William Nelson, 1st Earl Nelson

Who was William Nelson, 1st Earl Nelson?

William Nelson, 1st Earl Nelson, 2nd Duke of Bronté was the elder brother of Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson.

He succeeded by a special remainder, which included his father's and sister's male issue, to one of his younger brother's baronies on the latter's death at the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805, as well as to the Dukedom of Bronté, of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. A month later, on 20 November 1805, in honour of his late brother's achievements, he was created Earl Nelson and Viscount Merton, both of Trafalgar and of Merton in the County of Surrey, again with a special remainder including the male issue of his sisters. He died without surviving male issue, and all his British titles passed to Thomas Bolton, the son of his sister Susannah, while the Italian dukedom passed to his daughter Charlotte, Lady Bridport.