William Nelson, 1st Earl Nelson

Their fifth but third-surviving son was the renowned naval commander Horatio Nelson.

[2] He became rector of Brandon Parva in Norfolk in January 1784, and went to sea that year as a naval chaplain on HMS Boreas (commanded by his brother the future Admiral), but obtained his discharge in October 1786 and returned to Brandon Parva.

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, Horatio (recently made Viscount Trafalgar) having died at the age of 19 of tuberculosis in 1808,[4] and all of his British titles passed to Thomas Bolton, the son of his sister Susannah.

The Sicilian dukedom of Bronte passed to his daughter Charlotte, wife of Samuel Hood, 2nd Baron Bridport.

William Nelson, 1st Earl Nelson c. 1820 in a sketch by Sir George Hayter
Arms of William Nelson, 1st Earl Nelson, 2nd Duke of Bronte, being the augmented arms of his younger brother Admiral Horatio Nelson further augmented with a fess wavy azure thereon inscribed the word "Trafalgar" or . Today quartered by Hood, Viscount Bridport , descendants of the 1st Earl's daughter the 3rd Duchess of Bronte [ 1 ]