Scottish Arms & Militaria –Rex & Cathey Collection

[Cathey]

Full Dress Badger Sporran
Officers Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's)
Date: Victorian Circa 1890
Nationality: Scottish
Dimensions: 21 cm wide x 34 cm long

Description: Officer's Full Dress badger sporran of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's), plain gilt brass cantle, badger head with glass eyes, six white hair tassels in gilt thistle sockets on gilt cords, red leather pouch. Sporran is in excellent condition overall, although it dose tend to malt when moved.



Cheers Cathey and Rex

Edited July 9, 2013 by Cathey

[jocktamson]

More lovely stuff!!...The sporran looks in very nice condition Cathey... The targe is superb.

Havent forgotten about those sword blade photos i promised, will try and get those off to you in a day or two.

Edited July 13, 2011 by jocktamson

[Cathey]

Hi Benny

Looking forward to pictures of your swords no rush cathey is in Sydney for the rest of the week.We were lucky and picked up another Targe will get cathey to post pictures when she gets home this weekend.

Cheers Rex

[Cathey]

London Scottish, can anyone help?

The London Scottish Museum in the UK has no record of an officer with the initials PHHB, however the engraved initials do not appear to have been added latter as is often the case with Scottish swords. I have checked through my Harts and Arms list with no joy. The sword turned up in America so I am wondering if there was a branch of the London Scottish there, I am at a loss to identify this chap and any help will be gratefully received.


Pattern 1828 Officers Basket Hilted Sword to London Scottish
Date: Circa 1987-1902(19th Century)
Overall Length: 102 cm (40.2 inches)
Blade length: 82.6 cm (32.5 inches)
Blade widest point: 3 cm (1.2 inches)
Marks, etc.: Imperial Crown, Owner's Initials. PHHB

Description
This is a Scottish regimental basket hilt for the London Scottish Volunteers, and has the original owner's initials on the blade. The sword has a crack in one bar, other wise it is complete, and tight, in its original scabbard. The guard and scabbard are nickled, with no losses at all except on the ball at the tip of the scabbard, which is dented from carrying. There are minor flecks on the scabbard. The grip is fine grey sharkskin with triple wire wrap. The silk tassel is present, as is the basket liner. The ribbon that edges the liner is tattered. The double edged blade has the Imperial crown over Queen Victoria's cipher, which dates this between 1897 and 1902. The other side of the blade has the Imperial crown over London Scottish Volunteers. Below that are the owner's initials: PHHB. The blade is also etched with panoplies of thistles. The proof mark is a crown over "PROVED."

Cheers Cathey and Rex

Edited July 9, 2013 by Cathey

[jocktamson]

Had a look through my own Army lists also Cathey, but came up with nothing. If I come across anything elsewhere will post the info for you.

[jocktamson]

Any more Cathey?...i've been pretty busy. First chance to look on in a while.

[Cathey]

Medals-James Stott (Gordon Highlanders and Cameron Highlanders)
The items in this group came from the estate of James Scott and consist of a large silk picture dedicated to the Gordon Highlanders, Gordon Highlander silver shooting medal, Gordon Highlander Queen’s South Africa Medal 1899 with four bars. Gordon Highlander King’s South Africa Medal 1902. Cameron Highlander 1914-15 Star. Cameron Highlander 1914-20 British War Medal. Cameron Highlander Victory Medal 1914-19. Corp of Commissionaires Medal.

Gordon Highlanders - Rank Private to Sergeant in Boer War

Queen’s South Africa Medal, Service No: 3434 Pte J Stott GORDON HIGHS. Date: 1899. Campaign: Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902. 4 Clasps Belfast, Laing’s Nek, defence of ladysmith & Elandslaagte.

King’s South Africa Medal, Service No: 3434 Serjt’s J Stott GORDON HIGHS Date: 1902. Campaign: South Africa 1901-

Shooting Medal Silver SGTS SHIELD SHOOTING COMPETITION 2ND SERGT J STOTT 1909

Cameron Highlanders - Rank Sergeant to Acting Warrant Officer Class 2 WW1

1914-15 Star, Service No: 1511 C.O.M SJT J Stott Camerons Date: 1918. Campaign: First World War 1914-15.

1914-20 British War Medal Date 1919, Campaign: First World War, 1914-20. Date: 1919. Campaign: First World War, 1914-20.

Victory Medal 1914-19 Date: 1919. Campaign: First World War 1914-19.

Corp of Commissionaires Medal, ribbon red, white & Blue, Metal Silver. Size 40mm. Description: A 16 point star bearing a central medallion with the Union Jack in the centre surrounded by the Latin mottoes: VIRTUTE ET INDUSTRIA (Top) and LABOR VINCIT OMNIA (Foot – “by valour and industry” and “work conquers all” respectively. Comments: Awarded by the Corps of Commissionaires for long and exemplary service.

Edited July 9, 2013 by Cathey

[pjac]

A great display. Fascinating.

Thanks

Patrick

[Cathey]

Thanks Patrick, we had the collection framed a few years ago. Hard to photograph without reflection, however this is as good as it gets.

Cheers

Cathey and Rex

Edited July 9, 2013 by Cathey

[jocktamson]

Cheers....another fine piece of militaria, very nicely framed, it makes all the difference.

[Jonathan Hopkins]

Cathey, the sword of Lt.-Col. McCall is to die for. I absolutely love it. I really need to add a Crimean War period sword to my collection. Thanks for posting!

Jonathan

[Cathey]

Thanks Jonathan, one of our favourites also, when I get a minute I will see what else I have from the Crimean War period and post them as well.

Cheers Cathey and Rex

[Mervyn Mitton]

Cathey and Rex - please don't tell me you're buying these rare targes in Australia - I didn't think we sent the prisoners armed ?

Some important pieces - and as for the set of items with the medals.................

[Cathey]

BLACK WATCH BASKET-HILT
Date: Circa 1750-70 (18th Century)
Scottish Black Watch 42nd Highland Regiment
Overall Length: 96.8 cm (38.1 inches)
Blade length: 82.8 cm (32.6 inches)
Blade widest point: 3.5 cm (1.4 inches) fuller runs 63.9 cm (25.2 inches)
Hilt widest point: 16 cm (6.3 inches)
Inside grip length: 12 cm (4.7 inches)
Marks, etc: Nil

Description: English Black Watch basket-hilted backsword for highland regiments (42nd Royal Highland Regiment), c1750-70. Straight single edged fullered blade. Although unmarked the hilt pattern suggests the Maker to be Jeffrey’s of London. Regulation Jefferys hilt, panels pierced with triangular darted and circular openings, line engravings included in panel decoration. The three branches of the guard are riveted to a ring which fits around the truncated conical pommel with spherical button, leather grip wire missing.

General Remarks: Slight differences in Guard construction indicates this sword was supplied by Nathaniel Jeffery’s London. No maker, retailer or Military marks found.

It is not until 1759 that a supplier of swords can be identified in documentation: Nathaniel Jefferys of London. In October of that year he delivered 3500 “Broad swords with iron baskets and paste-board scabbards” at five shillings each to the Board of Ordinance. The London trade directories record a Nathaniel Jefferys, goldsmith, located at 32 Strand, corner of Villiers Street, from c 1768-1779. After this date, Jefferys was succeeded by the firm of Dru Drury & Son but it appears that Drury and Jefferys had been in some kind of partnership since around 1770 as the directories record Dru Drury at the same address from that year.

References:
BEZDEK, Richard H. SWORDS AND SWORD MAKERS OF ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND Pp341
DARLING, Anthony D. SWORDS FOR THE HIGHLAND REGIMENTS 1757 - 1784 published by Andrew Moebray Inc pp13.
Wallis & Wallis Connoisseur Auction Autumn 2001 9-10/10/2001 Lot 100

Edited July 9, 2013 by Cathey

[Cathey]

Brass hilted Highland Officer’s Basket Hilt

Pattern 1798
Overall Length: 94.8 cm (37.3 inches)
Blade length: 80.6 cm (31.7 inches)
Blade widest point: 2.985 cm (1.2 inches)
Hilt widest point: 13.4 cm (5.3 inches)
Inside grip length: 10.3 cm (4.1 inches)

Marks, etc: Marked with a crown GR DRURY, stamped near the hilt are the letters EC with 6 small stars. The stars appear to have been applied to strike out other letters. These letters look like R.I.I.J.I.R?

Description

1798 Pattern Highland infantry officer's backsword; the type carried by Scottish infantry regiments during the Peninsula War and Battle of Waterloo against Napoleon's forces. The single fullered blade is marked with a crown GR DRURY, stamped near the hilt are the letters EC with 6 small stars. The hilt is brass hilt is constructed of solid plain panels and has remnants of past gilding. The grip is fish skin with brass wire. These are usually seen with broad sword blades, however this is a backsword.

The 1798 Pattern was the first attempt by the British to standardize sword patterns for the Scottish regiments and was very loose in some respects, with blades coming from Solingen (Prussia / Germany), England and Scotland, clearly with officers mounting the blades from their existing pre-pattern swords. The brass hilt is fundamentally weaker than steel hilts, hence the pattern is rare as the hilts suffered terribly over time.

Cheers Cathey & Rex

Edited July 9, 2013 by Cathey

[Mervyn Mitton]

Cathey and Rex - an excellent example. I hadn't realised that the standardisation of Scottish swords was nearly 20 years later than in England.

(Stuart is going to ask you about photos from Melbourne - for the Comp. and for an article on shows in Aust.) Mervyn