NAM.1961-05-6-1

Presentation, Pattern 1834 Rifle Regiment Officer’s sword, 1848. Bought by Lt Gen Harry Hammon Lyster, 72nd Bengal Native Infantry for his relative Claud Hamilton Vivian, Royal Field Artillery, 1900. Blade is spear pointed with engravings of the maker’s name, Henry Wilkinson, and a dedication to Vivian from Lyster and a list of the actions in which latter carried the sword; ‘Gothic’ guard inset with a bugle and crown in cartouche; dark fishskin grip bound with silver wire; leather acorn sword knot. The story goes that Vivian’s father and Lyster took him to Wilkinson’s to buy a sword before sailing for India. (Vivian had married in 1878 - Lyster’s elder sister Georgiana was Vivian’s mother-in-law.) They were having trouble choosing a weapon when a stranger offered to help them, this man was Prince Napoleon, later the Emperor Napoleon III. In 1891 Lyster was gazetted Lieutenant General.

Indian Mutiny (1857-1859), 2nd Afghan War (1878-1880)