Mary and Thomas Watson, Forgotten Power Couple of H.M.S. Victory
A painting, in the collection of Royal Museums Greenwich, depicts the death of the heroic naval commander Lord Nelson, which took place on 21 October 1805. The work, completed in 1807 by William Arthur Devis, portrays a commotion around the leader as prominent men linked to the battle busy themselves as he lies pale and dazed on the floorboards of his ship, partly covered with a white sheet. They include Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy, the ship’s captain; William Beatty the surgeon and the ship’s chaplain, Dr Alexander Scott. There are around a dozen figures in all, but there is at least one notable person missing from the scene: Mary Watson.
Mary was born in Dundee on 4 July 1777 as Mary Buick, her parents named Euphame and Gideon. In 1797, when around twenty years old, she married Thomas Watson, a widower around ten years older than her. Watson was a fisherman by trade, based in Cellardyke near Fife, on the eastern coast of Scotland, just north of Edinburgh. His seafaring skills were considered useful to men of power in this prolific age of war and he was drafted - historians say forced - into service for George III’s Royal Navy. No doubt worried for her new husband’s safety and not wishing to be alone, Mary offered to accompany him on the ship as a nurse. They had been married for just four years when, together, they boarded the H.M.S. Ardent in 1801.
Life on a warship, for a man as well as a woman, would have been harsh. A visit to the restored H.M.S. Victory in Portsmouth today shows that the living quarters for the officers were cramped and provisions and food supplies were basic. The Ardent was most likely Mary’s first taste of war at sea, tossed in the waves and shuddering as it found itself under attack. There would have been cries, not only of commands being shouted over the noise, but the agonising yells of those who were injured. In April 1801, during the Battle of Copenhagen, thirty men on board were killed, and another sixty-four wounded. As nurse, Mary would have been cleaning and dressing wounds, assisting the ship’s surgeon for more severe injuries as required. Thomas served on the 64-gun ship as both a gunner and quartermaster, and was therefore responsible for not only firing cannon but also steering the vessel and ensuring it stayed on course and followed its correct navigation. Even more surprisingly, Mary was, during this time, heavily pregnant. She gave birth to her daughter onboard, and possibly even during the battle itself. The couple named the daughter Mary.
In 1803, Thomas was transferred to H.M.S. Victory, under Nelson’s command. It’s possible that he was chosen specifically for the role, as H.M.S. Ardent had also been commanded by Nelson, who may have been impressed with Thomas’ skills. Mary and their toddler daughter went with him and lived onboard the ship, Mary serving once again as a nurse and treating the wounded. The family were onboard at the Battle of Trafalgar, with Thomas placed in charge of a crew of gunners. On 21 October 1805, Nelson was killed on the deck of the ship by a bullet fired by a French enemy sailor which pierced through his clothing and punctured his lung. With Thomas continuing with his responsibilities, Nelson was carried by sailors to the cockpit lower down in the ship to have his injuries assessed. It soon became clear that he would not survive. It was said that Mary, and another woman named Mary Sperring, were present at his death and subsequently prepared his body to be taken home. The women, although not often acknowledged in the history books, were therefore central to the story of Nelson’s body being embalmed and placed in a cask of brandy for its voyage back to England.
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There is no further record of the couple working together on a warship. They returned to Cellardyke and Thomas opened a public house at 7 Shore Street in the village. They lived into older age, Thomas dying in his sixties in 1831 and Mary aged 76, in February 1854.
Mary and Thomas, to me, are everything that represents a modern power couple. Both had complementary areas of expertise, and were willing to engage their individual skills in risky and dangerous situations. Mary could have stayed at home while Thomas set sail, but she chose to be at her husband's side despite these difficulties. They also seem to have been able to continue a married life that was unusual for the time, even giving birth to their daughter on a ship in the middle of a battle. Their power was not in governing or making world-changing decisions but exists in a quiet sense of resilience, bravery and a strength to live in a way that was uncommon - and dangerous - for their time.
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Sources
Elizabeth Ewan et al., The Biographical Dictionary of Scottish Women from the Earliest Times to 2004. Edinburgh University Press, 2006.
H.M.S. Ardent, Wikipedia
Royal Museums Greenwich, ‘The Death of Nelson’