December 14-17, 2021 Collectible Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/14/2021
Identified 1827 pattern British navy officer’s sword of Henry Tryon, twice wounded, present at the bombardment of Fort McHenry, and later captured in a “cutting out affair” on the Potomac River. Early style quillback blade and flaring false edge. Gilt brass hilt with triple-wire bound, sharkskin grip, lion pommel, guard with Gothic arches and crowned naval anchor on exterior, folding reverse counterguard. Blade etched with floral, naval and royal motifs including crown over a fouled anchor, lion and “honi soit qui mal y pense” garter. Maker name on reverse: “Drury/32 /Strand/London.” Guard interior engraved in Gothic lettering: “This sword belonged to / Commander Henry Taylor R.N. / born March 17 1793 died at Surbiton / Dec 3rd 1866 he served in 1814-1815 & was present at the affairs of / Zara Adriadic [sic] Baltimore & Potomac / Robert Curling / executor to will of Henry Tryon, R.N.” Tryon’s career is summarized in Coburn’s United Service Magazine and elsewhere. His obituary and notice of Curling as executor appear in contemporary newspapers. Born in 1793, he entered the navy 14 January 1809 as a junior officer on the HMS Sirius, then undergoing repairs at Chatham. He sailed with the ship for the Cape of Good Hope and Indian Ocean in February, was at the taking of several French vessels, the September 1809 capture of St. Paul on Reunion, and the taking of Reunion itself in July 1810. In August he was in the battle of Grand Port at Mauritius, resulting in the destruction of the Sirius, was present when Mauritius fell in December, and “brought to England” (presumably as temporary commander, but at least as crew member) the prize ship La Manche. In May 1811 he joined the HMS Havannah, serving in the Channel and then taking part in the 1813 Adriatic Campaign, where he was wounded in a cutting-out action (a boarding attack by small boats) at Tremiti and received a gold medal from the Austrian government for actions in the Anglo-Austrian siege and taking of Zara. In 1814 he was with Cochrane’s fleet in the attack on Baltimore, which puts him on the scene for the bombardment of Fort McHenry and the composition of the Star-Spangled Banner. He was subsequently wounded and captured in December during another cutting-out affair on the Potomac. He was freed with the declaration of peace shortly afterward and in March 1815 promoted to lieutenant. In the postwar period he served as an Admiralty agent in 1837 and was ranked as a retired commander in 1864. He lived for a time at Deal, County of Kent, and died at Surbiton (London) 27 November 1866. CONDITION: Very good. Guard shows gilt finish. Lion pommel nicely detailed. Blade with good edge and point. Etching thin, but visible as muted silver against thin gray throughout. No scabbard. SR
Item Dimensions: 34 - 1/2"
Paperwork
Bio of Henry Tryon