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A Very Fine And Rare Lloyd's Patriotic Fund Sword And Belt Of £30 Value To Mr. Wm. Augs. Thompson, Midshipman Of H.M.S. Pallas image 1

A Very Fine And Rare Lloyd's Patriotic Fund Sword And Belt Of £30 Value To Mr. Wm. Augs. Thompson, Midshipman Of H.M.S. Pallas image 2

A Very Fine And Rare Lloyd's Patriotic Fund Sword And Belt Of £30 Value To Mr. Wm. Augs. Thompson, Midshipman Of H.M.S. Pallas image 3

Lot 479

A Very Fine And Rare Lloyd's Patriotic Fund Sword And Belt Of £30 Value To Mr. Wm. Augs. Thompson, Midshipman Of H.M.S. Pallas
Dated 6th And 22nd April, 1806

Antique Arms & Armour

25 July 2007, 10:30 BST

London, Knightsbridge

Sold for £66,000 inc. premium

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A Very Fine And Rare Lloyd's Patriotic Fund Sword And Belt Of £30 Value To Mr. Wm. Augs. Thompson, Midshipman Of H.M.S. Pallas
Dated 6th And 22nd April, 1806

With curved single-edged hollow-ground blade richly etched and gilt against a blued ground with flowers including roses, thistles and shamrocks, foliage including fruiting branches of oak, a naval trophy, female figures including Victory, the crowned arms and cypher of George III, and the presentation inscription, stirrup hilt of ormolu, the quillons formed as a fasces (axe-blade missing), the knuckle-guard as the club of Hercules entwined by a snake and retaining its original gilt bullion and blue silk sword-knot, the langets cast with acanthus foliage and applied naval trophies, the back-piece of the partly chequered rounded ivory grip formed as the skin of the Nemean Lion, in its original fishskin-covered scabbard (minor split) mounted in ormolu, the mounts comprising border engraved locket, chape and suspension mount each engraved with naval trophies and bound by a double rope, two suspension rings, the top edge of the locket signed 'R. Teed, Dress Sword Maker to the Patriotic Fund, Lancaster Court, Strand, London', and retaining virtually all its original blued and gilt finish; the belt of navy blue velvet embroidered with silver threads, the gilt mounts with lion mask bosses (4)

Footnotes

Literature:
Commander W.E. May, R.N. and P.G. Annis, Swords for Sea Service, 1970, p. 72

Offered with two English 19th Century School portraits of the recipient. The first (creased, slightly torn) full length in contemporary naval uniform and with handwritten inscription 'Wm. Aug. Thompson Royal Navy', watercolour (14½ cm. x 10 cm.); the second in profile, half-length in contemporary naval uniform including epaulettes and sword, pencil, oval (15 cm. x 11 cm.), both framed and glazed

The presentation inscription reads: 'From The Patriotic Fund At Lloyd's To Mr. Wm. Augs. Thompson Midshipman Of H.M.S. Pallas For His Gallant & Spirited Conduct On The Boarding & Carrying In The Boats Of That Ship, The French National Corvette La Tapa-Geuse Of 14 Guns & 95 Men In The River Gavonne On The 6th Of April 1806. As Recorded In The London Gazette Of The 22nd Of That Month'

William Augustus Thompson entered the Navy on the 27th September 1797 as Midshipman and served in the expedition to Ferrol and in operations connected with the expulsion of the French from Egypt in 1801.
He joined the Pallas, 32, as Master's Mate under Lord Cochrane and on the 5th April 1806 he commanded one of the frigate's boats which attempted to cut out two French brig-corvettes in the River Gironde which lay 20 miles above the shoals and between two heavy batteries. At 3 a.m. on the 6th the British boarded and carried the Tapageuse, 14, and made sail at daybreak. The other brig followed and attacked but sheered off after an hour and the prize was taken with only three seaman wounded.
It was around this time that Lord Cochrane, nicknamed the 'sea wolf' by the French, performed some of his most memorable actions including attacking French signal posts when there was 'nothing better in view'. After this action packed period Thompson was made Lieutenant on the 20th September and was present at the passage of the Dardanells under Sir John Duckworth. He served on various other ships including, for a brief time, as Flag-Lieutenant on the San Josef, 110.
He attained the rank of Commander in 1832 and was placed on half pay the same year. He died around 1853

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