GARDEN & SON - ROBt. S. GARDEN
 

With reference to British swords, I am following a line of research on the subject of swords sold under the name of GARDEN.

The firm was widely known as Army Accoutrement Makers & Saddlers, and they were involved in the sale of such merchandise as well as of firearms and swords to officers and some regiments of the EIC and Indian Army.

The four main trading names and addresses are as follows:

- Garden 200 Piccadilly London (Hugh Garden)
- Garden & Son 200 Piccadilly London (Hugh & Robert Spring Garden)
Hugh Garden he died 1851, his son carried on.
- Robt. S. Garden 200 Piccadilly London (Robert Spring Garden)
- Robt. S. Garden 29 Piccadilly London (Robert Spring Garden)

Would be most grateful to hear from anyone who has a sword or swords sold by this firm, with a view to getting specific details of the type of sword (hilt & blade), Patent hilt etc., as well as specific details of how the swords are marked, as in which trading name and address, and whether or not they have a number or name, or both stamped on the back edge of the blade.

Thanks,

Gordon

Well Gordon, why don't you start by using the "Search" button and browse for "GARDEN"; you will find some interesting material :cool: .

GARDEN
 

Thanks Fernando,

I seem to be missing something, or not using the search button correctly.

You may start HERE

and HERE ... post #267


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Garden
 

Thanks for the link Fernando however, I know the owners of that sword, and already recorded the information last year, at the time the sword was acquired..

I'm constantly looking for new information, and although the previous was my first request for info on this forum, in general it's not the first time I've endeavoured to source new information.

Past experience is that I get no response, which would seem to indicate that there's nobody out there who owns a sword sold by Garden; alternately my requests are not reaching them, or they wish to remain private.

Garden & Son and Robt. S. Garden
 

As previous requests for information of swords sold by Garden have not produced one single piece of information, I'm now extending my request for information to include firearms that may have been sold by Robert S. Garden.

Should anyone be able to provide any information, I'm particularly interested to know specifically how the item is marked, and whether or not the markings include numbers.

Thanks in advance.

In the wonderful book of my old friend Bob Brooker, "British Military Pistols an Associated Edged Weapons" you can find on pages 360-368 some pistols made by GARDEN 200 Piccadilly London.
corrado26

You can find Robert Sopring Garden listed in Boothroyds BRITISH GUNMAKERS directory as sword cuttler & gunmaker in at 200 Picadilly, in 1861, the at 29 Picadilly, 1862-77. He also appears in THE LONDON GUN TRADE bu E.Gooding & Peter A. Scott- Edeson


Here is a description of how Robert S. Garden, as a retailer, signed his mark in a cased percussion Tranter revolver, circa 1855:

" ... on the right of the barrel, finely engraved frame and top-strap decorated with scrollwork and shell ornament, the former signed by the retailer 'Robert Garden & Son 200 Piccadilly, London', border and scroll-engraved cylinder with roped forward edge, safety-stop, border and scroll- engraved rammer, trigger-guard and butt-cap, chequered walnut butt, and traces of original finish: in original lined and fitted oak case with accessories including James Dixon & Sons powder-flask, brass bullet mould numbered en suite, the interior of the lid with retailer's trade label 'Robert S. Garden, 29 Piccadilly London' ... "

You can find HERE a cased center fire pistol signed by his son in modern times (1925) but no description of how he used the mark.

............and you can find in the "NEUE STÖCKEL: " GARDEN Robert, London GB, 1860-77, 200 Piccadilly, 1871-77 29 Piccadilly, 1878-85 " Garden & Son, 1885-90 R.S.GARDEN 200 Piccadilly, Specialist for British Indian army weapons
corrado26

Thank you very much indeed, very encouraging to see these fine pistols have survived, whereas swords from the same period are apparently scarce.

This would seem to back up one of the other comments to the effect that percussion firearms sold by Garden survive in greater number than anything else.

Thanks Fernando, although the date they have placed on it puzzles me somewhat.

Indeed; in 1925 Robert Garden would not be around and Houdah pistols production would not have reach such date.