Help to ID the coat of arms on the officer's blade with owner's initials

[Volovonok]

I wonder if anyone could recommend me some web source for searching the coat-of-arms I found on the newly acquired sword after cleaning off some surface rust.

The owner initials are AMN and, if possible, I would like to ID this officer.

[Trooper_D]

In theory, all coats of arms are unique with only one person having any one design. The traditional way of looking up coats of arms is to use Papworth's Ordinary of Arms, which is what I have done. The best fit is to the family of Neve of Norfolk (see extract below). The crescent in the top left quarter indicates that the descent is from a second son of the original grantee of arms. 

Source: https://archive.org/details/alphabeticaldicta02papw/page/655/mode/1up

Fairbairn's Crests, however, says that the crest (over the shield) is of Neve of Tenterden, Kent.

https://www.myfamilysilver.com/pages/crestfinder-crest.aspx?id=177482&name=Neve

However, between the two sources, we can safely say that this is the heraldic achievement of the Neve family. But who AM is is another matter, of course!

Edit: More research reveals what I should have realised: the Neave family also use this coat, with its most recent famous member being Airey Neave, of course. See near the bottom of this page,

https://www.whitelionsociety.org.uk/news/6-news-from-the-college-of-arms

This might be a fruitful area to search.

 

Edited September 29, 2020 by Trooper_D
Additional information

[Volovonok]

Wow, thank you very much for this information. I did not even know where to start and this is a great help indeed. Your input is very much appreciated.

Neave baronets are a very good fit for this coat.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neave_baronets

And Sir Arundell Neave, 4th Baronet (1829–1877) seem to be a suitable owner of this sword.

He gained the rank of Captain in the service of the 3rd Dragoon Guards. He held the office of Deputy Lieutenant (D.L.) of Essex. He succeeded to the title of 4th Baronet Neave, of Dagnam Park, Essex [G.B., 1795] on 10 March 1868.

Judging by the sword It seems that he started his military service in some infantry regiment and then transferred to cavalry. As to the crescent on the coat, I believe  this is his father's coat-of-arms who was 3rd Baronet so the second descendent in line after the original grantee of the title. Sir Arundell Neave had no brothers and succeeded as the 4th Baronet Neave on 10 March 1868 following his father's death. 

http://www.thepeerage.com/p2648.htm#i26473

http://www.thepeerage.com/p31456.htm

Based on above, the sword could be dated between 1850 and 1855.  What do you think?

Edited September 30, 2020 by Volovonok

[Trooper_D]

I did consider Sir Arundell Neave but discounted him as I was concerned by the lack of a middle name beginning with M. I think that a better fit would be Arthur Montagu Neave (b.1842 liv. 1891). He was descended from the second son of the 1st baronet; if the 1st baronet was the original grantee of these arms, then being descended from the second son would explain the crescent in the arms for Arthur Montagu Neave. Furthermore, as the attached 1863 Gazette entry shows, he was an ensign in the  36th Foot at one point in his life. 

This is confirmed by the extract from his 1865 marriage registry entry in India (extract here).

I'm afraid that this may have been the highpoint in his life as the 1881 census describes him as a tobacconist, the 1891 census as a retired Army schoolmaster and the 1901 census as a book buyer. He died in 1902.

He appears on thepeerage.com, here

http://www.thepeerage.com/p31411.htm#i314105