Ten Amazing Days - Napoleon's visit to Plymouth Sound as a prisoner on boar

Ten Amazing Days - Napoleon's visit to Plymouth Sound as a prisoner on board

Clive Charlton, Local historian

The core of the talk is those few days in July and August 1815, when Napoleon was on board HMS Bellerophon, a prisoner following his surrender to Captain Maitland in the wake of defeat at Waterloo. The arrival of 'Boney' quickly became a sensation, with huge crowds converging on Plymouth in the hope of catching a glimpse of the most famous (or infamous) man in Europe. The crowds and their surprisingly sympathetic response to Napoleon caused much concern to the authorities, who hastened to remove him to exile on St.Helena. The talk also includes some background to Napoleon's flight and surrender, the varying perceptions and portrayals of the man, the tense decision-making about his fate, and also a brief review of the history of the much-travelled veteran ship HMS Bellerophon.

Host or Publisher Plymouth Historical Association