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Search Trafalgar and Waterloo battle records

Two of the most iconic battles in British history took place during the Napoleonic Wars. On 21 October 1805, the Royal Navy, under Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, took on the combined French and Spanish fleets at the Battle of Trafalgar. Despite being heavily outnumbered, Nelson won a famous victory and thwarted Napoleon’s plans to invade Britain.

Almost 10 years later, on 18 June 1815, British and Prussian forces defeated Napoleon at Waterloo, now in modern-day Belgium. Napoleon was captured and exiled to the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic.

Find Trafalgar surnames in National Archives

For Trafalgar ancestors, search the database at the National Archives: www. snipca.com/48107. Start with the ‘Basic search’ on the left for simple surname searches. I searched for ‘Little’ and found seven men who fought. Clicking ‘More’ gives details including their job on board, the ship they served on, and how old they were when they joined.

If the surname you’re looking for is more common, try the ‘Advanced search’ and look for extra details including rank, ship and approximate age on 21 October 1805 ( 1in our screenshot above). Take care when searching for a birth place because it will always produce an exact match unless you add an asterisk on either side 2 . Note that the birthplace of officers and Royal Marines was generally not recorded.

You can also search Nelson’s 27 ships, from HMS Achille to HMS Victory 3 , to see who served alongside your ancestor. If you come across any unfamiliar terminology, click Glossary 4 .

Look through the Waterloo Medal Roll

Over 40,000 British soldiers fought at the Battle of Waterloo under the command of the Duke of Wellington. To celebrate the victory – and for the first time in British military history – a campaign medal was awarded to everyone who took part, regardless of their rank. They were all recorded in a huge leather-bound volume called the Waterloo Medal Roll,