Jonathan Hopkins

Thomas, Thank you for your kind reply. I would love to reunite his medals with his sword, in fact I'd like to be able to do that with all of my swords. Unfortunately that is not an undertaking I could afford! I try to always do some research ahead before buying. I am a bit picky in that I like swords that belonged to officers who saw active service. I have bought three swords without doing my research first. I was lucky in that each one had a good story to tell, but it could have gone the other way and I could have ended up with swords with bland histories. Relatively speaking, of course. Jonathan

This is the second of two Pattern 1821 Royal Artillery Officers' Swords I recently acquired. I am drawn to swords with provenance, and this sword is quite exciting in that regard--more on that below. In addition to the pleasure of researching the officer, this sword is also an excellent example of an officer's fighting sword. Made by Wilkinson, it features the "Patent Solid Hilt" which was favored by many officers who expected to see active service in some corner of the empire. It also has a long (still sharp!) cavalry length blade which bears standard etched decorations including scrolling foliage, the symbols of the Royal Artillery, Wilkinson's label and proof disc, etc., as well as the owner's initials--DRM--and his crest. The sword is in good condition. The hilt is especially fine and the blade has some minor pitting. The scabbard has some sticker damage, but a dose of Pecard Antique Leather Dressing did an admirable job of making the damage less obvious. Donald Ramsay Macdonald was born at Hollymouth, County Carlow on 4 February, 1884 to D.W. Macdonald, Esq. of Hallatrow Court, Somerset. He was educated at Harrow School from 1897-1901, and and at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. Interestingly, he bought his sword as a young cadet in 1901. On 15 June, 1903, Macdonald was commisioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the Royal Field Artillery. From 1903 to 1907 he served with the 106th Battery, 22nd Brigade, RFA at Hilsea and Ewshott. He was promoted lieutenant on 15 July, 1906. Between 1907 and 1910 he served at Newbridge with the 143rd battery, 48th Brigade. Then in 1910 he was posted to the 48th Battery, 36th Brigade. On 17 August, 1914, Macdonald embarked for France with the 48th Battery, and several months later he was mentioned in despatches in the (London Gazette, 19 October, 1914) and promoted captain (30 October, 1914). In December, he moved to the 34th Brigade, and by January Macdonald again distinguished himself and was amongst the first to be awarded the Military Cross (London Gazette, 1 January, 1915). On 3 July, 1916, Macdonald was promoted major. Also in that year he was posted to the 110th Brigade, RFA, and was wounded at Pozieres. He was again wounded at Langemaark in 1917. In July, 1918 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order, and was again mentioned in despatches in December, 1918, for service with the 466th Battery, 65th Brigade, RFA. His DSO citation in the London Gazette (Issue 30813 published on the 23 July 1918): After the war, from 1919 to 1922, Macdonald was back home in Ireland as the officer commanding the 16th battery, 30th Brigade, RFA at Kildare. From 1923 to 1930 he served as officer in command of the 16th Battery, 7th Brigade, RFA at Kampee, Lucknow, and Borden. Macdonald retired in August, 1930 after nearly 30 years of distinguished service. He died 28 December, 1934 and is buried at Killeshin Graveyard, County Carlow, Ireland. Photo from the Brennan Family History Website: Major Macdonald's medals recently sold at auction, as did those of his two sons: Donald Ramsay Macdonald Lt. R.W. Macdonald, RN Major J.R.S. Macdonald, Royal Fusiliers Major Macdonald's WWI Medal Index Cards: Sources: Harrow School Register, 1845-1925 The Distinguished Order 1886-1923 List of Officers of the Royal Regiment of Artillery 1862-1914 Medal Roll for the 1914 Star The 25th Division in France and Flanders Hart's Annual Army List (various) And again, a special thank you to Dick Flory of the Great War Forum, who provided the bulk of the information and was so kind to take his time to look into Major Macdonald.

This is a Pattern 1821 Royal Artillery officer's sword by Henry Wilkinson, made in 1893, and featuring "Patent Solid Hilt" construction. The steel hilt and scabbard are brownish-black with age and old, stabilized rust, and what appears to be black paint on areas of the hilt. The blade is in good condition and is well etched with scrolling foliage, the devices of the royal artillery, and the original owner's monogram; ERP. Ernest Robert Phillips was born 16 July, 1868. At age 17 he entered the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich and attained his commission as a 2nd lieutenant at age 19. As a young officer, Phillips served with several garrisons including Gibraltar with 3 Battery, Eastern Division and 26 Battery, Eastern Division, from 1890-1892, during which time he was promoted lieutenant (17 February, 1891. From 1892-1893 he served the Eastern Division?s 2nd Sub-Depot in Great Yarmouth, and again for a time he found himself back in Gibraltar. Before embarking for service in India, Phillips had some time to buy a new sword?a nice Pattern 1821 with Patent Solid Hilt. From February of 1894-1895 Phillips was with Number 4 Company at Fort Saint George, Madras. In 1896 he was attached to Number 5 Mountain Battery, with whom he remained through 1900. In 1897 Phillips took command of No. 5 Mountain Battery which was with the Tirah expeditionary force during the campaign of 1897-98. For his service, Phillips was entitled to the India General Service medal with clasp ?Punjab Frontier 1897-98?, and 18 June, 1898 was promoted captain. From October, 1900-1902 he served with Number 5 Company, Southern Division at Agra and Aden. Between 1902 and 1908 he served with the Devon Royal Garrison Artillery Militia, 1908 and 1911 he served with the 4 Wexxex Brigade, Royal Field Artillery Territorial Force, and 1911 and 1912 he was in command of the Somerset Royal Horse Artillery Territorial Force. His promotions during his tenure with the militia and territorial forces are difficult to follow: Gazette Issue 27600 published on the 25 September 1903: Gazette Issue 28181 published on the 29 September 1908: Gazette Issue 28503 published on the 13 June 1911: In 1914 Phillips was re-employed with the RFA as commanded the 174th Brigade, RFA, 39th Division from 19 May, 1915 to 11 April, 1916. During this period he was made a temporary lieutenant-colonel (11 August, 1915), and went to France with his unit on 1 March 1916. From A short history of the 39th (Deptford) Divisional Artillery 1915-1918 by H.W. Wiebkin: ...and: Apparently he was invalided out of service. Perhaps the rigors of the campaign were too much for him at age 48 or he could have been injured. I have not been successful in tracing his life after he left the Royal Artillery. Sources: A Short History of the 39th (Deptford) Divisional Artillery 1915-1918 List of Officers of the Royal Regiment of Artillery 1862-1914 Hart?s Annual Army List (various) And thank you to Dick Flory of the Great War Forum for his tremendous help! (Any errors are, of course, my own.)

Mervyn, Thank you. Steel scabbards were still used for field service in 1893, so this one was not just for the parade ground. However, the officer may have also owned a brown leather field service scabbard. I was very annoyed to see the sticker on the scabbard. I was able to remove it with minimal damage to the leather. Unfortunately the scabbard has seen its share of stickers, but the marks are not as visible after applying some Pecard Antique Leather Dressing. Jonathan

Rick, Those questions are somewhat answered here: http://forums.swordforum.com/showthread.php?t=87782 Basically, the symbol is two intertwined triangles. Apparently the triangle was thought to symbolize strength, so two triangles meant double strength. The proof slugs were introduced by Wilkinson, and were meant to show that the swords had passed their proof test. Other makers followed suit even if they did not subject their blades to testing. Various makers used different proof slugs, but from a distance they were indistinguishable from the Wilkinson slugs. This thread might have some other useful info: http://forums.swordforum.com/showthread.php?t=85824 I hope that answers you questions! Jonathan

Thank you, Thomas! I will see what I can put together this weekend. :)

These just arrived today; two British Pattern 1821 Royal Artillery Officers' Swords. Both were made by Wilkinson, and both feature "Patent Solid Hilt" construction. The sword with the steel scabbard was made in 1893 and the sword with the leather field service scabbard was made in 1901. The earlier sword is quite a beast, but both are nice examples of fighting swords. I am working on write-ups on the originals owners of these swords, which I may post at a later date. These swords are in need of some gentle clean-up and TLC, a project I am eager to tackle when I find the time!

As it is an officers sword I doubt it would have been purchased by the government. Regardless of where it was used, it was likely purchased privately by an officer.

Thank you for your comments. I'll admit that the photos were taken by the person from whom I bought the sword. Marsham was fun to research. Obtaining a photo of him was quite exciting--there he sits in Montreal with his sword, now in my collection. It is also exciting to think that as one of the few officers who participated in the 1870 Red River Expedition, he probably knew Wolseley and certainly he knew Buller! I shared my research and the photo with the dealer from whom I purchased the sword. The photo reminded him that the sword came with remnants of the belt suspension straps, which he sent to me in March. The silver hardware for my suspension straps were made by T.B. Wilkins, Ltd. of Birmingham in 1871.

Thank you! It is definitely one of the best in my small collection. :D

Mervyn, Yes, Wilkinson closed the doors on its sword production some years ago. Records, equipment, and stock were dispersed in various ways. Richard Milner, the proprietor of www.armsresearch.co.uk, now owns the Wilkinson sales records and does look-ups for a fee. I recommend using this service for your swords. I am not familiar with weapons laws in other countries, but I imagine there are exceptions for swords to be used by military personnel. Jonathan

Unfortunately, only swords with serial numbers can be traced with the Wilkinson records. They began using serial numbers in 1854, so initials, crests, etc. are the only way to research pre-1854 Wilkinson swords.

Mervyn, That serial number dates your sword to 1958 (and the other one to 1957). You may already be aware of this, but the Wilkinson sales records still exist and enquiries can be made via www.armsresearch.co.uk. There is a small fee, but it is often well worth it. There is no charge if the ledger entry is blank. Jonathan

Nice sword, Mervyn. Does the sword have a serial number on the spine? Jonathan

The sword could be of British or American manufacture as stated. I have seen these commonly listed as artillery sabers and dated anywhere between about 1800 and 1830. Dmitry, a keen collector of early American swords, would probably be able say a bit more about it or correct me. I will point-out this thread to him. Jonathan

Mervyn, Thank you for your replies. I am pretty confident that the third initial is an L, so I don;t think the middle initial is an L. Assuming I am correct about it being GFL, can anyone suggest options other than the officers I have found (G.F. Lamert and G.F. Long)? Of the two, who seems more likely? (Taking into account their service records and the fact that the sword was sharpened for service.) At this point I feel it is a toss-up. Long had a more active career, but I cannot find a reason for him to have purchased a sword from an Edinburgh retailer, nor can I find evidence that he was on leave in Britain before seeing action on the battlefield. Lamert appears to have connections with Ireland, so again, the Edinburgh connection is a bit of a mystery. And the only possible action he might have seen that would warrant sharpening his sword was the rebellion in Ceylon. Can anyone help me learn more about Lt.-Col. Long and if he might have had a reason to buy a sword in Edinburgh? Can anyone suggest other officers whose initials might match? Thank you, Jonathan

I inverted the colours on one of the original images. I think it might make it a bit more clear. Any further thoughts? Thank you, Jonathan

Members here seem to enjoy items with provenance, so i though I would present my last acquisition from December--a British Pattern 1827 Rifle Officer's Sword by Wilkinson. (Apologies to those who have already seen this on other forums!) The rifle volunteer movement was huge between 1860 and the end of the 19th century. Consequently, many rifle pattern swords were produced, and a very high percentage of those swords on the market today belonged to volunteer officers, and a relatively small proportion of these swords actually belonged to officers who saw active service in a regular army rifle regiment. My sword is one of the latter. The sword is of standard form for a P1827. It has a steel "Gothic" hilt with strung bugle badge, fish skin grip with silver wire, a steel scabbard, and standard ~32" blade, and what I believe to be the original sword knot. The blade is in immaculate condition, and is simple in its decoration; Wilkinson label etched on ricasso with HW circular proof slug on the opposite side of the ricasso, scrolling foliage and VR cypher and a strung bugle. The spine of the blade is marked with the serial number and is etched with the center of percussion marking, and the blade was sharpened for active service. This Pattern 1827 was sold by Wilkinson on 10 July 1866 to H.S. Marsham, Esq.. Henry Savill Marsham, born 19 January 1847, was the eldest son of Reverend Henry P. Marsham and Caroline Savill Onley of Rippon Hall, Hevingham, Norfolk. Marsham was educated at Eton, and on December 2nd, 1865, was commissioned by purchase as an ensign in the 60th. Marsham was promoted to lieutenant on 17 February1869, and in that same year became adjutant of the 1st Battalion. While stationed with his battalion in Canada, the 60th was sent as part of Wolseley's expedition to confront Louis Riel and the M?tis in 1870, during the Red River Rebellion, at the Red River Settlement in what is now the Canadian province of Manitoba. Marsham is one of a handful of officer to have earned the Canada General Service Medal with clasp for Red River. On 2 March 1878 Marsham was promoted to captain, and a few short months later in October of the same year, he was off to Afghanistan with the 2/60th. Marsham remained in Afghanistan through November of 1880, where he took part in the advance on and occupation Kandahar and Khelat-i-Ghilzie, and was present in the engagements at Ahmed Khel and Urzu near Ghuznee; and accompanied Roberts in the march to Kandahar and was present at the battle of Kandahar. In October of 1880, Marsham served in the Marri expedition under Brigadier General MacGregor. His services in Afghanistan earned him a mention in dispatches, the Afghan War Medal with two clasps and the Kabul-Kandahar Bronze Star. In January of 1881, shortly after completing his service in Afghanistan, Marsham embarked with his battalion for Natal, South Africa to serve against the Boers in the Transvaal. Marsham was promoted to major on 20 December 1882, married Caroline Blake Humfrey in 1883, and retired from the army in 1888. Marsham had an active post-Army career, and served as a Deputy-Lieutenant for the County of Norfolk, Lord of the Manor of Cats-cum-Cricketots, and patron of the livings of Stratton Strawless, Brampton, and Wramplingham. Marsham was a trustee of the Norwich & Norfolk Hospital, and was for forty years a magistrate, occupying for many years the chairmanship of the Aylsham Bench. He also continued his family legacy of observing Indications of Spring. He died shortly after his 90th birthday, in April 1937. Henry Savill Marsham, c.1870 (photo courtesy of the Royal Green Jackets Museum): References Hart's Annual Army List (Various) --Lt.-Gen. H.G. Hart A Regimental Chronicle and List of Officers of the 60th, Or the King's Royal Rifle Corps--Nesbit Willoughby Wallace The Norfolk & Norwich Hospital, 1770 to 1900--Peter Eade http://www.robertmarsham.co.uk http://www.ancestry.co.uk http://www.artfact.com http://www.armsresearch.co.uk

I am not sure if this is much better, but I think it is best I can do with my limited skills and technology.

Mervyn, Thank you for having a look. I will try to get some better photos of the initials. Those were taken inside the house at night, which does not allow for the best lighting! Jonathan

Based on what I see traded online, these are not a common pattern. I am not sure if they are "rare", but in my experience they are less common than their cavalry doppelgangers. I don't have any idea as to the value, unfortunately. Jonathan

Mervyn, Thank you for the welcome. The hilt is similar to the cavalry troopers' patterns of the time and can be easily confused with the cavalry pattern when measurements are not provided. Here is what Annis & May (Swords for Sea Service Vol. 1)say about the P1889 and P1900 cutlasses: The National Maritime Museum has a few examples: Pattern 1889 Naval Cutlass Pattern 1900 Naval Cutlass My main focus is British officers' swords of the Victorian period, but my collection encompasses the 18th century through World War I. My collection is relatively small with around 16 British swords and a few stragglers from other countries and periods. Over the past several years I have sold a number of swords in order to improve the quality of my collection, which has resulted in a smaller overall collection. All the best, Jonathan

These initials are etched on a British P1845 infantry officer's sword c.1850-1854. I think they read GFL, but someone else suggested GIL. I have not been able to find anyone with the initials GIL in any of the online Hart's Lists, but there are two officers with the initials GFL: George Fead Lamert and George Frederick Long. So first of all, would you agree that the initials look like GFL? At this point I feel that Long is a better match, mainly due to the fact that the sword has been sharpened for service (Long served in the Pujab 1845-46, Lamert did not see any active service except possibly a minor rebellion when serving with the Ceylon Rifles). Right now I am trying to learn more about Long to see if any clues about his life might help prove or disprove ownership of the sword in my collection. Here is a short summary of what I know: Born 15/08/1815 to Edmund Slingsby Long, Esq. and Maria Betts in Old Catton, Norwich. Ranks are as follows: Ensign, 27 September 1833 (54th Foot) Lieutenant, 17 June 1837 (54th Foot) Captain, 8 February 1842 (54th Foot) Major, gazetted 31 March 1846 (50th Foot) Lieutenant-Colonel, 1854 (unattached) The other possibility--assuming GFL is correct--is George Fead Lamert. Lamert was commissioned as ensign into the 37th in 1845, transferred to the 17th at some point in 1846, to the Ceylon Rifles by 1848, and to the 60th by 1857, and the 30th by 1860. He served as paymaster with the 30th and 60th. He appears to have not risen above the rank of lieutenant before becoming paymaster. Lamert resigned in 1862, soon after receiving the honorary rank of captain. I suppose it is possible that when he was with the Ceylon Rifles he saw action during the Matale Rebellion in 1848. The sword was retailed by Millan & Mann in Edinburgh, so I am thinking that if I can determine Long's home city I may be able to feel more confident in attributing the sword to him. Based on some assistance I received on another forum, Lamert does not appear to have any connections to Edinburgh but I suppose he is still a potential owner. Any and all thoughts on the initials and the possible attribution are welcome and appreciated! I am open to new ideas on this so any help is welcome!

Sorry to resurrect this somewhat old thread, but the sword is not a cavalry sword. It is a British Pattern 1900 Naval Cutlass, hence its length and scabbard. Jonathan

You could use these surnames provided by Mervyn Mitton and look through the Hart's Lists of the period 1845-54 to see if there are any matches for newly commissioned officers. Not a guaranteed way of finding an officer, but it is a possible approach. Please do post more photos if you are able! Jonathan