Walter Burke (Purser)

Walter Burke
Born	1736 Limerick
Died	12 September 1815 Wouldham

Walter Burke (1736 - 12 September 1815) was a purser in the Royal Navy. He is best known for serving aboard HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805, and was present at the death of Lord Nelson in the cockpit of the Victory.

Burke was born in Limerick, Ireland. He was a relation of the politician Edmund Burke. He joined the navy, due to having a family member already enlisted.

He had at least three sons in the navy. One son, Henry Burke, rose to the rank of commander (from Lieutenant of the Renown) on 4 October 1800, and captained the 16-gun brig-sloop HMS Seagull from June 1802. In August 1803, he re-took the (East Indiaman) Lord Nelson, which had been captured by the privateer Bellone several days previously. Captain Henry Burke, and a younger brother, were lost with the rest of Seagull's complement when she disappeared at sea in the English Channel in February 1805. Another son, Walter Burke, rose to the rank of lieutenant. He was mortally wounded during the boarding the French ship Chevrette in July 1801, and died in hospital.

Burke was the oldest sailor recorded at the Battle of Trafalgar, at the age of 69. He worked as the purser on board the Victory.

The artist Arthur William Devis depicted Burke in his 1807 painting, The Death of Nelson, 21 October 1805. The picture shows many of the officers present at the moment of Nelson's death. Portrayed are Revd. Dr Alexander Scott, Nelson's chaplain, rubbing his chest to help relieve the pain. Nelson’s steward, William Chevailler, looks towards Dr William Beatty, Victory's surgeon, who feels Nelson’s pulse and is about to pronounce him dead. Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy stands to the right of the painting - though Hardy was not actually present at the moment of death. Midshipman Edward Collingwood and Lieutenant John Yule (rear left and left), gesture towards a pile of captured enemy flags being brought in by a seaman. Gaetano Spedillo, Nelson’s Italian valet, stands in right profile in front of Collingwood, holding a glass from which Nelson took his last sips of water. Victory's carpenter, Mr Bunce, stands on the far right of the painting above Lieutenant George Miller Bligh, the dazed and wounded figure seated far right. Seated to the right of Bligh is Assistant Surgeon Neil Smith. Burke is shown kneeling to the right of Nelson, visible under Hardy's arm, partly obscured by Spedillo. He is supporting Nelson by propping up his pillow.

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