Alexander John Scott

Alexander John Scott
The Reverend Doctor Alexander Scott, by Siegfried Detlen Bendixen
Born	1768
Died	1840 (aged 72) Ecclesfield, Yorkshire
Allegiance	United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1793–1805
Rank	Chaplain
Battles/wars	Battle of Copenhagen Battle of Trafalgar

Reverend Dr. Alexander John Scott (1768–1840) was an Anglican chaplain who served in the Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He served as Horatio Nelson's personal chaplain at the Battle of Trafalgar, and had previously served as his private secretary. Scott was a close friend of Nelson, and was with him as he died aboard HMS Victory.

Scott was born in 1768, the son of a lieutenant in the navy. He was educated at Charterhouse, and after gaining a scholarship, he attended St John's College, Cambridge, graduating from there in 1792. He was ordained in 1793 and joined the navy that year as a chaplain. He was initially assigned to HMS Berwick, which was part of the Mediterranean fleet under Admiral Samuel Hood. During his education he had become fluent in French, Spanish and Italian.

Scott first met Nelson while in the Mediterranean. Nelson was at this time captain of the 64-gun HMS Agamemnon. Scott was offered the position of Nelson's chaplain, but declined it, instead moving aboard the 98-gun HMS St George, followed by the 100-gun HMS Britannia, then under Sir Hyde Parker. He was present at Nelson's victory at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801, this time aboard the 98-gun HMS London. After the battle was over, Scott helped to draw up the treaties subsequently presented to the Danish, and accompanied Nelson's party as an interpreter. After Parker's recall, Nelson asked for Scott to join him, but Scott could not bear to leave Parker and returned to England with him while Nelson remained in the Baltic.