufficient to run a household and bring up a child so it was her uncle, John Herbert, to whom she turned for help.

John Herbert accepted both mother and son into his household and Frances took over the running of the household, looking after the many guests and organising the banquets at the residence.

One of the visitors to John Herbert’s Montpelier estate was a young Naval Captain, Horatio Nelson. On one of his visits no one could find the young captain until Frances spied him under a table, engaged in a game of hide-and-seek with Josiah. Nelson enjoyed the company of youngsters, probably due to having had a large number of siblings.

Nelson was also taken by Frances’ refinement and resourcefulness in running a large residence. Friends of Frances told him that she was an accomplished musician and could speak fluent French.

Horatio and Frances fell in love quite quickly and by the time Nelson left for Antigua the couple were betrothed. They married on the 12th March 1787, nearly two years after their betrothal, the delay being caused by Nelson’s naval duties.

Plaque commemorating the marriage of Francis to Horatio Nelson

Detail of the plaque

Taken from a watercolour which was seen on the island of Nevis by Mr and Mrs Edmondson, who reside in Nelson House, Exmouth, Devon, where Lady Nelson spent most of her last years.

The original watercolour is by E Sachs and can be seen in The Nelson Museum, Nevis

Prince William Henry, who later became King William IV gave the bride away. Prince William and Nelson had become great friends whilst serving in the West Indies where Nelson looked after William in his early naval career. Their friendship remained strong until Nelson’s death in 1805.

Frances Nisbet, the Fig Tree Church and Horation Nelson

Nelson returned to England to pay off the ship Boreas (28) and his wife Frances, along with her young son Josiah and her uncle returned a little while later in the West Indiaman “Roehampton”. The Nelsons were accommodated in Herbert’s London home in number 5 Cavendish Square for a short time before moving to Burnham Thorpe to live with Nelson’s father, the Reverend Edmund Nelson.

The wars that Britain had been involved in had come to an end, and many naval officers, Nelson amongst them, were put on half pay - a situation that lasted for the next five years. Being on half pay was not the best way to start a marriage. The Nelsons were now able to visit friends and family in the West Country, Bath, Clifton, Bristol and seaside towns including Exmouth but spent most of the time in Norfolk. During this time Frances and Edmund became very close friends and remained so until Edmund’s death in 1802.

On 1st February 1793 France declared war on Britain and Captain Nelson was called upon to serve his country by being given command of HMS Agamemnon (74). Not only was Frances parted from her husband but from her son also when Nelson took him to sea as a Midshipman, journeying to Chatham to join Agamemnon.

Frances remained in England doing the rounds of the Nelson Family, visiting the Bolton’s, Matcham’s and other friends, she also returned to Exmouth staying with friends from the West Indies. She received letters from Nelson, mostly about naval matters and the progress of Josiah in his new career.

The Agamemnon was now part of the Mediterranean Fleet under John Jervis. Husband and son were involved in the fighting ashore in Corsica where Nelson lost the sight in his right eye whilst taking the town of Calvi on the 12th July 1794.

At home Frances and Edmund spent the winter in Bath and the summer in Norfolk. In Bath Frances was able to socialise with other naval wives and the talk was about the war and of husbands killed or wounded. Frances began to fret and worry about Horatio and Josiah. In her letters she constantly told Nelson to be careful and not place himself in danger or harms way. This is rather difficult if serving in any armed force and Nelson found her pleas both irritating and unnecessary.

On 14th February 1797, at the Battle of Cape St Vincent, Nelson took part in boat actions off Cadiz. By this time Nelson had been promoted to Rear-Admiral and Frances again in a letter told him to leave boarding and hand to hand fighting to other captains. Nelson was not pleased as he believed in leading from the front, despite the risk of further injury.

Nelson was detached with a small squadron to attack Santa Cruz in Tenerife. Whilst trying to capture the mole in Santa Cruz Nelson was wounded in the right elbow - an injury that led to the surgical amputation of his right arm later that day. Jervis sent Nelson back to England to recuperate and on arrival he travelled to Bath where Frances and his father were staying so that Frances could nurse him. One can only wonder at the recriminations.

Nelson recovered and returned to sea in early 1798 rejoining Jervis as part of the Mediterranean fleet. Yet again Nelson found himself at the front end of the war. Jervis again detached Nelson with a squadron of ships to find the French Fleet and destroy them which he did at the Battle of the Nile on the evening of the 1st August 1798.

Nelson patched up his fleet at Aboukir then sailed for Naples. It was here that he was greeted by Sir William and Lady Hamilton who Nelson had first met in 1793 whilst carrying dispatches for Lord Hood.

It was not long before rumours of the budding romance in Naples reached England and Frances’ ears. Nelson’s great friend Alexander Davison wrote to him in December 1798;

‘Your valuable better half – is in good health, but very uneasy and anxious, which is not to be wondered at. She bids me say that unless you return home in a few months she will join the standard at Naples. Excuse a woman’s tender feelings; they are too acute to be expressed.”

Nelson wrote to Frances and forbade her to join him in Naples; he had fallen under the spell of Emma Hamilton.

The situation between husband and wife grew worse and a public outburst against Nelson by Josiah did not help. Nelson’s naval career was beginning to suffer from his entanglement with Emma and the Court of Naples. Complaints had been made against him and the Admiralty were not pleased!

Josiah had not helped himself by standing up for his mother in his outburst against Nelson. His naval career was also in trouble and whilst in command of HMS Thalia (36) officers and members of the crew had made complaints against him.

By 1800 the affair between Nelson and Emma had reach a point where the Admiralty now felt uneasy and Nelson was ordered home. He was told he could not return in his flagship. The Government had also recalled Sir William so Nelson travelled home with the Hamiltons overland.

On his return Nelson and the Hamiltons went to Nelson’s house at Roundwood, near Ipswich but there was nobody to greet them, the house was locked and Nelson could not get in and he blamed Frances for this. She had, in fact, gone to London not knowing what route he was taking and thinking that he would report to the Admiralty had left word there for him as to where she would be.

Nelson and the Hamiltons were feted around London, attending many public functions and were seen at the theatre in the evenings. Frances sometimes joined then but was always seemed to be in the background. This was an unsatisfactory situation and to make matters worse Emma was pregnant with Nelson’s child.

Christmas 1800 arrived and the social gatherings were in full swing, Nelson and the Hamiltons were invited to Fontwell Abbey, the home of William Beckford, Sir William’s cousin. Frances was not included in the invitation and was left alone in London. The group returned on Boxing Day but Nelson stayed with the Hamiltons rather than returning to his wife.

The situation between the Nelsons came to a head some days later. Nelson, Frances and their solicitor Mr Haslewood were having a meeting over breakfast when Nelson mentioned ‘dear Lady Hamilton’ and Frances snapped, ‘I am sick of hearing of dear Lady Hamilton and am resolved that you shall give up either her or me!’

Haslewood reported Nelson replied quietly, ‘Take care, Fanny, what you say. I love you sincerely but I cannot forget my obligations to Lady Hamilton and speak of her otherwise than with affection and admiration.’

Frances then rose and ‘muttering something about her mind being made up’ left the room.

At the same time Nelson was given orders to join HMS San Josef (112) at Torbay as second in command of the Channel fleet. Before he left London he paid a visit to his wife early in the morning whilst she was still in bed;

It is reported she held out her hand to him and said

“There is not a man in the world who has more honour than you. Now tell me, upon your honour, whether you have ever suspected, or heard from anyone, anything that renders my own fidelity disputable.”

He replied that he had not.

This was their final parting and he walked away from her forever.

Frances continued to write to her husband but he had Alexander Davison return her letters marked ‘not opened by Lord Nelson’. She still wrote to Nelson occasionally; her love for him never wavered and she would never speak ill of him even after his death in 1805.

Nelson provided for his wife, giving her the sum of £1200 per year and upon his death the government gave her a handsome pension for the remainder of her life. How strangely things turn out - on his deathbed Nelson asked that the Government look after Emma and Horatia but they received nothing.

Number 6 The Beacon

After the cessation of hostilities Josiah moved his family to Paris, having become a very successful merchant and so as not to leave his mother alone she went with them. It seems they all commuted regularly between Paris and Littleham.

By 1821 Lady Nelson was one of the leading lights of Exmouth and on the 31st of January that year she gave a Ball for her friends in the town, she had lived in number 6for over fourteen years. Trewman’s Exeter flying Post reported ‘On Wednesday last Lady Nelson gave a most splendid Ball and Supper at the London Hotel Exmouth to the nobility and gentry of the place and its environs'.

After supper the health of Lady Nelson and Captain Nisbet and family were drunk with enthusiastic applause and the merry dance was kept up with great glee until a late hour.

Josiah and his family were spending most of their time in Paris. Frances decided that number 6 The beacon was now too large for her (she was now in her sixty eighth year) and she moved into a smaller house in Louisa Place.

Her friend and companion Mrs. Fanny Francklyn (Josiah’s cousin) and Ellin Hoye Frances maid moved with her.

Frances also made arrangements to be buried in the churchyard of SS Margaret and Andrew in Littleham, Lady Nelson’s grave is in the southeast corner overlooking Castle Lane.

Frances' smaller house in Louisa Place, Paris, France

Frances Nelson outlived her son and four of his children. Having just celebrated her 70th birthday and still still grieving over Josiah’s sudden death she died on the 6th May 1831 at her London home, number 26 Baker Street.

Lady Nelson's funeral took place on the 13th May 1831 and many of the country’s naval familiess and naval officers attended, The Times noted that a long line of carriages was present in the funeral cortege of the late Viscountess Nelson.

Frances was buried in Littleham and her daughter-in-law commissioned a fine white marble tablet by Turnerelli, with inverted torches carved in high relief at each side of it.

On the top of the actual slab a weeping woman kneels resting her head despairingly on her right hand held by a couple of heraldic urns, over which a palm branch is laid. On one of these urns is a shield with three boar’s, heads, a boar’s head above a crest and the Nisbet Motto “Vis Fortibus Arma”. On the other is a Viscount’s coronet with the capital letter N and painted arms upon a lozenge.

SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF
FRANCES HERBERT,
VISCOUNTESS NELSON DUCHESS OF BRONTE,
WIDOW OF THE LATE ADMIRAL LORD VISCOUNT NELSON,
AND HER SON JOSIAH NISBET, ESQ’
CAPTAIN IN THE ROYAL NAVY,
WHOMSHE SURVIVED ELEVEN MONTHS
AND DIED IN LONDON MAY 6TH 1831.
AGED 73 YEARS.

THIS HUMBLE OFFERING OF AFFECTION
IS ERECTED BY FRANCES HERBERT NISBET,
IN GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE OF THOSE VIRTUES
WHICH ADORNED A KIND MOTHER IN LAW,
AND A GOOD HUSBAND.
IN THE ADJOINING CHURCHYARD WAS
ALSO LAID THE BODY OF FRANCES HERBERT,
WIDOW OF CAPTN JOSIAH NISBRT, R.N.
WHO DIED 15TH JANUARY 1864, AGED 72.
IN + HOPE

It shows Fanny and her native island of Nevis with Lord Nelson and the Victory.

Painted by David Gubbins and made by Maurice Weldrake.