Post by pigeonpie on Apr 5, 2010 10:15:19 GMT
Bounce, the admiral’s faithful companion
No history of Admiral Collingwood would be complete without reference to his beloved companion Bounce. That there are so many stories spanning decades of the Admiral’s life which make reference to Bounce it must be that there was more than one. Bounce first sailed as a puppy aboard the 26-gun frigate Mermaid in 1790 and, writing to his sister Mary in that same year, Collingwood describes his dog as a “charming creature” and “he is grown as tall as the table I am writing on”.
Bounce certainly visited Newcastle later as there are documents of orders for shipping him up the coast and he is remembered as the faithful companion to Collingwood, during his short time back in England, whilst walking the hills near Morpeth planting his acorns.
Just before the Battle of Trafalgar Collingwood writes “Bounce is my only pet now and he is indeed a good fellow”. It is quite probable that Bounce was lying beneath the table and privy to the plans being discussed by Nelson and Collingwood to beat the French.
It is well known that Bounce (like all dogs) hated the sound of gunfire and during battle he would have to be locked on the dark orlop deck. But, at 15 years of age was it the original Bounce or Bounce Mark 2 which accompanied Admiral, now Lord, Collingwood to Port Mahón?
After Collingwood was made a Baron he wrote to his family, quote “I am out of patience with Bounce. The consequential airs he gives himself since he became a Right Honourable dog are insufferable. He considers it beneath his dignity to play with commoners’ dogs and truly thinks that he does them grace when he condescends to lift up his leg against them. This, I think, is carrying the insolence of rank to the extreme, but he is a dog that does it” unquote.
Sadly in 1809 Bounce fell overboard during a storm in the Gulf of Leon and drowned. Collingwood grieved over his death and wrote a letter to his sister from his ship Ville de Paris, “ You will be sorry to hear my poor dog Bounce is dead. I am afraid he fell overboard during the night. He is a great loss to me. I have few comforts but he was one, for he loved me. Everybody sorrows for him. He was wiser than many who hold their heads higher and was grateful to those who were kind to him”.
So loved by the crew, Collingwood and his dog both, that the ship’s carpenter made a small casket and, draped with the union flag, Bounce was given a formal sea burial.
It is believed that the crew of Ville de Paris realising Collingwood’s great sadness purchased a replacement in Maó market; Bounce Mark 2 or 3?
This was a Menorca Rabbit Hound or perhaps a Ratter or Pointer. He was white with black patches, with short front legs, longer back legs and a curly tail. Bounce immediately became a favourite amongst the crew. He became a real “Jack Tar”, and one of them. They fixed a tarred pigtail to the scruff of his neck and made a sailor’s neckerchief to fit so that he looked the part.
During the times when Collingwood was in residence at “El Fonduco” Bounce would be proudly on parade at the end of the file of marines on the forecourt each morning during reveille. Dismissed, he would scamper down the cliffside to swim to the ship as a signal to the men aboard that their parade was over and they would give three cheers to show that they were dismissed. Bounce would then swim back to his master and sleep the day away in the shade of the house.
Apparently he would never foul the deck of the ship when near to land but would give a signal whereon he would be lowered to the sea in a basket and swim to the nearest shore to do his business.
On the death of his master, Bounce, still a young dog, was looked after by his “shipmates” aboard various ships but unfortunately no records show where he ended his days.
