The signpost at Nelson's birthplace - Burnham Thorpe. |
The museum was
the brainchild of the well-known Nelson enthusiast Ben Burgess,
who lived in Norwich.
His father had
a keen interest in Nelson, but Ben's own interest was fired after
he attended his hero's school, the Paston in North Walsham.
Before his death
in 2000, Mr Burgess set up the Ben Burgess Nelson Memorabilia Trust
to raise money for a museum so his family's 600-strong collection
would remain in the county.
The trustees
spent six years looking for a suitable building before plumping
for the one in Great Yarmouth.
They decided
to house the collection in Great Yarmouth rather than Nelson's birthplace
of Burnham Thorpe or Norwich because of the admiral's close maritime
links with the town.
Nelson would
have been familiar with the South Quay building
as he landed at the port when he returned from the Battle of Copenhagen
in 1801 and the North Sea Fleet operated from the town during the
Napoleonic
War.
Building's
rich history>>>
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