Early Royal Horse Artillery sword

[Richard]

I thought I would post some photos of this very early Royal Horse Artillery sword.

This sword is the so-called coffin hilt pattern, made between 1793 and 1795 by the cutler John Knubley of 7 Charing Cross. The pommel cap and the scabbard both bear the arms of the Board of Ordnance under whose command and control the Royal Regiment of Artillery fell, hence the arms were shared by the RA. The blade is blue and gilt by J J RUNKEL SOHLINGEN.

Robson tells us that officers of the Royal Artillery carried the infantry pattern sword at that time but that officers of the Royal Horse Artillery adopted cavalry uniform and weapons. Hence, this sword is almost certainly Royal Horse Artillery.

The first two troops of the Royal Horse Artillery - A and B - were raised in January 1793 and commanded respectively by Captains Robert Lawson and John Macleod. Troops C and D were raised in November 1793 commanded by Captains Howorth and Hadden. Troops E and F were raised in September 1794 commanded by Captains Cuppage and Butler. By 1795, Lawson had been promoted Lt Col and Macleod and Cuppage were Majors. However, the Royal Horse Artillery still remained very much part of the Royal Artillery and does not have any separate designation in the 1797 army lists (i.e. all of the foregoing officers are simply listed as officers of the RA).

I would like to think that this is Lt Col Lawson's sword but obviously there is no way of proving this. However, the sword is certainly the earliest RHA sword I have ever come across.

Richard