Burnham Thorpe is the birthplace of Horatio Nelson . . . |
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 . . . in 1758, in the old rectory. His father was the rector here from 1755 to 1802. Horatio entered the Navy at the age of twelve, and within eight years he had attained the rank of commander. In 1785 he married and he and his new wife lived with his father in the village. He was promoted to commodore in 1796, and to rear-admiral a year later. He lost his right arm in a battle in the same year, then in 1798 he became Baron Nelson of the Nile. His relationship with Lady Emma Hamilton was flourishing by this time and he and his wife seperated. In 1801, promotion again to vice-admiral, and after a successful attack on Copenhagen he was raised to a viscount. Although his relationship with Lady Hamilton was officially platonic and "perfectly pure", she bore him two children. In May 1803 Nelson was appointed to the command of the Mediterranean fleet, and made the Victory his flagship. The Battle of Trafalgar began on October 21, 1805, and Nelson hoisted his famous signal "England expects that every man will do his duty." The battle was won, but Nelson was hit while on the quarter-deck and died a few hours later. His body was brought home, and, after lying in state at Greenwich, was buried in St. Paul's Cathedral on January 6, 1806. Horatio's parents, Edmund and Catherine are buried in Burnham Thorpe at the church of All Saints', which has many items connected to Nelson and Trafalgar. Much of the building dates from the 13th century. In 1892-95 there were extensive restorations and the south aisle was built. The rectory in which Nelson was born was demolished and its replacement was built in 1802. The site of the original is marked by a plaque.
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There has been a settlement at Burnham Thorpe for over one thousand years. A Saxon named Tocha held possession of the manor, then, after the Norman invasion, it fell to a Norman knight, Walter de Brunham. It passed through marriage to the Calthorpe family. H. Hancock
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