During the third week of August 2005 the Trafalgar Way was
officially inaugurated in Devon to commemorate the bi-centenary
of the Battle of Trafalgar. The Lorna Doone, an original North
Devon stagecoach visited inns and hostels along the full length
of what is now know as the Trafalgar Way in Devon. During this
time an actor playing the part of Lieutenant John Richard
Lapenotiere delivered a New Trafalgar Dispatch. Each town in
Devon that he passed through has unveiled a commemorative plaque
to mark the occasion. Lapenotiere, captain of HMS Pickle,
travelled by post chaise, the equivalent of a taxi 200 years ago
and the fastest means of public transport available at the time.
It took about six weeks from 21st October 1805 for the full news
of the victory and the death of Admiral Horatio Nelson to filter
through to London and the people of England. Nelson and his
fleet defeated the combined armies of France and Spain off the
Spanish coast near Cape Trafalgar. Amongst the men in the
English fleet were 1,115 men from Devon, more than from any
other county. Lapenotiere was the first messenger to reach
Falmouth with the news. He passed quickly through Cornwall and
entered Devon at Lifton. Pausing only to change horses at
Okehampton, Crockernwell, Exeter, Honiton and Axminster he
travelled on to London. Each messenger who followed had more
details of the Battle of Trafalgar in the dispatches they
carried. Following in the steps of Lieutenant Lapenotiere
hundreds of horses were used to carry the news. Trewman's Exeter
Flying Post, the local newspaper, contains full details of the
contents of the dispatches as they became available. Microfilm
copies are available at the Devon Record Office or online at
their website.
About the author:
This article may be freely reproduced with the following
resource box and must include a live link: Lesley Pinkett lives
and works in East Devon and is the owner of
http://www.east-devon-guide.com/ which is packed with
information about this beautiful corner of England.
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