A Rare French Pattern 1679 Cuirassier’s Sword. 42” overall, 36” broadsword blade, with faint Passau Wolf mark close to the Walloon type hilt composed of a pierced heart shaped guard with down turned quillon, a half basket hilt of rounded waisted bars linked to one side with a diagonal and to the other with a scrolling support, the latter linking to the broad thumb ring, the whole secured to the spherical pommel with screws, faceted and fluted original wire bound grip with Turk's heads.
Circa1680
In very good condition
This is probably an example of the 1679 Pattern sword described in the French Ordnance records.
This sword was discovered with an identical example in Western Scotland. It has been hypothesised that these originated from Fitzjames's Horse during the Jacobite rising of 1745
The Fitzjames regiment of Irish Horse was formed in France in 1698. It fought at Fontenoy and in the following year was sent to Scotland to serve with the army of Charles Stuart, the Young Pretender. Three troops landed at Aberdeen in February 1746 to an enthusiastic welcome. The squadron fought at Culloden, Captain Shee's troop providing the escort for Prince Charles. Following the battle, and having escorted the Prince from the field, Shee's troop was dismissed with orders to surrender to the Duke of Cumberland. Following the defeat of the French at the Battle of Wilhelmsthal the regiment was disbanded on 21 December 1762. For a full account of the regiment see Russell V. Steele, 'Fitzjames's Regiment Of Horse Of The Irish Brigade In The French Service'