Light Calvary Sword
Place of Origin: British Isles
Date: Dated 1795
Measurements:
Overall in Scabbard: 41.5 inches
Overall Sword: 40.75 inches
Blade: 35.75 inches
Ref # 1027
Description:
A historic 1788 Pattern Light Cavalry Sword owned by the 7th Light Dragoons. The regiment has a long and storied history. This sword is dated 1795 and as such would have been available for use in the Napoleonic War. The following is an excerpt from Wikipedia on the history of the regiment during that period.
In 1807, the regiment was designated as Hussars and retitled 7th (The Queen's Own) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons (Hussars).[6] Sent to Corunna in October 1808 to support Sir John Moore's retreat, they fought at the Battle of Sahagún on 21 December 1808 and Benavente on 29th.[14] Part of the Queen's Own was shipped home in the Dispatch, which was wrecked just south of the Lizard on 22 January 1809; 104 men were lost from the regiment, only seven in total were saved.[15][16]
The unit returned to the Peninsula in August 1813 and made several charges at the February 1814 Battle of Orthes, Wellington reporting that the 7th Hussars distinguished themselves on this occasion and made many prisoners.[17]
In March 1814, the unit moved to Brighton, where it was used to put down rioting caused by the imposition of the Corn Laws.[18] When Napoleon was restored in 1815, the regiment returned to the Netherlands; during the rearguard action at Genappe on 17 June, Lord Uxbridge ordered it to attack French lancers under Colonel Jean Baptiste Joseph Sourd.[19] The following day, at the Battle of Waterloo, the regiment was held in reserve until the evening, but then again undertook a series of charges.
The sword is in good untouched condition. The hilt has aged with what is now a stable brown patina. The blade has patches of staining and light pitting, it has been sharpened during its working life. The blades also has chiselled into it the following: The Crown and Cipher of George the 3rd, A crown over the symbol of the 7th LD, the # 7 over LD, the makers name Wooley & Co. Birmingham and the date 1795.
Wooley and Co is marked on the forte as well as the spine of the blade and is also near the throat of the scabbard.
The scabbard has the rack # B/22, the sword has the rack # C/34. Mixing and matching seems common in regimentally owned swords. Our research indicates there were three companies in the regiment: A,B & C companies. The grip is original and well worn.
