During his service, Rotheram saw action at several major naval engagements, including as a lieutenant at the Glorious First of June in 1794 and as captain of HMS Royal Sovereign at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

Ultimately this character trait resulted in his removal from service and overlooking for promotion in 1808 after being court martialled for inappropriate behaviour towards junior officers.

Edward Rotheram went to sea at a young age, joining a collier sailing from Newcastle and serving aboard merchant ships for several years.

[7] Nelson was aware of the personal conflict between the men, and invited both Collingwood and Rotheram to dinner in a partially successful effort to reconcile them.

[3] Rotheram was also noted during the action for refusing to remove his full dress uniform and large cocked hat, apparel which was not only impractical in a naval engagement but which also marked him as a target for enemy snipers.

[3] Royal Sovereign's main opponent was the large Spanish first rate Santa Ana, with whom she was engaged for several minutes at the start of the action without support.

Santa Ana was later abandoned by her captors and ultimately fell back into Spanish hands, but Royal Sovereign reached the safety of Gibraltar soon after the battle.

[3] In the aftermath of the action, Rotheram left Royal Sovereign to take command of HMS Bellerophon, whose captain, John Cooke had been killed by a French sniper.

Rotheram remained in command of Bellerophon in the English Channel and the North Sea until 1808, when he was court martialled and reprimanded for unacceptable conduct towards his ship's junior officers and chaplain.

[3] Rotheram died at Bildeston in 1830 and was buried in the churchyard of St Mary Magdelene just outside the village, where his grave and a memorial plaque are still legible today.