Portrait of Admiral, Lord Collingwood, in naval uniform, wearing three medals including his large gold medal for Trafalgar, in profile to the right

Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood (1750-1810) joined the Royal Navy in 1761 and first served under Nelson in 1778. After commanding a ship at the Glorious First of June (1794) and distinguishing himself at Cape St. Vincent (1797), Nelson gave him command of the Lee Column at Trafalgar where his flagship Royal Sovereign was the first vessel to break the enemy line. As second-in-command, he took over responsibility for the fleet after Nelson's death and, that campaign over, returned to serve in the Mediterranean where he died at sea in 1810.