A Black Watch Scottish Basket Hilt

[CSinTX]

A paper I found on the Scottish regiments during the French and Indian War. Long but LOTS of information. Thought it fit well here as a good resource.

https://thekeep.eiu.edu/cgi/viewcont...context=theses

[Jim McDougall]

As per your request,
From "Soldiers in America 1764-1865", Don Troiani, 1998, p.16.

It does not seem unlikely that a colonist would grind away any reference to the 'Crown', and of course many British weapons became those of the Colonial army during and after the Revolution.

[Jim McDougall]

In reviewing "Scottish Swords from the Battlefield at Culloden", Lord Archibald Campbell, 1894.....reprinted Andrew Mowbray, 1971.

I noted that it is suggested that two of these munitions grade hilts may have been among those of the 190 swords retrieved on the Culloden field. (p.22)

On p.10, (Mowbray)"...around 1740, Drury, Jeffries, Harvey and perhaps others accepted contracts from the English government to produce swords of the Highland pattern".
These are described as cheap, but serviceable blade stamped with GR and crown, in rough approximation of Glasgow styling. ...."it is almost certain that Campbell was referring to two of these blades being among his Culloden group".

Campbell acquired about 137 blades which had been fashioned into a travesty of a fence on an English estate, comprised of the blades of the Jacobite swords recovered from Culloden. This 'Twickenham' disgrace had dismounted the blades, which were of the varied forms of Solingen blades including ANDREA FERARAS.

It would seem possible that these two basket hilts of English munitions grade might have been in Jacobite hands, thus the defaced royal cyphers.
There were basket hilts in simpler forms like this with the various Highland units formed by the British army as early as 1709.
The Black Watch from about 1740 (then known as 43rd).

While "Swords for the Highland Regiments" (A. Darling, 1988) suggests these tall cone pommel munitions grade basket hilts were likely from a contract of 1759 from unnamed contractor, but Jeffries comes up c1768 or before.

The example I have is with the familiar hilt, but unmarked. It has been refitted in its working life with a M1788 light cavalry saber blade. This is likely from after these were returned to stores when the infantry ceased carrying swords in 1784. While there is no certainty of how this amalgamation took place, I have seen only one other example (Pat Tougher, 1994) with another I cannot specifically recall.
While interesting, it is unfortunate as without the original blade cannot determine more on dates etc.

[Jim McDougall]

As noted, my example of this type munitions grade hilt, which were produced in number for British infantry Highland units, were basically returned to stores after 1784. The infantry units turned focus to bayonets and other ranks no longer carried swords.

It seems that a number of these hilts, probably quite minimal, were remounted with curved blades, but undetermined whether for perhaps officers fighting swords, or equipping other ranks in esoteric ventures. I had seen passim something on colonial ventures possibly using curved bladed basket hilts, but cannot relocate that reference.

I have seen only one other example on a Pat Tougher catalog (1994) and again, another reference to one now misplaced.
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This image of Lt. Col. Muhammed Aslam Khan Saddozai, 1897, who was the first Muslim commandante of the paramilitary British force in the Khyber known as the Khyber Rifles (1887 redesignated from Khyber Jexailchis).
I got this during research on Khyber Rifles in 1984.

Note the turcael (= curved blade basket hilt, Gaelic) which seems to have been an affinity with some of these Afghan officers and officials.,