Toledo made 1796 LC saber with extensive history

[Calien]

Good evening, Gents.

This will be my first long post, but I think this sword deserves it. Originally, I purchased this sword at auction from the "Sitwell Legacy" sale of Weston Hall in 2021. They sold a manor that had been in the family since the 1740s, and everything in it was auctioned off. This sword, along with several others, was hung next to the etrance for what seems like many, many years.

https://www.dreweatts.com/auctions/w...family-legacy/

If I can direct you there to lot #47, you can read at the bottom the link between General Lord the Honorable Lord Hutchinson of Alexandria and the Sitwells. I will paste it below as well.

"In 1825, he succeeded his brother as 2nd Earl of Donoughmore and 2nd Viscount Hutchinson. He died, unmarried, at Knocklofty, Co. Tipperary, in 1832, and was succeeded as earl and viscount by his nephew John Hely-Hutchinson (1787–1851). Colonel the Hon. Henry Hely-Hutchinson (1790–1874), the brother of the latter and a professional soldier who had served in the Peninsula and at Waterloo, married Harriet Wrightson (1788–1864) in 1825. Harriet Wrightson inherited Weston Hall in 1809 through her aunt Mary Heber. Their fourth daughter, Louisa Lucy, married Sir Reresby Sitwell, Bt., in 1857, and hence the link with the Sitwell family."


This is where the story starts to get interesting: his brother, Colonel the Hon. Henry Hely-Hutchinson (who owned the mannor via his wife), served in the Peninsular War as a staff officer (captain) on the 4th Cavalry Regiment of the Portuguese cavalry attached to the British army.

His commanding officer was Col. John Campbell, who led the regiment, was mentioned in the dispatches twice, and was the only cavalry officer with that last name in the penninsular war records. I will link both of their records down below.

The sword itself is very unique, with a definitive 1796 style, but with other features like the clip point, no fullers, and the scabbard being totally unique. It is also worth nothing that on the blade itself it says "R.L. Fab.ca de Tol. - Campbell" and on the other side "ANo 1812."

Both Hutchinson and Cambell were in Spain in the same regiment in 1812, while Toledo had been liberated. This leads me to believe that this sword was a gift from Campbell to Hutchinson, perhaps at the end of the war.