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Captain Quilliam on the Move
MNH said the statue would be returned next year.
The statue of Captain John Quilliam, Admiral Nelson’s First Lieutenant during the Battle of Trafalgar, has been moved for conservation.
MNH said the statue would be returned next year.
The sculpture depicts Captain Quilliam in uniform and commemorates his role as the most famous Manxman in the battle.
MNH said of Qulliam: ‘Born in 1771 at Ballakelly Farm in Marown, he was the son of a farmer and joined the Royal Navy in 1791. He showed great potential and rose through the ranks, rapidly receiving a commission. He became the equivalent of a millionaire in 1799 with his share of the prize money after the capture of a Spanish Treasure ship. At the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801 he came to the attention of Admiral Lord Nelson, who requested that he serve aboard HMS Victory.
‘During the Battle of Trafalgar, the ships wheel was shot away. Quilliam rigged up a temporary method of steering her using ropes, in the gunroom below. Quilliam took up a seat in the House of Keys but returned to sea to command several ships before retiring at the end of the Napoleonic Wars.’
