Weyersberg Swords
 

Hi all,

I picked up this mortuary hilted backsword by Wilhelm Tessche. I have an Irish hilt with one of his blades and amongst other things its marked 'Me Fecit Solingen'.

This one is marked 'Weirsbergh' which I assume is Weyersberg, and also has the Solingen Passau wolf.

Both would date from 1620s to 40s.

Does anyone know why a blade may be marked to Weyersberg rather than Solingen? I'm aware that Weyersberg was a mayor of Solingen in the C16th and started his own sword business so that could be the reason.

Any pointers on reading about the early (C16th and C17th) Weyersberg blade businesses.

Also noticed these marks. Are they heads?

This is an amazing 'mortuary', which is of course the term used for these English swords of 17th c. and many of these were of course from the first half 17th. Many of these were hilted in the famed Hounslow shops pre1640s where German makers had been brought in to produce blades.

While there were blades made there, most were brought in from Solingen.
The numerous kinds of inscriptions on these blades and others brought into England during the Civil Wars is virtually boundless, and many examples are described (though not pictured) in "Catalogue of the Sword Collection at the York Castle Museum" ed. P.R.Newman, 1985.

Most information can be found in the "Wallace Collection" Vol. II, Sir James Mann,1962.

Wirsbergh is a Solingen dialect version of Weyersberg, which used to be an estate to the north of the wall surrounding the town center. Wilhelm Tesche lived there and added von Wirsberg or variations to his 'signature'. (p.295). spelled WIERSBERG.

This was in his time up until 1625. The 'Passau' wolf was used in Solingen from late 16th through the 17th c. and had become more 'quality' imbuement than guild or other administrative mark. It is believed this mark also carried important talismanic qualities as often associated with Passau work (Wagner, 1967).
It is correct that the wolf was always configured 'upside down' with any other mark or inscription on blade. The reason remains unclear.

The markings are too unclear to say whether kings head or not, but that mark is more associated with Wundes.

Me Fecit Solingen is commonly added to inscription names on these blades first half of 17th.
The maker Wirsberg (William) end 16th into 17th usually used tong marking but I believe used a hunting horn about 1620s. I have a Scottish basket hilt (as you note 'Irish'?) with this horn mark, and SEBASTIAN (spurious Spanish name) on blade, clearly mounted c. 1680s, so these blades were circulating in Great Britain well through the 17th c.

Thanks - I have Mann's work and didn't think to look in there. I obviously underrate the supporting information it contains.

From memory, in the forward of Peterson's 'American Swords', there is a paragraph outlining the purchase of the crowned king mark from Wundes by the Weyersburg family (1770ish).

I have an 18th century blade with a somewhat similar unidentifiable ;)

Cheers
GC

Nice sword. The only thing I can contribute is that the Weyersberg which has been known to make swords in the Napoleonic times founded their workshop in the early 1790´s, so this is another workshop as far as I can tell.

The marks of Wundes (Senior and Junior) did look different from yours. I can search for an image in my library when I find some time.