George Blagdon Westcott George Blagdon Westcott ( fl . 24 April 1753 – 1 August 1798 ) was an officer of the Royal Navy . He served during the American Revolutionary and the French Revolutionary Wars , eventually rising to the rank of Captain . He was one of Vice - Admiral Horatio Nelson ' s Band of Brothers at the Battle of the Nile in 1798 , in which battle he was killed . Family and early life . Westcott ' s year of birth is unknown , but appears to have been between 1752 and 1753 , and was likely in 1753 . He was the son of a baker in Honiton , Devon , and was baptised on 24 April 1753 . He joined the Navy sometime between 1765 and 1768 , and by 1768 he was serving as master ' s mate aboard the frigate . He spent five years aboard the " Solebay " , rising to the rank of midshipman , and spending time under George Vandeput . He then moved aboard , where he spent the next three years under Samuel Barrington and John Leveson - Gower . He passed his lieutenant ' s examination on 10 January 1776 and received his promotion to that rank on 6 August 1777 , moving aboard . Under her captain , Samuel Granston Goodall , the " Valiant " was present at the First Battle of Ushant on 27 July 1778 , after which Westcott and the " Valiant " joined the fleet under Sir Charles Hardy in 1779 . He was present with Vice - admiral George Darby ' s fleet when they relieved Gibraltar in April 1781 . In November that year Westcott moved aboard , then the flagship of Rear - admiral Richard Kempenfelt . He was then present at Kempenfelt ' s victory at the Second Battle of Ushant on 12 December 1781 . Wescott returned to Gibraltar under Lord Howe , and was then in action again at the Battle of Cape Spartel in October 1782 . He briefly served aboard , before becoming first lieutenant of between 1786 and 1787 . The " Salisbury " was at that time the flagship of Commodore John Elliot . Command . On 1 December 1787 Westcott was promoted to commander and between 1789 and 1790 had command of the sloop . He was promoted to captain on 1 October 1790 , and became flag captain aboard . When the " London " was paid off in late 1791 , Westcott went onto half - pay until becoming Rear - admiral Benjamin Caldwell ' s flag captain aboard in September 1793 . Westcott was then present at the Glorious First of June in 1794 , afterwards following Caldwell aboard . He went to the West Indies , but returned with Sir John Laforey in June 1796 . " Majestic " then joined the Channel Fleet , and was present at the Spithead Mutiny in April and May 1797 . " Majestic " then joined John Jervis off Cadiz , where Westcott was ordered to take her to join Vice - admiral Nelson in the Mediterranean . Nelson was searching for the French fleet under Vice - Admiral François - Paul Brueys d ' Aigalliers . Death . When Nelson located the French fleet at anchor at Aboukir Bay , he quickly ordered the British into the attack . The " Majestic " was towards the rear of the British line , and did not come into action until late in the battle . In the darkness and smoke she collided with the " Heureux " and became entangled in her rigging . Trapped for several minutes , the " Majestic " suffered heavy casualties . Westcott was hit by a musket ball in the throat and killed . The " Majestic " ’ s first lieutenant , Robert Cuthbert took over and continued the battle . Cuthbert was confirmed as acting captain by Nelson the day after the battle . Collingwood wrote of him : A good officer and a worthy man ; but , if it was a part of our condition to choose a day to die on , where could he have found one so memorable , so eminently distinguished among great days ? Westcott was buried at sea . A monument to his memory was erected in St Paul ' s Cathedral , and another in the church in his birthplace at Honiton . In January 1801 , Nelson was passing through Honiton , on his way to take up a new command at Plymouth . Nelson invited his nearest surviving family to breakfast , and presented Mrs . Westcott with his own Nile medal , saying , " You will not value it less because Nelson has worn it . " On 17 January 1801 he wrote to Lady Hamilton : At Honiton I visited Captain Westcott ' s mother — poor thing , except from the bounty of government and Lloyd ' s , in very low circumstances . The brother is a tailor , but had they been chimney - sweepers it was my duty to show them respect .