Mervyn Mitton

Will do photos on Friday. Book should be arriving soon.

Yes - 1845 pattern Remarkable condition - usually the gilt wears off the brass from over cleaning. Never rub it hard. The condition of the blade is also very good - the rust you mention at the tip of the blade, comes from putting the blade back in the scabbard when it is wet. Clean it off with gun oil and keep the blade lightly oiled with the same - particularly if you live in a humid climate - I think Florida is the same latitude as Durban - so not a good climate for conservation. Check on the suggestion for a Regt. - but, I don't recognise any symbols. Also, as Rick said - look at any family arms - when engraving on small areas they often just use the main part - i.e. Star or, Unicorn. Keep us all posted.

This is very interesting - I bought this at least 20 years ago, from a UK dealer. I don't pretend to have the knowledge for helmets - just that I like them. I have another - better - one at the flat in UK. I will try to get the helmet taken apart - as for cleaning - and we will photo each part. Should the skull turn out to be an officer's , could it be re-assembled as one ? What about the badge - I think that is o/r's ?

Didn'topen - see next post.

Bleriot's cross channel flight , was of course, on JULY 25 1909. He was awarded ?1000 by The Daily Mail for being the first to accomplish this. I think the film - 'Those Incredible men and their flying machines' was loosely based on the event. There was certainly great excitement about flying in those early days.

For something as special , it would be nice to start a 'thread' - or, at least have some feedback.

Very little exists from the early days of flying - and what items there are in the pre-1914 era , are in museums. This incredible lapel pin - only 2.5 cms.across (1 inch) was made for the 1909 Blackpool Aviation show - the first in Great Britain and the start of the Royal Aeronautical Society. REMEMBER THE FIRST FLIGHT OVER THE CHANNEL WAS ON OCT.25 1909 BY LOUIS BLERIOT. This show was in Oct. and features a Bleriot mono plane. The lapel badge was made locally in Blackpool by S.Lyon. There is a lot of info. on Google and I printed out the enclosed to give more detail. (I would be willing to sell to a collector) mervyn

Leigh - off topic - we bought a beret last week with the large LF and grenade above and with the hackle. Inside it is properly marked and says 'KOREA' - Let me know if interested. Merv

Rick - I am attaching an except from the book of British latin mottoes. All of the families & Regts. listed here used the motto. The meaning is at the beginning. I have checked Fairburn's Crests of British Landed Gentry and there is nor trace of either crest. There is no absolute reason that it had to be British - an American citizen may have ordered it and had old family crests added. The alternative is that the families had a title - Barony's and above, will be listed in Burke's Peerage. Unfortunately I don't have a copy - we never made it to that one. With regard to the sword it sounds very much like the 1845 pattern Inf. officers' sword. Should have a brass hilt and guard and the decoration under the VR on the guard should include the different flower symbols for the UK. Please post a picture. Do you have the scabbard and who is the maker ? Mervyn

I have never heard of this use of the name - most interesting - the powers it conferred sound almost like our writ of Habeus Corpus ? To have this contact and exchange of info. is so good - the Worldwide sub-forum is an ideal way to do it without travel. I hope we get a lot more items like the Hungarian and Bulgarian uniforms - things you usually see, only if you visit the country - and, a museum! As for getting me off track - never a difficult thing !! When I could walk, I would show customers items in the shop and then turn round and find I had ten others listening !! Mervyn

Do you think he was an officer - I can see a 'pip' on his shoulder boards. Did the aigulette mark him as an officer and did it have any purpose ? I don't think - as you say - that the condition is important, the item is too rare. I would advise some conservation to keep it at this level. Theodor, this is most interesting and I'm sure that we police collectors are hoping to see more of these rare pieces. By the way, did they carry a gun, or, just a truncheon ? Mervyn

I suppose they didn't know what to replace them with - and they had a lot to deal with at this time. Most interesting.

I have been 'enthralled' - and I mean that in it's true sense - by the information you are giving in relation to the panel. Being a police collector, I appreciated the importance of the piece - but, never went deeper into the causes behind the incident. Although one had to realise that it was the start of something that has continued for over 140 years. I certainly didn't know they had planned to seize Canada - they thought 'big'. I feel we should avoid the modern IRA - too political - but surely the Fenians are an important part of our - and indeed , Ireland's - history. So I hope others will continue this post with stories from both sides.

All three of these pictures have interesting features. With the first two, the truncheon is suspended by a leather holder - the early Br.Police used to carry the truncheon outside of the uniform, in a leather holster. The rifle looks like either a Lee Enfield or, the earlier Lee Metford - both of which would be logical in India. However, the bayonet looks like it has a ring mounting ? Perhaps a firearms expert could give an opinion?

Leigh - no markings - however, I wouldn't be surprised it it isn't pre-war (1930's). They didn't go back to full uniform until - I think - the fifties. You are probably right about anodised aluminium, everything is for show - quality has gone. I think Stuart is the person to tell us for certain? Merv.

The British are never to blame - never have been and , never will be.....

Hi - 'TS'. There were different editions - this one is the large size volume. Vol 1 - page 158 - Nov 28 1899. Hope this helps - you haven't got one of the helmets have you?? Mervyn

Shire Reeve was the older Saxon term - it became Sheriff and he was the King's representitive for the County.He ceased to have military power in Edward 6th, reign. Now, the Queen's rep. is the Lord Lieutenant - he wears a special uniform and there is one - with a deputy - for each County. She is always met by him on Her arrival in each County. The Hue & Cry comes from the duty all Freemen had to uphold the law and to raise the alarm if they saw a crime being commited - if they failed to do this , they could be punished. The Posse Comitatus - or, gathering of the people, could be called by the Sheriff to hunt down an offender - again only Freemen could take part. I have never quite understood how these old titles came into being in the States. I assume it came with the early settlers, but, even with that explanation, it is not clear why they used these words. Even the title constable - probably, came from the Latin 'comes stabuli' or, master of the horse. Obviously a title of importance. With the middle ages a constable had become the man in charge of a castle - and there is still the title of Constable of the Tower. Appointed by the Queen and usually someone like a retired Field Marshall. Petty Constables were part of the old leet courts and later became Parish Constables. The word Police was not used officially, until the Dublin Police Act of 1792. Now..... what has this to do with an American police cap???

Shire Reeve was the older Saxon term - it became Sheriff and he was the King's representitive for the County.He ceased to have military power in Edward 6th, reign. Now, the Queen's rep. is the Lord Lieutenant - he wears a special uniform and there is one - with a deputy - for each County. She is always met by him on Her arrival in each County. The Hue & Cry comes from the duty all Freemen had to uphold the law and to raise the alarm if they saw a crime being commited - if they failed to do this , they could be punished. The Posse Comitatus - or, gathering of the people, could be called by the Sheriff to hunt down an offender - again only Freemen could take part. I have never quite understood how these old titles came into being in the States. I assume it came with the early settlers, but, even with that explanation, it is not clear why they used these words. Even the title constable - probably, came from the Latin 'comes stabuli' or, master of the horse. Obviously a title of importance. With the middle ages a constable had become the man in charge of a castle - and there is still the title of Constable of the Tower. Appointed by the Queen and usually someone like a retired Field Marshall. Petty Constables were part of the old leet courts and later became Parish Constables. The word Police was not used officially, until the Dublin Police Act of 1792. Now..... what has this to do with an American police cap???

I sometimes wish that I had collected helmets and not police - there is something special about them. This splendid example is an O/R's for the Blues and Royals of The Household Cavalry. This amalgamated regt. was formed in 1969 from the Royal Horse Guards and the The Royal Dragoons. There are ,of course, two regiments - The Life Guards and The Blues and Royals. The Life Guards wear red tunics and a white 'plume' - The Blues and Royals , a blue tunic and a red 'plume'. A small point of some interest, is that the original carbine that was carried in a bucket, by the left leg - was called a 'Dragon' - hence Dragoon.