LINK WITH NAVAL HISTORY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20649, 22 August 1930, Page 5

LINK WITH NAVAL HISTORY.

COUSIN OF LORD JELLICOE. A charming old lady who lives at the Royal Homes, Queen Alexandra's Court, Wimblctlon, S.W., is tho daughter of an admiral who served in tho Battle of Trafalgar, 125 years ago! She is also a cousin of Lord Jellicoe, and thus has the possibly unique distinction of having relations who fought in two of the greatest naval battles in history—Trafalgar and Jutland. Miss Emily Patton, the daughter of tho lato Admiral Robert Patton, is seventy-two years old, but looks little more than fifty. She was bora when her father was sixtyseven years old, and for generations; as far back as can bo traced, the menfolk of her family have been sailors—and still are. The life of a great-great-great-grand-father of hers was saved when a bullet hit him in the chest, by a snuff-box he carried in his pocket. This occurred in tho reign of Queen Anne! "Ever since I can remember, the Battle of Trafalgar was a favourite topic of conversation with my father," this delightful young-old lady told a newspaper representative. "At tho time of tho battle ho was a midshipman on board tho Bellerophon, tho ship which later conveyed Napoleon to exile in St. Helena, and was elovon or twelvo years of ago. "It was ho who probably saved tho Bellerophon from disaster when a hugo sail fell from a French vessel which they, had engaged, and, catching firo from cannonshots, threatened to send both ships up in flames. "Running to tho responsible officers, ho warned them of tho peril in timo and the flames were extinguished. "His cousin who also later became an admiral was serving on tho Bellerophon at the same time, but they did not meet until tho battle was over. "This meeting was one of my father's most vivid recollections because noither knew the other was sale until they met a I tho top ol n mast, where tlioy had been sent to push tho sails." Miss Patton is a remarkably cleverartist in water-colours and spends much of her time painting.