A Curiously Named Sword

Author

BY Norman Cramp, Director Darwin Military Museum

This fine 1827 Georgian Naval Officer Presentation Sword is an unusually rare sword. It is characterised by the list of owners inscribed upon the guard.  The story is that the weapon was bought or handed on, with owners inscribing their names – or if their predecessor had not, theirs too – inside the guard.

The sword has a slightly curved pipe-backed blade of 30.5 inches, with darkening due to age patina, and upon which there are traces of etched decorations of a crown, fouled anchor, etc. The blade is unusual in that it is a falchion design, meaning the blade width gets to its widest near the point.  The twin edges of the blade following that to the point are known as a spear point blade. 
 

The copper-gilt hilt is surmounted by a chiseled lion’s head pommel, and has a crown and fouled anchor motif upon the front.  

The names of the owners, and presumably their locations are:
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Jeremiah Horsfall, Fairfield Hall
George D Greenwood, Woodhouse
William Greenwood, Ditto
Revd George Fenton BA, Miley
William Scriven, Ditto
Thomas Stephenson, Ditto
Paul Bottomley, Ditto
Capt. Maud Burley, RN, Barley
Lewis Seaman, Otley
 
I have made only a small attempt to rationalise the list, but it appears the first owner was established in Bolton Abbey in the mid-1800s, and the next four owners all have records existing in the same mid-England area. It will be an interesting project to trace the whole list.