Lt Col. John Gaspard Le Marchant

[celtan]

Sorry to hear about your computer. Big Headache, indeed.

I read somewhere that the M 1796 was based on previous blades used by german cavalry?

Best

M

Originally Posted by Richard

Gentlemen
The name of Lt Col. John Gaspard Le Marchant is well known to all collectors of British Military swords as being the designer, in collaboration with the sword cutler Henry Osborn, of the famed and well known British 1796 pattern cavalry swords. His death, leading the charge of heavy cavalry at Salamanca in 1812 robbed Wellington of his most able cavalry commander.

So, out of interest, I post below a photo Le Marchant's own sword which is today in the possession of his direct descendant Sir Francis Le Marchant. The sword was given to Le Marchant by a grateful Board of Ordnance. The blade is around 31 in. in length, the lower half with blue & gilt decoration of pre-1801 Royal arms, etc. and the top half is frost etched with the inscription : PRESENTED To LIEUT COL LE MARCHANT by the BOARD of ORDNANCE

Richard

PS, sorry for the poor quality of the photo. I lost the original when my computer was stolen in Switzerland and I have had to download this from another site I previously put it on