Antique Arms & Militaria
Vintage, Household Cavalry Dress Uniform. A Wonderful Helmet, Cuirass Armour, Tunic, White Leather Panteloons, Jack Boots with Spurs, Buff Hide & Cotton Riding Gauntlets Of The Royal Mounted Bodyguard of Her Well Beloved Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth IInd
Post 1953 period. The full dress uniform helmet and armour of the Blues and Royals
The Household Cavalry are the only British regiments dressed as cuirassiers and has worn them since the coronation of William IV in 1830. The cuirass consists of a front and back polished steel plate shaped to fit the body. It had brass edges and studs on the sides and was secured on the shoulders by two gilt scales of regimental pattern. At the waist it is secured by a thin buff hide leather belt. The cuirass is lined with leather, The cuirass is only worn in mounted review order with the white leather panteloons and jack boots.
This unit is one of the two Household Cavalry regiments in the British Army, the other being The Life Guards. It was formed in 1969 by amalgamating The Royal Horse Guards with The Royal Dragoons (1st Dragoons), both of which had origins dating back to the mid-17th century.
19th century
In 1809, the unit moved to the Peninsular War (1808-14), helping to cover Wellington's retreat to Torres Vedras (1810) and charging at Fuentes de Onoro the following year. It also fought at Ciudad Rodrigo (1812), Badajoz (1812), Alba de Tormes (1813), Vitoria (1813) and Pamplona (1813).
In 1815, it fought at Waterloo with the Union Brigade. It captured the eagle of the French 105th Line Infantry Regiment there before being counter-attacked by French lancers.
A long period of home service followed until the Crimean War (1854-56), where the regiment charged with the Heavy Brigade at Balaklava in 1854.
The next three decades were spent on garrison duties in England, Ireland and Scotland. During this period, in 1877, the regiment was re-named the 1st (Royal) Dragoons. Then, in 1884, it sent a detachment to the Sudan that fought at Abu Klea (1885).
In 1899, it sailed to South Africa to fight in the Boer War (1899-1902), where it was immediately employed in the relief of Ladysmith.
The regiment deployed to the Western Front in 1914 and spent the entire First World War (1914-18) there with 3rd Cavalry Division. It fought in many battles including the First Battle of Ypres (1914), Second Battle of Ypres (1915), Loos (1915), Arras (1917) and Amiens (1918).
It was stationed in England, India, Palestine and Egypt during the inter-war period.
Shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War (1939-45), it became a mechanised unit, joining the Royal Armoured Corps in 1940. It served as an armoured reconnaissance regiment in Syria (1941) and North Africa, where it fought in the Gazala battles and at El Alamein in 1942. It then took part in the Sicily and Italian campaigns in 1943.
The regiment landed in Normandy in July 1944 and ended the war as part of the force which liberated Copenhagen in May 1945.
Although famous for its ceremonial duties, the new unit saw much active service during the 1970s and 1980s as a reconnaissance unit in West Germany with the British Army of the Rhine. Squadrons from the regiment also carried out several tours of Northern Ireland and served on Cyprus with United Nations forces.
In 1982, it sent detachments to the Falklands War, where they supported The Parachute Regiment in the Battle of Wireless Ridge. read more
5450.00 GBP
A Good Victorian Bamboo Hidden, Secret, Dagger-Cane. An Original Antique Collector's item
This is a cane that originally was likely intended for close quarter action. The sword stick or cane was in its day ideal for defensive action, but the dagger-cane was usually intended for both offensive or defensive, ideal for use in a crowd or a hand to hand conflict in most confined quarters of any bustling city. As an antique collectable it is simply awesome. A startling and most collectable conversation piece, worthy of the legendary Sherlock Holmes himself, in fact, more likely a tool of the diabolical genius, and arch nemeses of Holmes, Professor Moriarty . One can only imagine what perils and heinous adversities that it's original owner, who had this awesome cane commissioned, must have feared, dreaded or even instigated. The name Bartitsu might well have been completely forgotten if not for a chance mention by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in one of his Sherlock Holmes mystery stories. In the Adventure of the Empty House (1903), Holmes explained that he had escaped the clutches of his enemy Professor Moriarty through his knowledge of bartitsu, or Japanese wrestling. Using a walking cane with or without hidden blade.
The swordstick was a popular fashion accessory for the wealthy during the 18th and 19th centuries. While the weapon's origins are unknown, it is apparent that the cane-sword's popularity peaked when decorative swords were steadily being replaced by canes as a result of the rising popularity of firearms, and the lessening influence of swords and other small arms.
The first sword canes were made for nobility by leading sword cutlers. Sixteenth century sword canes were often bequeathed in wills. Sword canes became more popular as the streets became less safe. Society dictated it mandatory that gentlemen of the 18th and especially 19th centuries would wear a cane when out and about, and it was common for the well-dressed gentleman to own and sport canes in a variety of styles, including a good and sound sword cane. Although Byron was proficient in the use of pistols, his lameness and his need to defend himself in some potentially dangerous situations made a swordstick doubly useful to him. He received lessons in London from the fencing master Henry Angelo and owned a number of swordsticks, some of which were supplied by his boxing instructor Gentleman John Jackson.
Sword sticks came in all qualities, and for numerous purposes, from the simplest bamboo sword cane personal defender to stout customs officer’s ‘prod’, to offensive close quarter stiletto dagger canes and even to the other side of the world in the form of Japanese samurai’s shikome-sue, hidden swords.
We show two famous sword sticks in the gallery, one that belonged to Lord Byron, and another in a Presidential Centre Library collection, a historic sword stick is part of the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Centre Library collection in Fremont, Ohio from the Waggoner family, the sword-cane was said to have been presented to Mr Waggoner by General George Washington in honour of Waggoner's service in Washington's Life Guard during the American Revolutionary War
36 inches long overall 9.5 inches long blade. An original antique collectable for display purposes only. read more
A Most Rare Early, 14th Century, circa 1340, Medievil Iron Hand Cannon or 'Handgonne' Made in the Period, & Used From the Battle of Crecy and Poitier Era.
An absolutely beauty and an incredibly significant historical piece, effectively the handgonne, was the very first iron hand held powder and ball piece, that began the evolution into the pistol, almost 700 years ago, and around 500 years before Mr Colt developed his first revolver in the 1840's.
From a collection of original rare antiquities collection we acquired, and this is the third extraordinarily rare original handgonne from that collection. We normally find only one or two every ten years or so, or even longer, but to buy all three from the collection was amazing.
The earliest design of conical form. Small enough and light enough to be manoeuvred by hand and thus then loosely fixed, or semi-permanently fixed, in either an L shaped wooden block and used like a mortar, or, onto a length of sturdy wooden haft, from three feet to five foot long to be used almost musket like and bound with wrought iron bands see illustration in the photo gallery of these medievil variations of mounting. The precursor to the modern day pistol and musket from which this form of ancient so called handgonne developed into over the centuries. It is thought that gunpowder was invented in China and found its way to Europe in the 13th Century. In the mid to late 13th Century gunpowder began to be used in cannons and handguns, and by the mid 14th Century they were in relatively frequent use for castle sieges. By the end of the 14th Century both gunpowder, guns and cannon had greatly evolved and were an essential part of fortifications which were being modified to change arrow slits for gun loops. Hand cannon' date of origin ranges around 1350. Hand cannon were inexpensive to manufacture, but not accurate to fire. Nevertheless, they were employed for their shock value. In 1492 Columbus carried one on his discovery exploration to the Americas. Conquistadors Hernando Cortez and Francisco Pizzaro also used them, in 1519 and 1533, during their respective conquests and colonization of Mexico and Peru. Not primary arms of war, hand cannon were adequate tools of protection for fighting men.. Approx, 4 inches long 1 1/2 inch bore, and weighs around 5.1 lbs
See Funcken, L. & Funcken F., Le costume, l'armure et les armes au temps de la chevalerie, de huitieme au quinzieme siecle, Tournai,1977, pp.66-69, for reconstruction of how such hand cannons were used.
At the beginning of the 14th century, among the infantry troops of the Western Middle Ages, developed the use of manual cannons (such as the Italian schioppetti, spingarde, and the German Fusstbusse). read more
2295.00 GBP
A Superb Finest Quality Large Royal Naval Sea Service Brass Cannon Barelled Flintlock Blunderbuss. Made by I Gore of The Minories, London. With Ordnance Crown Stamp. Land Pattern Brass Furniture. Circa 1760
This is a very powerful example of its rare kind, with great heft and substance. Almost the power of a royal naval swivel cannon. Excellent flintlock action. 1740 CP & V proofs to the barrel, finest quality walnut rail stock, all brass furniture in the ordnance Land Pattern form. original ram rod with load extraction steel worm end.
Brass blunderbusses were "naval enforcers" in war and peace. this beauty was used from the American Revolutionary War, through the Anglo French Wars, the Napoleonic Wars, such as the Battle of The Nile, the Battle of Camperdown, the Battle of Cape St. Vincent and the Battle of Cape Trafalgar. The War of 1812 against the American Navy, and up to around the early 1840's. Their huge, smooth-bore barrels are very destructive at close range. They are easy to load and fairly easy to repair.
This amazing example was used by the Royal Navy during the Revolutionary war up to and past the close of the Napoleonic wars.
With these guns such as this at its command, it is little wonder that Britain ruled the waves for many generations. The "Sea Service," as the British Navy was called, continued to be the world's most powerful maritime force for two centuries.
The blunderbuss, which takes its name from the German term Donderbuschse (thunder gun) is a short-barreled firearm with a flared muzzle that made its appearance in the late 16th century. Often associated with the Pilgrims, the blunderbuss was still relatively unknown in the early 17th century.
Originally intended for military purposes, these arms can be traced to 1598, when Germany's Henrich Thielman applied for a patent for a shoulder arm designed for shipboard use to repel enemy boarders. The blunderbuss quickly became popular with the Dutch and English navies. England's growing maritime power seems to have fueled production of these short bell-barrel arms, which were useful during close-in engagements between warships by enabling marines clinging to ship's rigging to use them against the gun crews of opposing vessels. The barrels and furniture of the blunderbuss were typically made from brass, and stocks were most commonly made from walnut. Other, less robust woods were sometimes used, but their tendency to shatter ensured that walnut would remain in widespread use as a stocking material.
The blunderbuss played a role during the English Civil War of 1642-48, and these arms were widely used as a personal defense arm in England during the Commonwealth Period. The lack of an organized system of law enforcement at that time, coupled with the growing threat posed by highwaymen, placed the burden of protecting life and property in the hands of honest citizens.
Although some blunderbusses bore the royal cipher of the Sovereign, they typically did not feature the Broad Arrow identifying government ownership or the markings of the Board of Ordnance, however this example bears the ordnance crown of King George IIIrd. Several brass- and iron-barreled blunderbusses were captured from the forces of Lord Cornwallis upon the latter's surrender to the Continental Army at Yorktown, Virginia in the final land campaign of the American Revolution
As with all our antique guns no license is required as they are all unrestricted antique collectables, and it will be accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.
Overall it is in superb condition with a exemplary original aged patination. the for end on one side has a small combat field service repaired fore stock crack in the wood. read more
3450.00 GBP
From Limoges, a Champleve Enamel Gilt & Bronze Sword Belt Plate of a Knight of King Henry II & Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine. Decorated With A Knight Combating A Beast with Spear and Shield . 1100's 'Opus Lemovicense' Crafted in Limoges, Aquitaine
12th century A.D.. Rectangular plaque with two attachment holes and flange one edge, with traces of a red and blue enamel design of a knight in combat with a beast, armed with a shield and spear, of 'opus lemovicense' { known as the “Work of Limoges"}. This belt plate was created by the same workshop and possibly the very same craftsmen that created on of the finest surviving medieval works of art, the Becket Casket, that now resides in the Victoria and Albert Museum. The belt plate contains the very same blue enamel as the Becket Casket.
A beautiful yet relatively very inexpensive example of 900 year old medieval enamel work from Limoges, in Aquitaine. Crafted from a highly technical workshop under the patronage of King Henry IInd and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine
Limoges enamels, the richest surviving corpus of medieval metalwork, were renowned throughout Europe in the Middle Ages. Yet today they are little known outside academic circles. The present volume, L'Œuvre de Limoges, published in conjunction with the exhibition Enamels of Limoges, 1100–1350, brings to deserved public attention nearly two hundred of the most important and representative examples from the collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Musée du Louvre, the great church treasuries of France, and other sources. Early in the twelfth century, goldsmiths at the Benedictine Abbey of Conques in the hills of the ancient province of Rouergue began to create enamels whose jewel-like colors and rich, golden surfaces belied their fabrication from base copper. Within a generation, this technique was established in the area of the Limousin itself. By the 1160s the enamels created at Limoges, known as opus lemovicense, were a hallmark of the region. They were to be found not only in the Limousin and the neighboring region of the Auvergne but also in Paris, in monasteries along the pilgrims' road to Santiago de Compostela, at the Vatican, and in the cathedrals of Scandinavia.
The works of Limoges were created for important ecclesiastical and royal patrons. The wealth of enameling preserved from the Treasury of the abbey of Grandmont, just outside Limoges, is due chiefly to the Plantagenet patronage of Henry II and his queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine. Enamels created during their reign resonate with the elegant style of the court, and the dramatic history of Henry's monarchy is evoked by such works as the reliquary of Saint Thomas Becket. Ecclesiastical patrons such as Archbishop Absalon of Lund, Cardinal Guala Bicchieri, and, above all, Pope Innocent III were key to the dissemination of Limoges work throughout the churches of Europe.
While few of the artists who created the enamels that have come down to us are known by name, the works of several—Master Alpais, Garnerius, and Aymeric Chretien—are here juxtaposed with related pieces, some of them demonstrably from the same atelier. Clearly, the ability of the goldsmiths of Limoges to adapt their work to meet the demands of a varied clientele was an essential element in their success. Victorines and Franciscans joined Benedictines among the patrons of Limoges. Before the middle of the thirteenth century, the goldsmiths of Limoges began to create tomb sculptures of gilt copper with enameled surrounds, the most famous being the paired images of John and Blanche of France, children of Saint Louis. Objects decorated with enameled coats of arms came into prominence at about the same time.
Eleanor of Aquitaine (1137-1152) was one of the most powerful and influential figures of the Middle Ages and Queen of both France and England. Her legendary Courts of Love were said to have established and preserved many of the rituals of courtly love and chivalry- and had a far-reaching influence on literature, poetry, music and folklore.
The Becket Casket is a reliquary made in about 1180–90 in Limoges, France, and depicts one of the most infamous events in English history, the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket. Following the assassination, relics of St Thomas were placed in similar reliquaries and dispersed across the world. This 'chasse' shaped reliquary is made of gilt-copper round a wooden core, intricately decorated with champlevé enamel to tell the story of Thomas Becket through literal and symbolic imagery. An exemplary showcasing of the Limoges enamel technique, this reliquary is now located in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England.
The Becket Casket is ornately decorated with champlevé enamel surrounding its wooden core and gilded copper interior. The decorative technique of champlevé enamel is a method in which high heat is utilized to fuse a powdered glass material into a recessed area of a metal surface.
The basic process of enameling involves fusing powdered material, such as glass, to the outer surface of a metallic or similar object through the use of high temperature. It is an ancient artistic process, used throughout history and crossing borders to create beautifully decorated pieces of all kinds. The process of champlevé enameling holds almost all of the basic steps as that of regular enameling. However in this technique, recesses of all shapes and sizes are carefully carved into the metallic body of the object and further filled with the powdered glass or frit, allowing for a different finish. The recessing in the body of the object can also be cast or etched, and the following steps remain the same.
The Becket Casket is shown in photo 8 in the gallery
See Taburet-Delahaye, E. & Boehm, B.D., L'Œuvre de Limoges, Paris, 1995,Enamels of Limoges, 1100–1350
Gauthier, Marie-Madeleine, Bernadette Barriere, Dom Jean Becquet, Elisabeth Taburet-Delahaye, Barbara Drake Boehm, Michel Pastoureau, Beatrice de Chancel-Bardelot, Isabelle Biron, Pete Dandridge and Mark T. Wypyski
1996
34mm x 34mm read more
1495.00 GBP
A Superb British Light Dragoon Regimental Sword. 21st LD. The Regiment's Colonel Was One Of the Most Famous & Infamous American Revolutionary War's British Light Dragoon Commanders, Colonel {Later Brevet General} Banastre Tarleton
A very good King George IIIrd regimental trooper's issue sabre, in very nice condition, and regimentaly marked for the 21st Light Dragoons, the spine bears the maker’s details, “JosH H. Reddell & Co.” Joseph Hadley Reddell was a Napoleonic War's Birmingham maker, a noted supplier of swords to the British Government Board of Ordnance.
Famous in England due to his exploits in the Americas, and at the same time, infamous to Americans, due to his reputation for given what was known as 'Tarleton’s Quarter' to the surrendered, which was effectively 'No Quarter Offered'.
Between 1806 and 1816, under Col. Tarleton’s Command, the 21st LD was stationed in Cape Colony. While stationed here it sent men to the 1807 Battle of Montevideo in South America, as well as sending men to Barbados between 1808 and 1809. In 1816 it sent men to the Capture of Tristan de Cunha, due to Napoleon's incarceration there in late 1815. Saint Helena {Napoleon Bonaparte's island of exile}, is one of the three constituent parts of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, a remote British overseas territory.
During the Napoleonic wars, under the command of Banastre Tarleton, the regiment uniquely had four black enlisted volunteer regimental trumpeters, three from the West Indies and one American.
In the course of the colonial war in North America, Cornet Tarleton's campaign service during 1776 earned him the position of brigade major at the end of the year; he was twenty-two years old. He was promoted to captain on 13 June 1778. Major Tarleton was at the Battle of Brandywine and at other battles in the campaigns of 1777 and 1778. One such battle, in 1778, was an attack upon a communications outpost on Signal Hill in Easttown Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, which was guarded by troops commanded by Capt. Henry Lee III, of the Continental Army, who repulsed the British attack
Tarleton materially helped Cornwallis to win the Battle of Camden in August 1780. On 22 August, he was promoted to major in the 79th Regiment of Foot (Royal Liverpool Volunteers). He defeated Thomas Sumter at Fishing Creek, aka "Catawba Fords", but was less successful when he encountered the same general at Blackstock's Farm in November 1780.
On 29 May 1780, Colonel Tarleton, with a force of 149 mounted soldiers, overtook a detachment of 350 to 380 Virginia Continentals, led by Colonel Abraham Buford. Buford rejected Tarleton's invitation to surrender on essentially the same terms as the Charles Town garrison. The Continentals continued marching, not preparing for battle until they heard their rear guard in action. Only after sustaining many casualties did Buford order the American soldiers to surrender. Nonetheless, Tarleton's forces ignored the white flag and massacred the soldiers of Buford's detachment; 113 American soldiers were killed, 203 were captured, and 150 were severely wounded. The British army casualties were 5 soldiers killed and 12 soldiers wounded. From the perspective of the British Army, the affair of the massacre is known as the Battle of Waxhaw Creek. In that time, the American rebels used the phrase "Tarleton's quarter" (shooting after surrender) as meaning "no quarter offered".
Forty years later, Robert Brownfield, a surgeon’s mate in the Second South Carolina Regiment at the time of the battle, wrote an account. He said that Colonel Buford raised the white flag of surrender to the British Legion, "expecting the usual treatment sanctioned by civilized warfare"; yet, while Buford called for quarter, Colonel Tarleton's horse was shot with a musket ball, felling horse and man. On seeing that, the Loyalist cavalrymen believed that the Virginia Continentals had shot their commander – while they asked him for mercy. Enraged, the Loyalist troops attacked the Virginians and "commenced a scene of indiscriminate carnage never surpassed by the ruthless atrocities of the most barbarous savages"; in the aftermath, the British Legion soldiers killed wounded American soldiers where they lay.
Tarleton's account, published in 1787, said that his horse had been shot from under him, and that his soldiers, thinking him dead, engaged in "a vindictive asperity not easily restrained".
Regardless of the extent to which they were true or false, the reports of British atrocities motivated Whig-leaning colonials to support the American Revolution. On 7 October 1780, at the Battle of Kings Mountain, South Carolina, soldiers of the Continental Army, having heard of the slaughter at Waxhaw Creek, killed American Loyalists who had surrendered after a sniper killed their British commanding officer, Maj. Patrick Ferguson.
On 17 January 1781, Tarleton's forces were virtually destroyed by American Brigadier General Daniel Morgan at the Battle of Cowpens. Tarleton and about 200 men escaped the battlefield.
Lieutenant Colonel William Washington commanded the rebel cavalry; to deprive the rebels of leadership he was targeted by the British commander and two of his men. Tarleton was stopped by Washington himself, who attacked him with his sabre, calling out, "Where is now the boasting Tarleton?" A cornet of the 17th, Thomas Patterson, rode up to strike Washington but was shot and killed by Washington's orderly trumpeter.
Washington survived this assault and in the process wounded Tarleton's right hand with a sabre blow, while Tarleton creased Washington's knee with a pistol shot that also wounded his horse. Washington pursued Tarleton for sixteen miles, but gave up the chase when he came to the plantation of Adam Goudylock near Thicketty Creek. Tarleton was able to escape capture by forcing Goudylock to serve as a guide.
Tarleton continued to serve in the British Army and was promoted to colonel on 22 November 1790, to major-general on 4 October 1794 and to lieutenant-general on 1 January 1801. Whilst on service in Portugal, Tarleton succeeded William Henry Vane, 3rd Earl of Darlington as colonel of the Princess of Wales's Fencible Dragoons in 1799. Tarleton was appointed colonel of the 21st Light Dragoons on 24 July 1802. He was brevetted to general on 1 January 1812. He had hoped to be appointed to command British forces in the Peninsular War, but the position was instead given to Wellington. He held a military command in Ireland and another in England.
Trumpeter Andrew John Baptiste was born in the West Indies c.1780 (one source gives his birthplace as ‘Mandingo, Africa’). He enlisted in the 21st in July 1799. On enlistment he was 5/3 and ¼” tall with a black complexion, black eyes and black hair. A labourer by occupation, he was discharged, being invalided, at the Cape (South Africa), in July 1817. He is not recorded as being paid a pension, so it is likely that he was either simply discharged or received a gratuity.His surname was rendered as Babtiste and Bapliste. The Mandingo tribe Bissau.
Trumpeter Samuel Campbell was born in St Domingo c.1783. He enlisted in the 21st in October 1800. On enlistment he was 5/7 and ½” tall with a black complexion, black eyes, black hair and was a carpenter by occupation. A married man, he had probably met his wife Margaret (nee’ Roque), whilst the regiment was serving in Ireland. Their son, also named Samuel, was baptised in Woodbridge, Suffolk, when the regiment was quartered there in March 1805. He died in February 1812, serving in the latter stages of the 4th Xhosa War. Credit of £1/14s/1d was paid to his wife, Margaret, in Limerick, Ireland.
Private La Fleur Crittee was born in Pon-di-Cherry, East Indies c.1779. (Puducherry, India). He enlisted in the 21st in August 1805. On enlistment he was 5/11” tall with a black complexion, black eyes and black hair. A servant by occupation, he died in November 1815, whilst the regiment was serving in the Cape (South Africa). Sources: Forename also rendered as La Flean, and surname as Cartter, Cretie and Crittie.
Trumpeter Samuel Thomas was born in St Vincent c.1778. He enlisted in the 21st in March 1799. On enlistment he was 5/5” tall with a black complexion, black eyes and black hair. Invalided at the Cape (South Africa) in July 1817, he transferred to the Cape Cavalry. Discharged as a Trumpeter on a pension “being worn out”, in January 1821, he was described as being of “very good character”.
Trumpeter John Williams was born in Baltimore, USA c.1783. He enlisted in the 21st in September 1806. On enlistment he was 5/6” tall with a black complexion, black eyes and black hair. A labourer by occupation, he was discharged in the Cape, (South Africa), in June 1817.
No scabbard.
Painting in the gallery of the IV Light Dragoons and their black trumpeter. read more
1200.00 GBP
A ‘Special Offer’ Pair, A Single Fired Musket Ball & Single Musket Flint From The Waterloo Battlefield Site During the Construction of the Waterloo Mound in the 1820’s
From the field of the 1815 Battle of Waterloo, during a Grand Tour at the building of the Waterloo mound, a huge lion monument at the battle site of Waterloo, in honour of the Prince of Orange. A collection 20 assorted musket flints and pistol and musket balls recovered from Waterloo, offered by us as a matched pair of one ball and one flint at a time. Originally purchased by the nobility from the peasant excavators in Belgium, while building the Prince of Orange's Waterloo Mound at the battlefield in the 1820's, and acquired by us from their descendants as a collection of 20. From part of our antiquities and curiosities acquired from a circa 1820's Grand Tour classical collection from Europe and the Middle East. Such as Agincout, Poitiers, Crecy, Waterloo, Philippi, and following Alexander's campaign trail of his conquests then part of the Ottoman Empire. We have been purchasing piecemeal from the same family for around 20 years, military items and artefacts from the family's forebears Grand Tour in the early 19th century.
We are offering them as two fabulous souvenirs of the famous Duke of Wellington's victory over France and Napoleon, a matched pair, one flint and one ball.
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday, 18 June 1815, near Waterloo in Belgium, part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands at the time. A French army under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated by two of the armies of the Seventh Coalition, a British-led coalition consisting of units from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Hanover, Brunswick, and Nassau, under the command of the Duke of Wellington, referred to by many authors as the Anglo-allied army or Wellington's army, and a Prussian army under the command of Field Marshal von Blücher, referred to also as Blücher's army. The battle marked the end of the Napoleonic Wars. The battle was contemporaneously known as the Battle of Mont Saint-Jean or La Belle Alliance (the beautiful alliance).
Waterloo was the decisive engagement of the Waterloo Campaign and Napoleon's last. According to Wellington, the battle was "the nearest-run thing you ever saw in your life". Napoleon abdicated four days later, and coalition forces entered Paris on 7 July. The defeat at Waterloo ended Napoleon's rule as Emperor of the French and marked the end of his Hundred Days return from exile. This ended the First French Empire and set a chronological milestone between serial European wars and decades of relative peace, often referred to as the Pax Britannica. The battlefield is located in the Belgian municipalities of Braine-l'Alleud and Lasne, about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) south of Brussels, and about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the town of Waterloo. The site of the battlefield today is dominated by the monument of the Lion's Mound, a large artificial hill constructed from earth taken from the battlefield itself; the topography of the battlefield near the mound has not been preserved. Photo is of ten of our twelve pairs
As with all our items it comes complete with our certificate of authenticity. read more
48.00 GBP
A Simply Stunning Most Rare Napoleonic Wars Type of a 1796 Infantry Officer's Sword, Monogrammed With Its Owner's Title and Monogram, Plus His Patriotic Motto “The Love Of, My Country, & Freedom” Etched Upon The Acutely Tapering “Needle Point’ Blade.
A most rare blade type, modelled on a 15th-16th century needle point double edged broadsword form known as the type XVII.
The mercurial gilt hilt is near to mint as possible, and it has a folding guard, but with an extraordinarily rare form of blued steel hinge arrangement. The diamond section blade has overall salt and pepper pitting, and bears, in fine etching, the owners title initial, H above his monogram, A. A., and below the monogram, is a Tarlton helmet, and below that a patriotic motto, within three scrolls, The Love Of, My Country, & Freedom. A most unusual form of bespoke blade for the 1796 infantry pattern sword, far better for combat than the standard single edged straight blade, perfect if one is a trained swordsman in the art of hand to hand rapier combat. Perfect for the thrust due to its strength and rigidity, ideal for the cut being double edged. And superb for the parry being quatrefoil, which gives it extra strength. An officer trained to use such a sword would be a formidable foe indeed. One can easily see this by simply by looking at its full length profile in the photographs. It’s appearance of a rigid reinforced needle is incredibly impressive.
After considerable research this incredible sword may indeed have been most likely commissioned for the Hon Alexander Abercromby, we can find no other British army serving officer with this rank and initials. He first served in the Gordon Highlanders, then he transferred to command the 29th Foot, the North Gloucestershires, in Busaco in the Peninsular War, then in 1815 he served under Wellington as Wellington's Assistant Quartermaster General for the 2nd Foot Guards, at Quatre Bras and Waterloo, in the War of 100 Days, Napoleon's last battles and his final foiled attempt to regain his empire.
Born on 4 March 1784, Abercromby entered the army at an early age, and served as a volunteer with the 92nd Regiment, the Gordon Highlanders, in the expedition to the Helder in 1799. He soon obtained a commission, and saw service with his regiment in Egypt. He was appointed aide-de-camp to his father's old lieutenant and friend, Sir John Moore, during his command in Sicily in 1806, but was not with him in Spain.
Like his brother, Sir John, he was rapidly promoted, and in 1808, when only twenty-four, became lieutenant-colonel of the 28th Regiment. He accompanied his regiment when it was sent to Portugal to reinforce Lord Wellesley after the battle of Talavera. He commanded it at the battle of Busaco, and in the lines of Torres Vedras, and as senior colonel had the good fortune to command his brigade at the battle of Albuera. His services there were very conspicuous, and his brigade has been immortalised by Napier. He was soon superseded, but commanded his regiment at the surprise of Arroyo de Molinos and the storming of the forts at Almaraz.
In 1812 he was removed to the staff of the army, and was present as assistant-quartermaster-general at the battles of Vittoria, the Pyrenees, and Orthes. He served in the same capacity in 1815, and was present at Quatre-Bras, Waterloo, and the storming of Péronne. Péronne, on the banks of the Somme, was captured on 26 June during the Allied advance on Paris following the victory at Waterloo
He was the son of Lieutenant General Sir Ralph Abercromby KB (7 October 1734 – 28 March 1801) who was a British soldier and politician. He rose to the rank of lieutenant-general in the British Army, was appointed Governor of Trinidad, served as Commander-in-Chief, Ireland, and was noted for his services during the French Revolutionary Wars, ultimately in the Egyptian campaign. His strategies are ranked amongst the most daring and brilliant exploits of the British army. No doubt Alexander gained his considerable combat tactical skills from his father. To be Colonel of a regiment at 24 and to be in command of a battle was no mean feat based entirely on merit.
For his active services he was promoted to a colonelcy in the 2nd or Coldstream Guards,
The last photo in the gallery of the other 10th hussars sword shows a photograph of one section of the collection in the museum of Waterloo, taken in around 1900, showing all the weapons of Waterloo en situ, including all the protagonists {British, French, Prussian and Belgian muskets, swords, pistols, armour uniforms, etc}. The museum was founded and owned by a veteran of the 7th Hussars that fought at Waterloo. read more
1495.00 GBP
A Stunning 1796 Scottish Flank Officer's Combat Sword, Napoleonic Wars, Peninsular & Waterloo Period. For Coldstream Guards, With One Of The Most Beautiful, Finest Quality & Unique Blade Engravings We Have Ever Seen. By Hunter of Edinburgh
Very likely a Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, flank company officer's sword for use in the Coldstreamers grenadier 'flank company' of the regiment. Almost certainly used by a Coldstream flank company officer in the Peninsular War and Waterloo, and even at Hougemont itself, for that, for us, there is little doubt. Each battalion of the British army included a light infantry company and a grenadier company; they were known as "flank companies" and were made up of the best soldiers in the battalion. During field operations they normally were pooled to form special corps of light infantry and grenadiers. This wondrous sword has a fully deluxe engraved blade, engraved and etched with royal crown, royal crest and cypher, a seated Brittania and an Angel blowing the trumpet of Victory, stands of arms, thistles and roses, with fine contra blueing, and fully intact to one blade face. Although fully engraved and etched on both sides, the obverse side is more worn, and has the blueing to that side worn away entirely. Possibly due to it being on display, hanging against a wall of a stately home or castle, for a century and a half or more. Custom made for its owner by Hunter of Edinburgh, and it was Hunter that was the dominant and near exclusive supplier of swords to all Coldstream guards regimental officers from before, and during, the Napoleonic wars. Also, the finest quality deluxe and extravagant nature of this blade is a typical example of the elaborate display of an elite Guards officer's status. The sword maker/retailer's name, Hunter, and his location, Edinburgh, is etched upon the obverse side of the blade, but very worn see photo 8 . In at least two seminal works of sword makers both Sword for Sea Service, and Swords and Sword Makers of England and Scotland it is clearly recorded that 'Hunter of Edinburgh' specifically supplied the officers of the Coldstream Guards from 1780 to at least 1810. The elite Coldstream Regiment saw extensive service in the wars against the French Revolution and in the Napoleonic Wars. Under the command of Sir Ralph Abercrombie, it defeated French troops in Egypt. In 1807, it took part in the investment of Copenhagen. In January 1809, it sailed to Portugal to join the forces under Sir Arthur Wellesley. In 1814, it took part in the Battle of Bayonne, in France, where a cemetery keeps their memory. The 2nd Battalion joined the Walcheren Expedition. Later, it served as part of the 2nd Guards Brigade in the chateau of Hougoumont on the outskirts of the Battle of Waterloo. This defence is considered one of the greatest achievements of the regiment, and an annual ceremony of "Hanging the Brick" is performed each year in the Sergeants' Mess to commemorate the efforts of Cpl James Graham and Lt-Col James MacDonnell, who shut the North Gate after a French attack. The Duke of Wellington himself declared after the battle that "the success of the battle turned upon closing the gates at Hougoumont". The night before the battle of Waterloo, Wellington sent MacDonnell with the guards to occupy the Chateau de Hougoumont. MacDonnell held this key position against overwhelming French attacks during the early part of the battle. When French troops were forcing their way into the courtyard, MacDonnell, aided by a sergeant, closed and held the gates by sheer physical strength. Chosen by Wellington for the award of £1,000 as the ‘bravest man in the British Army,’ MacDonnell insisted upon sharing the sum with his sergeant.
A painting by Dighton of the Coldstream Guards coming to the aid of the defenders. They fought their way into the chateau. Lieut-Col Daniel Mackinnon of the Grenadier Company has his back to us on the right. He was wounded in the knee but carried on until he became weak through loss of blood. He survived the battle and became commanding officer of the regiment in 1830.
Map of Hougoumont
From Wellington's viewpoint the three main buildings that formed landmarks on the battlefield were La Haye Sainte in the middle, Papelotte on the left, and Hougoumont on the right. The chateau of Hougoumont was a manor house and farm with ornamental garden, orchard and woods. The 1st Guards were posted on the ridge behind the chateau and some of them had been involved in a skirmish around Hougoumont on the evening of the 17th. But the defence of the buildings was given, initially, to the Light Companies of the Coldstream and Scots Guards under the command of Coldstreamer, Lieut-Col James Macdonnell, the personal choice of Wellington. They spent the morning barricading all the gateways into the enclosure of buildings, except for the north gate which had to remain accessible to supplies and reinforcements.
The first attack came from troops in Reille's Corps under the command of Jerome, who was ordered by his brother Napoleon, to take Hougoumont at all costs. He took the order literally and many Frenchmen died in the attempt, by the end of the day the number was 8,000. The first attack was repulsed by firing from within the chateau and outside. More attacks came, but thankfully without artillery which could have destroyed the walls of the enclosure. Those guardsmen who were still outside managed to withdraw into the chateau and the north gate was shut, but before it could be barricaded it was rushed by a party of 12 brave Frenchmen led by Lieutenant Legros, a large man with an axe. They barged in but all died fighting. Only a young French drummer was allowed to live. The closing and barricading of the gates was accomplished by Macdonnell and nine others.
Fighting Outside Hougoumont
Sir John Byng ordered three companies of the Coldstream Guards under Lt-Col Dan Mackinnon to go down and support the beleaguered garrison. They drove the French from the west wall and entered the enclosure. Napoleon himself became involved and ordered howitzer fire to be used. Incendiary shells were fired at the buildings and they caught fire, killing many of the wounded who were inside. Colonel Alexander Woodford entered the struggle with the remainder of the Coldstream Guards, leaving two companies on the ridge to guard the Colours. They fought their way into Hougoumont to reinforce the defenders. Woodford outranked Macdonnell but at first declined to take command away from him.
The End of the Battle
The situation became critical at one stage so that the King's German Legion were sent forward to counter-attack on the outside of the building. This effectively proved the last straw for the French who gave up their attempts to take Hougoumont. Woodford was commanding the garrison at the end of the battle when Wellington ordered a general advance to pursue the French. The force inside the enclosure ranged from 500 to 2000, but they managed to keep a whole French Corps occupied all day. The casualty figures for the Coldstream Guards on the 18th June was one officer and 54 other ranks killed, 7 officers and 249 other ranks wounded. Four men were unaccounted for. No scabbard read more
2750.00 GBP
