7th Hussars Officer’s Mameluke Regimental Pattern

The sword is in excellent condition with super gilt finish to all the mounts, the leather scabbard is again excellent . Length 91cm blade 78cm Literature: “Previously Unrecorded Regimental Pattern 7th Hussars Mameluke by Chris Bryant” Attached below are images of a mameluke sword illustrating the previously unrecorded regimental pattern for the officers of 7th (Queen’s Own) Hussars, c.1805 – 1845. This very specific pattern, down to the details of the engraving on the hilt and scabbard mounts, appears to have been introduced by Lord Uxbridge (later Marquess of Anglesey) as Colonel of the regiment and retained throughout his Colonelcy of the 7th Hussars until December 1842. The pattern is discernible in period paintings of 7th Hussars officers as early as 1805, and evidently remained in use within the regiment as late as 1837, as two examples externally identical to earlier specimens are known with regimentally engraved blades bearing a VR cypher. As a regimental pattern, it does not appear to have been noticed by modern authors, perhaps because it appears to have gone out of use by the mid 1840’s (before the age of photography), and because most of the observed surviving examples have plain, unmarked blades. There is sufficient consistent evidence, however, from surviving regimentally marked examples, examples with provenance to officers of the 7th Hussars, and several period portraits of 7th Hussars officers carrying this pattern sword, for it to be recognized as the regimental pattern of the 7th Hussars between c.1805 and c.1845. These and other known early examples all have similar substantial clipped back flat un-fullered blades, generally without engraved decoration. The two later examples with regimentally engraved blades and VR cyphers have similarly formed blades, but narrower in width. The blade on the example illustrated below has its original chemically darkened finish, like blueing but dark grey, applied to its entire surface. I would associate a finish like this with the requirements of active service – as such there would have been no reason for it to have occurred after 1815. Major Hodge’s sword, carried at Quatre Bras, supports the fact that the pattern was carried on active service as well as serving as a dress sword.