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1803 Pattern British Infantry Officer's sword and scabbard of New South Wales Colonial Governor Lachlan Macquarie
Object type
Swords
Object number
1993.0005.0001
Description
1803 Pattern British Infantry Officer's sword that has a deeply curved unfullered single-edged blade. The blade is etched along half its length with designs including a crown that surmounts the Prince of Wales plumes and motto, and crossed pikes with halberd, all interspersed with floral motifs. The flat back of the blade is marked 'J J Runkel, Solingin'. The hand grip is of wood covered in fishskin bound with wire, and it is capped by a lion's head pommel. It is guarded by a squarish gilded brass half basket hilt, composed of a cross guard linked to the pommel by a knuckle bow and two curved bars. The number of Macquarie's regiment '73' is engraved in a disk on the knuckle bow, and the bars of the hilt frame a large thistle in relief, a symbol that was popular with Scottish highland regiments. The blade has been damaged or repaired about 75mm from the tip. The sword has a curved black leather sword scabbard with three gilded brass mounts, including a locket or throat with a frog button, a middle band mount with a carrying ring about a third of the way down the scabbard, and a relatively long chape.
Collection name
Alexander Ferguson collection
Maker
John Justus Runkel, Sword Cutler and Merchant
Place made
Solingen, Urban district, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
The blade was made in Germany and imported to England were the sword was completed by Runkel
Place assembled
Holborn, London, England
Date made
1807
User
Major-General Lachlan Macquarie
Governor of New South Wales from 1810 to 1821
Associated organisation
British Army
Macquarie was serving in the British Army during his appointment as Governor of New South Wales
Collector
Sir George Ferguson
Ferguson acquired the sword and scabbard at auction in London in 1917
Place used
Sydney Cove, Sydney Harbour, Sydney, NSW, Australia
The site of the first colony of New South Wales
Associated place
Scotland
Macquarie was a Scotsman
Associated place
England
Macquarie was commanding the 73rd Regiment (Scottish) of the British Army during his appointment as Governor of New South Wales
Period of use
1810-1821
Lieutenant-Colonel Lachlan Macquarie, Governor of the colony of New South Wales from 1810 to 1821
Materials
Steel, Leather, Gilded brass
Dimensions
Length: 860mm
Width: 392mm
Height: 80mm
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