#1796 pattern

[blue-and-gilt]

What happens when a friend and fellow sword collector comes round to talk swords, collecting, rifles, books and generally chew the fat.

[awallofswords]

Yeah, it’s new sword day!  Three swords arrived from the UK today, one was a present from my family for my 50th… Another was the last sword I purchased in 2022 and the third being the first sword purchase for 2023.

From left to right they are: - 1796 Pattern Heavy cavalry officers undress sword - Basket-hilted broadsword with a ‘pinch of snuff’ basket.  - Grenadier officers’ sabre in the style of the 1803 Pattern ‘flank officers sabre’

[blue-and-gilt]

1796 Pattern light cavalry troopers sabre by Thomas Gill, circa 1796 - 1801.

[blue-and-gilt]

1796 Heavy cavalry troopers sword by Dawes in original configuration (although the grip leather has been replaced).

When Major John Gaspard Le Marchant, proposed his new cavalry sabre design with his system of mounted swordsmanship; his intention was for his new sabre to be the universal sabre for the British cavalry (a concept that was 60 years ahead of it's time).

And while his sword was accepted as the 1796 Pattern light cavalry sabre, the officers of the heavy cavalry insisted on a straight bladed design. Falling back on his experiences with the Austrian cavalry in the Low Countries campaign (1793-95) he suggested a sword that was an almost direct copy of their model 1769 pallasch.

While an effective cutting sword, the hatchet tip of the 1796 HC, was not suitable for thrusting and in service these were often re-profiled to have a spear tip. Other changes included removing the langets and narrowing the guard on the inside to prevent wear on the uniform while wearing.

Like it's light cavalry counterpart, the 1796 Pattern sword was also exported to Britain's allies; Portugal and Sweden during the Napoleonic wars.

[blue-and-gilt]

Georgian era Yeomanry officers sabre styled after the 1796 Pattern light cavalry sabre.

Produced by William Henry Archer of Dublin using a Solingen produced blade imported J J Runkel.

This sabre is another example of the many quirky swords that abounded during this period. While the government was working to establish regulation pattern swords, many officers, especially those in the yeomanry, volunteers or militia were content to continue using the equipment that best suited them. As a result there are many surviving examples that are next to impossible to attribute to a unit or branch or service. In only a few examples are we lucky enough to have identifying inscriptions on the sword or scabbard. And even these need to be viewed with caution.

Stylistically, animal motifs were a common decorative feature on swords of this time. With the lions head so popular that it became part of several British Pattern swords, including the sabre still in service with British naval officers. A variation of the animal theme. horse-heads pommels seemed to have been more common among the cutlers from Ireland, with Archer and Reed the more frequently encountered suppliers.

Because the hilt is broadly modeled on the 1796 Pattern light cavalry sabre, with the dual langets, P-shaped stirrup guard and a very functional blade of cavalry proportions, I believe it would have belonged to an Yeomanry officer based in Ireland. The gilt hilt also precludes it from having belonged to a regular army officer.

At the time, the yeomanry had been raised from the upper classes as a reserve force ready to protect Great Britain should Napoleonic France attempt to invade. They also had the secondary function of 'keeping the peace'. In a time before an established police force, the yeomanry were often called upon to break-up any unrest. Which meant that the ones based in Ireland were more active than most.

I estimate that this sword dates from 1798 to 1802 based near identical presentation examples produced by William Archer which have inscriptions dated to 1800. The blade is also decorated with the pre-1801 coat of arms so is unlikely to date after 1803.

William Henry Archer started his career as a sword cutler in 1783 when he married Margaret Shaw, widow of Richard Shaw.

Richard Shaw, was a sword cutler from 1765 to 1782 when he died of injuries caused by the collapse of Music Hall floor. Margaret continued her husbands business in her name until she married William Archer in 1783. It is quite possible that William was working as an apprentice for the Shaws at the time and the marriage was a way to maintain the business. Such arrangements were not unheard of in a time when women were not allowed to own property or enter into contracts.

Archer continued remained in business until his death in 1830, during this time he also served as Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1812 and 1830 so he must have been a successful and respected businessman of his time.

Stats: Overall Length - 945 mm Blade Length - 820 mm Curve - 55 mm Point of Balance - 135 mm Grip Length - 120 mm Inside Grip Length - 95 mm Weight - 970 grams Total Weight - 1,430 grams

[blue-and-gilt]

More planning and questions for the coming display. I’ve made two boards that I’ll be mounting the heavy cavalry and light cavalry swords on. But I’m uncertain if I should mount them with or without scabbards.

With their scabbards:

Without:

Or a combination:

(The boards aren’t equal length since the light cavalry sabres are shorter and I don’t want to extend past the table too far. Of course, I use the wrong swords on this board for the photos).

[blue-and-gilt]

The Annual Arms show was today, hosted by the Auckland Branch of the NZ Antique and Historical Arms Association. Received lots of positive feedback and got to chat with more fellow sword collectors than I had expected.

Made a few mistakes in how I labeled the stand, but was a good experience.

[blue-and-gilt]

British 1796 Pattern Swords.

A ‘Pattern’ was a centrally held, sealed example that manufacturers could refer to for measurements and other specifications. Because of this, some variation still occurred amongst the different producers. In the British context, Pattern is used in the same way that others use model.

While other patterns already existed for British equipment, such as the Brown Bess musket, the 1796 Pattern was the first introduced for swords, prior, there were the 1786, 1788 and regimental regulation swords. These regulations however, were very broad and now days, get used as much for convenience by collectors than for accuracy.

As the first pattern, the 1796 encompassed all branches of the army, and included:

The infantry sergeants sword

Infantry officers sword

Light cavalry troopers sabre

Light cavalry officers sabre

Heavy cavalry troopers sword

Household Guards troopers sword

Heavy cavalry officers service sword

Heavy cavalry officer dismounted service sword.

In terms of uniformity trooper and sergeant swords were broadly uniform having been purchased and proof tested by the Ordnance Board, another new concept that was introduced at the same time.

However since officers purchased their own swords privately there exists a lot of variation between them. Both in physical specifications such as weight or blade length or even going so far as to change the blade for the new ‘Pipe-back’. Or using a family heirloom blade that was completely non-regulation.

In the photos I show a number of officer and trooper examples, including a light cavalry style hilt on a pipeback blade, a light weight light cavalry style sword with un-fullered shamshir style blade that was likely a cavalry officers dress sword and a heavy cavalry officers dress sword with boatshell guard and a mid 18th century heirloom backsword blade.