Was Egerton ever in India?

Jim McDougall · 17th May 2019, 05:26 AM

Trying to wade through English peerage is DEEP!
In "Indian and Oriental Arms and Armour" (from the original "Illustrated Handbook of Indian Arms" 1880) the author is shown as Lord Egerton of Tatton.
This would be Wilbraham Egerton, 1st Earl Egerton who was eldest son of William Tatton Egerton, 1st Baron Egerton.

Tatton was the historic estate in Tatton Park, Chesire, where they resided.

Apparently our Egerton, the author, was in India at some point, and became intrigued by the fascinating weaponry and seriously studied and collected them. As he was born in 1832, and by 1858 sat in the House of Commons until 1883, we may presume he had either spent time there prior to 1858, or perhaps in some period while he sat at the House of Commons (long vacation?).

Whatever the case, he was considered enough of an authority to catalog the collections of the India Museum at South Kensington, which became his handbook of 1880. Some of these arms became part of those catalogued by Philip Rawson in a 1952 work and published in 1967 in "The Indian Sword".

As with any reference work on arms, study is dynamic and new evidence and discovery will bring revision and correction, so as with all our venerable resources, these authors are respected for their work overall. They are the benchmark for the study we pursue here, and our corrections are just what they would have expected.

17th May 2019, 05:26 AM	#2
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,284	Trying to wade through English peerage is DEEP! In "Indian and Oriental Arms and Armour" (from the original "Illustrated Handbook of Indian Arms" 1880) the author is shown as Lord Egerton of Tatton. This would be Wilbraham Egerton, 1st Earl Egerton who was eldest son of William Tatton Egerton, 1st Baron Egerton. Tatton was the historic estate in Tatton Park, Chesire, where they resided. Apparently our Egerton, the author, was in India at some point, and became intrigued by the fascinating weaponry and seriously studied and collected them. As he was born in 1832, and by 1858 sat in the House of Commons until 1883, we may presume he had either spent time there prior to 1858, or perhaps in some period while he sat at the House of Commons (long vacation?). Whatever the case, he was considered enough of an authority to catalog the collections of the India Museum at South Kensington, which became his handbook of 1880. Some of these arms became part of those catalogued by Philip Rawson in a 1952 work and published in 1967 in "The Indian Sword". As with any reference work on arms, study is dynamic and new evidence and discovery will bring revision and correction, so as with all our venerable resources, these authors are respected for their work overall. They are the benchmark for the study we pursue here, and our corrections are just what they would have expected.