Yes, Admiral Lord Nelson had a distinct Norfolk accent, often described as a "nasal drawl," rather than the posh, upper-class accent frequently portrayed in films. Born and raised in Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk, he reportedly retained his regional accent and sometimes used local dialect in his speech and correspondence, notably on his deathbed.
Some Nelson experts say he spoke with a Norfolk accent and that his last words when dying of his wounds on HMS Victory at Trafalgar were a command to Captain Hardy spoken using Norfolk terminology.
Norfolk dialect is a Southern English dialect once commonplace throughout the county of Norfolk and of which fragments survive in use today. There is considerable overlap with the dialect of neighbouring Suffolk, and several nineteenth century accounts described the two together as East Anglia dialect.
Nelson Vice Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson is Norfolk's most famous son (you'll see we call ourselves Nelson's County on the signs coming in) and there is plenty to discover about him here. Nelson features on the county sign. Here's how you can discover Horatio Nelson in his home county.
Horatio Nelson was born in Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk, on 29 September 1758. He first went to sea at 12, marking the start of his heroic naval career. Nelson's father, Edmund, was a clergyman. His mother, Catherine, died on 26 December 1767, when Nelson was only nine.
Listen to This Broad Norfolk Accent- Not What You'd Expect!
Is Kiss Me Hardy historically accurate?
According to Phrases.org, three eyewitness accounts did confirm Nelson did utter something that sounded like"Kiss me, Hardy." Some have argued he really said, "Kismet," the Turkish word for fate. Either way, whether he misheard him or was actually following orders, Hardy did kiss the dying admiral on the forehead.
Normal for Norfolk (or NFN) is a slang term used in some parts of England for something that is peculiar, or odd. The term comes from medical slang created by doctors to insult their patients.
Thetford Grammar School, Norfolk: https://www.thetfordgrammar.co.uk/43/school- history Thetford is the oldest town in Norfolk. The School usually is open to the public through Heritage Open Days.
Portrait by Lemuel Abbott. This was painted just after Nelson lost his arm. It shows him thin and with a drawn face as he is dealing with the constant intense pain. His hair had turned white with the shock of his wound (in later years it grew out to his natural auburn-grey).
A favourite saying is 'S/he talks a lot of 'squit', meaning to talk nonsense, while to talk 'spuffle' is to spout pompous 'squit'. To 'mardle' is to gossip or chat.
The Norfolk dialect is also known as 'Broad Norfolk'. Ar yer orrite bor? Translation: Hello; Good Morning; Good Afternoon; Good Evening; How are you? 'Ar yer orrite bor' is one of the most common phrases used across the county as a standard form of greeting.
He died shortly after being hit by a single bullet to the top left of his body. Sailors killed in battle were normally buried at sea but due to his rank and the high esteem in which he was held, it was felt proper that Nelson's body should be brought back to England.
The cricket term "Nelson" for the score 111 (or multiples like 222, 333) comes from a superstition linking it to Britain's Admiral Lord Nelson, who is incorrectly believed to have lost one eye, one arm, and one leg (1-1-1), making it an unlucky score, though some theories also connect it to stumps without bails or his victories.
Great Yarmouth, meanwhile, is home to the three poorest neighbourhoods in the county. The Middlegate neighbourhood has the lowest income in Norfolk and is among the 75 poorest places in England.
Ey 'Up – This can be traced back to Old Norse languages. A colloquial greeting the expression is a friendly way of saying 'Hello/Hi'. 'Ey 'up' can also be used to grab someone's attention or as an expression of surprise, similar to saying 'Wow'.
"England expects that every man will do his duty" was a signal sent by Vice-Admiral of the Royal Navy Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, from his flagship HMS Victory as the Battle of Trafalgar was about to commence on 21 October 1805.
Whether or not their relationship was sexual remains unknown, but their friendship is reflective of the close relationships formed between men at sea. Intimate relationships, both sexual and platonic, could develop between those on board while they spent months away from their homes and families.
