Author |
Message |
Dustin Keith
Location: North Carolina Joined: 09 Dec 2008
Posts: 18
|
Posted: Sat 28 Mar, 2009 6:03 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Hey Carl, yeah the mark I was refering to is on the blade like the one on the first sword picture that you posted. Since I was not aware of this posting at the time, I didn't pay particular attention to what the stamp or mark was, only that it was in the same place, and the sword definately looked the same. Steel basket, double edge. I am a member of the Keith Clan, Earl Marishals of Scotland, and have always (perhaps mistakingly) refered to this as a claymore. These Higlanders fought alongside a force of about 1000, comprised of mostly British Regulars, and local tribes of Indians.
Those who have the ability to help, have a responsibility to do so.
|
|
|
|
Carl Massaro
|
Posted: Sat 28 Mar, 2009 9:42 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Interesting history, Lin. Very impressive!
Dustin, to my knowledge, the term "claymore" is actually correct for a basket hilted broadsword, as it was used in the 18th century. I believe that only in recent times has the term been applied for a two-hander.
|
|
|
|
Lin Robinson
|
Posted: Sun 29 Mar, 2009 5:13 am Post subject: |
|
|
Carl Massaro wrote: | Interesting history, Lin. Very impressive!
Dustin, to my knowledge, the term "claymore" is actually correct for a basket hilted broadsword, as it was used in the 18th century. I believe that only in recent times has the term been applied for a two-hander. |
Carl, I agree. There is little evidence that the word claymore was applied to the two handed sword before the late 18th c. In fact Johnson and Boswell may be responsible for that little error. There is quite a body of evidence that says the term applies to the basket hilt.
Lin Robinson
"The best thing in life is to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women." Conan the Barbarian, 1982
|
|
|
|
Nathan Robinson
myArmoury Admin
|
|
|
|
Carl Massaro
|
Posted: Mon 30 Mar, 2009 5:29 pm Post subject: |
|
|
So, any ideas on that basket marking? Is it an "Mt", or an "IW"?
|
|
|
|
Lin Robinson
|
Posted: Mon 30 Mar, 2009 7:11 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Carl Massaro wrote: | So, any ideas on that basket marking? Is it an "Mt", or an "IW"? |
None whatsoever. There were many manufacturers of these swords and they would have marked them somewhere, usually the blade. I do not have a clue what those two, in particular, would represent.
Lin Robinson
"The best thing in life is to crush your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women." Conan the Barbarian, 1982
|
|
|
|
Chris Goerner
|
Posted: Tue 31 Mar, 2009 3:39 am Post subject: |
|
|
Lin Robinson wrote: | Carl Massaro wrote: | So, any ideas on that basket marking? Is it an "Mt", or an "IW"? |
None whatsoever. There were many manufacturers of these swords and they would have marked them somewhere, usually the blade. I do not have a clue what those two, in particular, would represent. |
I have not seen either possible sets of initials either. Remember too that a capital "I" was used for the letter "J" at this time. For example, John Simpson would have marked his hilt "IS".
Sic Semper Tyranus
|
|
|
|
David Wilson
Location: In a van down by the river Joined: 23 Aug 2003
Posts: 802
|
Posted: Tue 31 Mar, 2009 6:25 pm Post subject: |
|
|
AFAIK, in case it hadn't been mentioned yet, the two main makers of these types of swords were Drury and Jeffries, both out of Birmingham.... I'm not aware of them marking their swords with anything other than their names and the crown over "GR" stamp......
David K. Wilson, Jr.
Laird of Glencoe
Now available on Amazon: Franklin Posner's "Suburban Vampire: A Tale of the Human Condition -- With Vampires" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072N7Y591
|
|
|
|
Gerry Orvis
Location: Northern Virginia Joined: 31 Mar 2009
Posts: 1
|
Posted: Tue 31 Mar, 2009 8:11 pm Post subject: More info about Georgia Highlanders |
|
|
The group of Scottish Highlanders that fought the Spanish in colonial Georgia was the Highland Independent Company of Foot, raised in 1740. There was also a mounted Troop of Highland Rangers (raised 1739). As an aside, independent companies were a feature of the 18th c. British Army - they were companies of regular troops who were not assigned to regiments. This group was raised by General James Oglethorpe in the Highlands in the 1730's to serve as martial farmers and as a southern buffer against Spanish encroachment from Florida. Oglethorpe received permission to recruit in the Highlands from the clan chiefs, who needed to reduce the population (of which there was a overage at the time). Oglethorpe found recruiting easy because of the economic hard times in the Highlanders. He recruited entire families to come over to take up land at a spot called New Inverness (today, Darien GA). The Highlanders did fight the Spanish in the swamps wearing their Highland dress (or locally-adapted variations of it) using traditional Highland weapons. When Oglethorpe went to visit his Highlanders, he wore Highland dress to please them. The Highland Independent Company of Georgia was disbanded in 1748 and its members assimilated into Georgia society. I don't know whether the Highlanders carried privately-owned swords or government issue ammunition-quality baskethilts, of which the illustrated sword might be one.
For more information, see Anthony W. Parker, "Scottish Highlanders in Colonial Georgia: The Recruitment, Emigration, and Settlement at Darien, 1735-1748", University of Georgia Press, 1997, ISBN0-8203-1915-5[/u]
|
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum You cannot attach files in this forum You can download files in this forum
|
All contents © Copyright 2003-2024 myArmoury.com All rights reserved
Discussion forums powered by phpBB © The phpBB Group
Switch to the Basic Low-bandwidth Version of the forum
|