Hi guys,
I am not yet done with the investigation on this piece, but i will post some 'intermediary' stuff, to keep the thread warm.
First of all, many thanks for your contributions, Jim and Norman
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I have finished the cleaning of the blade and the scabbard (inside and outside); i was glad to find thqat the wooden plates are still there.
There are no more marks, except for a little
V on the guard front; i wonder if this is the punction for
viewed.
I don't think this sword was used by a Scot Dragoon at Waterloo. Judging by the circumstances, it should have instead being used by the British forces that were poured into Portugal by the time of Napoleonic invasions (1808-1814) or, most probably used by a Portuguese soldier.
Remember that Britain, at the time already an industrialized country, and with a strong need to stop Napoleon to occupy the peninsula and strangle the whole continent access, besides supplying armed forces, has equiped the Portuguese with staggering quantities of military equipment and all kinds of gear.
Between 1808 and 1814 the figures were:
160 000 Brown Bess
2 300 Baker carbines
3 000 Cavalry carbines
7 000 Pistols
15 000 Cavalry swords
150 000 Black leather gear
190 000 Uniforms
53 000 pairs of shoes
5 700 pairs of boots
10 000 Black leather provisions
30 000 plumed shakos.
Also according to some sources were further supplied in 1809:
30 000 coats
40 000 shirts
40 000 socks
40 000 sacks
20 000 blankets
5 000 saddles
84 bundles of surgery equipment.
(These tremendous supplies were rather strategical; we must remember that Junot, in his first invasion, had immediately demilitarized and disarmed the country, which was already in a critical condition.)
So it wouldn't be a surprise that this sword was distributed to a Portuguese dragoon or even footman; although local infantry officers were equiped with the Portuguese sword version model 1806, the majority of the 1796 swords supplied to Portuguese were shortened by four inches, due to their small stature. But then this fact somehow puts aside the hipothesis that this example was used by a Portuguese, as its blade seems to be entire (34 1/ 2"). I mean 'somehow', as the source i am quoting has come across some ten specimens with a shortened blade and one with its entire length, which belonged to a guy that served in a militia regiment.
It should be added that the 1796 pattern was used by Portuguese cavalry until as late as 1851.
By the way, Jim and Norman, did you know that the British called this sword, woodchopper?
You say Jim, that that John Gill has supplied a numer of these swords in his 1811 contract ? Might he have made prior supllies?
In April 1811 Massena was defeated by the allied forces near Lisbon and started his painfull retreat.
The Osborn scabbard that comes now with this sword is marked with the Osborn & Gunby society name , which has been active between 1808-1821.
We may even have the fantasy that, once the British transferred to Portugal bulk quanties of weaponry, maybe the inspection control was also 'bulky wise' and this sword was already supllied with an unmarried scabbard; but this is only a fantasy as i said.
When i visit again the seller, i have a promise that he will tel me something about this sword provenance.
However there is a difference between owner's provenance and user's provenance.
Let's see if i can find out about its original user, rather than only its last owner
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By the way Jim, do you think the inspector's mark (crowned 4) could drive us to a determined inspector's name and or a date of inspection ?
All the best
Fernando
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