Nelson’s First Love by Patrick Delaforce

Lady Frances “Fanny” Nelson, nee Woolward, later Duchess of Bronte, was a gentlewoman of good family, brought up in the West Indies, on the rich plantation of Nevis.  In 1787 she married an unknown naval captain.  He was unpopular locally, with few prospects, and seen as a very poor catch.

However, within a few short years, her husband, Horatio Nelson, would come to be regarded as one of England’s greatest heroes, his legend cemented for evermore after his heroic death at the battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

In biographies of Nelson, a great deal of space has been given to his adulterous affair with Emma Hamilton, ensuring that his wife’s part in his life has been sidelined and virtually ignored.  Patrick Delaforce’s biography, written from Frances’ viewpoint, and originally published in 1988, aims to redress the balance.

Nelson’s First Love is a compact, well illustrated book, which illuminates a neglected side of the story of Horatio Nelson.