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Originally Posted by Jim McDougall
Trying to wade through English peerage is DEEP!
In "Indian and Oriental Arms and Armour" (from the original "Illustrated Handbook of Indian Arms" 1880) the author is shown as Lord Egerton of Tatton.
This would be Wilbraham Egerton, 1st Earl Egerton who was eldest son of William Tatton Egerton, 1st Baron Egerton.
Tatton was the historic estate in Tatton Park, Chesire, where they resided.
Apparently our Egerton, the author, was in India at some point, and became intrigued by the fascinating weaponry and seriously studied and collected them. As he was born in 1832, and by 1858 sat in the House of Commons until 1883, we may presume he had either spent time there prior to 1858, or perhaps in some period while he sat at the House of Commons (long vacation?).
Whatever the case, he was considered enough of an authority to catalog the collections of the India Museum at South Kensington, which became his handbook of 1880. Some of these arms became part of those catalogued by Philip Rawson in a 1952 work and published in 1967 in "The Indian Sword".
As with any reference work on arms, study is dynamic and new evidence and discovery will bring revision and correction, so as with all our venerable resources, these authors are respected for their work overall. They are the benchmark for the study we pursue here, and our corrections are just what they would have expected.
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Hello Jim, as you expertly point out in your closing paragraph how honoured these authors would have been with our corrections...This work was carried out without the technology we have today in the clunky old 19th Century when pen and ink meant exactly that! These writers were indeed a benchmark to which all of us aspire...I look forward to the day when at forum we can have the selected works lined up with Biographies and works of these great authors so we can chose which ones to collect...and hopefully one day they will all be free downloadable from web! Heres what the notes say and a picture of his work.
Quote''Originally created in the late 19th century to catalog Indian and Oriental arms and armor for a British museum, this volume has long since become a sourcebook of vital information on the military history of India. Enhanced with excellent illustrations, it remains one of the few books available on the subject, providing factual accounts of events ranging from the earliest invasions of the subcontinent in 200 B.C. to the decline of the Mogul Empire (early 18th century) and the First Burmese War in 1824. In addition to information on military history, succeeding chapters describe Indian swords, helmets, knives, shields, daggers, spears, javelins, blowpipes, sabers, and a host of other weapons, including arms used for athletic and sacrificial purposes. Descriptive notes, grouped according to geographical areas, comment on styles of decoration, manufacturing processes, and ethnological characteristics. A shorter section of the book includes detailed information on Arab and Persian arms (maces, battle axes, matchlock guns, bows and arrows, etc.) and Japanese armor. Students of Far Eastern arms and armor as well as enthusiasts of military history will welcome this comprehensive reference. 350 halftones and line illustrations. 350 halftones and line illustrations." Unquote.
Regards, Ibrahiim al Balooshi.