Boarding weapons from the Trafalgar era

CutlassCollector · 4th June 2025, 06:38 PM

OK. This is a bit of a long read but is all I found in my research. The Sargent/Sargant name I suspect refers to various members of a family involved in the arms trade.

Perusal of trade directories covering the period of the early 19th century reveal a plethora of Sargants, Sargents, Sargeants and Sarjeants operating in the Birmingham area. The only candidate with the correct initial is Isaac Sargant of High street, Deritend, Birmingham who is recorded as an edge tool maker/sword cutler from around 1828 to 1835 in various Trade Directories for the Birmingham area, with the spelling of the name sometime being different even between sections of the same directory. For example in the main section of the West 1830 directory he is listed as Sarjeant, Isaac – Victualler, Edge Tool Maker and Hammer Maker. Under the Victualler section he is listed as Sargeant and there are two sword cutlers listed as Isaac Sargeant and Isaac Sergeant in the same street. In the 1835 directory he is listed as Isaac Sargant but only within the Victualler section.

In Pigot’s 1828/29 directory Isaac Sargent is listed as a sword cutler with the same address of High Street, Deritend.
It is known that the information contained in the directories is not necessarily highly accurate. Outdated information copied directly into new editions, or plagiarised from competitors was not unknown and it seems likely that consistent spelling of names by the agents who collected the data was not their topmost priority, while padding out the number of entries was perhaps more lucrative.

In the same directories there is another, more substantial, firm listed as Woolly, Sargant and Fairfax located at Edmund Street. This company operated from 1815 until 1879 and from around 1835 became Sargant & Son and then Sargant Brothers, none however with the initial ‘I’. It also had premises for a period in London. This company is significant in that it was listed as an official supplier, and sword cutler to the Board of Ordnance and the East India Company. They supplied swords, cutlasses, firearms and bayonets. Cutlers did not necessarily manufacture all the parts – blades, guards, hilts and scabbards - but commonly put them together to form the complete sword. It was therefore normal practice to outsource to other suppliers.

Any skilled iron worker with access to a forge, a hammer and an anvil can make an axe and it is likely that most boarding axes were made by blacksmiths or firms of edge tool makers. Perhaps Woolly, Sargant and Fairfax, who were recognised Board of Ordnance suppliers, sub-contracted axe manufacture out to Isaac Sargant, at Deritend, who may well have had a family connection. This would explain why his name appears on so many government axes so although not conclusive it remains a strong possibility that I Sargant is the Isaac listed in the trade directories.

CC

Jim McDougall · 4th June 2025, 07:20 PM

Hardly a long read to me

(Tolstoy here!)
Excellent research and I think most plausible deductions, and I think there is a great deal of misunderstanding about actual swordsmiths and cutlers. Then factor in toolmakers and blacksmiths, as well as notable outsourcing

These partnerships also play an important part in trying to use the name(s) on a weapon to establish its date/period. I would guess that a weapon with only the SARGENT (sic) stamp would be from the earlier 19th c period, and that the numbers of examples with the 'I' initial were from the years later 1820s+

Again this is an amazing example, and very much appreciate your sharing all these in this grouping!!

M ELEY · 5th June 2025, 11:16 AM

I can never get over how boarding axes, particularly the British pattern, so closely resembles the spike trade axes (i.e. tomahawks) that were being made for the Native Americans at around the same time period. I know we're talked about this before and even Gilkerson supported the theory that they definitely are 'related'. Yours is an amazing example and I do hope to add one to my own collection someday!

4th June 2025, 06:38 PM	#1
CutlassCollector Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Scotland Posts: 355	OK. This is a bit of a long read but is all I found in my research. The Sargent/Sargant name I suspect refers to various members of a family involved in the arms trade. Perusal of trade directories covering the period of the early 19th century reveal a plethora of Sargants, Sargents, Sargeants and Sarjeants operating in the Birmingham area. The only candidate with the correct initial is Isaac Sargant of High street, Deritend, Birmingham who is recorded as an edge tool maker/sword cutler from around 1828 to 1835 in various Trade Directories for the Birmingham area, with the spelling of the name sometime being different even between sections of the same directory. For example in the main section of the West 1830 directory he is listed as Sarjeant, Isaac – Victualler, Edge Tool Maker and Hammer Maker. Under the Victualler section he is listed as Sargeant and there are two sword cutlers listed as Isaac Sargeant and Isaac Sergeant in the same street. In the 1835 directory he is listed as Isaac Sargant but only within the Victualler section. In Pigot’s 1828/29 directory Isaac Sargent is listed as a sword cutler with the same address of High Street, Deritend. It is known that the information contained in the directories is not necessarily highly accurate. Outdated information copied directly into new editions, or plagiarised from competitors was not unknown and it seems likely that consistent spelling of names by the agents who collected the data was not their topmost priority, while padding out the number of entries was perhaps more lucrative. In the same directories there is another, more substantial, firm listed as Woolly, Sargant and Fairfax located at Edmund Street. This company operated from 1815 until 1879 and from around 1835 became Sargant & Son and then Sargant Brothers, none however with the initial ‘I’. It also had premises for a period in London. This company is significant in that it was listed as an official supplier, and sword cutler to the Board of Ordnance and the East India Company. They supplied swords, cutlasses, firearms and bayonets. Cutlers did not necessarily manufacture all the parts – blades, guards, hilts and scabbards - but commonly put them together to form the complete sword. It was therefore normal practice to outsource to other suppliers. Any skilled iron worker with access to a forge, a hammer and an anvil can make an axe and it is likely that most boarding axes were made by blacksmiths or firms of edge tool makers. Perhaps Woolly, Sargant and Fairfax, who were recognised Board of Ordnance suppliers, sub-contracted axe manufacture out to Isaac Sargant, at Deritend, who may well have had a family connection. This would explain why his name appears on so many government axes so although not conclusive it remains a strong possibility that I Sargant is the Isaac listed in the trade directories. CC

4th June 2025, 07:20 PM	#2
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,281	Hardly a long read to me (Tolstoy here!) Excellent research and I think most plausible deductions, and I think there is a great deal of misunderstanding about actual swordsmiths and cutlers. Then factor in toolmakers and blacksmiths, as well as notable outsourcing These partnerships also play an important part in trying to use the name(s) on a weapon to establish its date/period. I would guess that a weapon with only the SARGENT (sic) stamp would be from the earlier 19th c period, and that the numbers of examples with the 'I' initial were from the years later 1820s+ Again this is an amazing example, and very much appreciate your sharing all these in this grouping!!

5th June 2025, 11:16 AM	#3
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,158	I can never get over how boarding axes, particularly the British pattern, so closely resembles the spike trade axes (i.e. tomahawks) that were being made for the Native Americans at around the same time period. I know we're talked about this before and even Gilkerson supported the theory that they definitely are 'related'. Yours is an amazing example and I do hope to add one to my own collection someday!