The Battle of Trafalgar

This painting depicts Nelson’s famous defeat of the French and Spanish navies in October 1805 at Cape Trafalgar, off the western coast of Spain. The ships shown include Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory in the centre, Vice Admiral Collingwood’s Royal Sovereign - the first to break through the Franco-Spanish line - and the Temeraire on the far right. The French ship Redoubtable and the Spanish ship Santissima Trinidad are also shown.

By the nineteenth century it was The Foundling Hospital’s policy to accept only illegitimate children. However, the institution made exceptions for the children of soldiers or sailors involved in such battles.