Lot 494
An 18th century silver hilted small sword of Jacobite interest
Scottish Silver & Accessories | 388
Auction: 19 August 2013 at 15:00 BST
Description
with George III period London hallmarks to the knuckle guard, of traditional form, the grip bound with a double twist of silver wire, having chased decoration on the reversed hand guard and pommel, the triangular section blade with remains of blued and gilt decoration with a 'C' surmounted by a royal crown with a stylised thistle above, with a later black leather scabbard with silver mounts Glasgow 1858 - 59; together with the book 'Prince Charlie and the Borderland'
Dimensions
overall length 87.5cm, blade length 67cm
Footnote
Provenance: bought at Dowells Auctioneers, George Street, Edinburgh
Collection of William Sinclair and Mrs. Hays of Crosby Lodge.
'Scottish Silver & Accessories' Lyon & Turnbull 26th August 2008, lot 398
References: appears and illustrated in 'Prince Charlie and the Borderland' 1928 pages 209 and 264: '... small sword is described as a court rapier said to have once been in the possession of Prince Charles Edward Stewart the Young Pretender'..
Notes: This sword originally thought to have belonged to Bonnie Prince Charlie has since been disproved, even although it has a provenance stretching back to early exhibitions of the subject and period. While disappointing to have the ownership disproved it does show how important the Jacobite cause and the '45 have been held within Scotland and the UK for generations. Many relics such as this gain provenance and reputation with connections to the cause and while the links are lost they are generally assumed to be based in some truth of genuine connection, which over time has been distorted.
While the sword can no longer be considered that of Prince Charles, its connection while not understood is not without interest, the statement in the 1928 exhibition of 'once been in the possession of Prince Charles' perhaps suggests the connection but not to ownership or use rather than as a personal gift to Charles or trophy.