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Who was Cuthbert Collingwood and what did he do at the Battle of Trafalgar?

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Horatio Nelson Lord Nelson, detail of an oil painting by J.F. Rigaud; in the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, Eng.

Cuthbert Collingwood (1748–1810) was a distinguished British naval commander and a close associate of Horatio Nelson, serving as his second in command at the Battle of Trafalgar.1

Prior to the battle, Collingwood led the blockade of the Franco-Spanish fleet at Cádiz while Nelson was in England. During the engagement on October 21, 1805, Collingwood commanded one of the two British divisions from his flagship, the Royal Sovereign. He was tasked with attacking the rear of the enemy line to prevent their escape, a mission he carried out with great success.231

Following Nelson’s death during the battle, command of the fleet passed to Collingwood. He was then faced with the difficult responsibility of securing the fleet and its captured prizes during the severe storm that followed the engagement. For his distinguished service, he was created Baron Collingwood and continued to hold the Mediterranean command until his death.1