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A Naval Officer's Sword Of Captain George Christopher Pulling image 1
A Naval Officer's Sword Of Captain George Christopher Pulling image 2
A Naval Officer's Sword Of Captain George Christopher Pulling image 3
Lot 82Ф,Y

A Naval Officer's Sword Of Captain George Christopher Pulling
Dated 1803

25 November 2015, 14:00 GMT
London, Knightsbridge

Sold for £3,500 inc. premium

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A Naval Officer's Sword Of Captain George Christopher Pulling
Dated 1803

With tapering fullered blade (some wear and rust patination) double-edged towards the point and etched over each side of the forte with a martial trophy, crowned 'GR III' cypher and scrollwork, regulation gilt-brass hilt with double shell-guard, the inner one folding against a spring (incomplete), rear quillon and faceted knuckle guard cast and chased with foliage, urn-shaped pommel, and reeded ivory grip with medial gilt-brass band engraved with a crowned fouled anchor on an oval, in original black leather scabbard with linear engraved gilt-brass mounts including locket with frog-button on one side and engraved 'Cap.t Pulling, R.N. 1803', and with two rings for suspension (5)
83 cm. blade

Footnotes

Offered with three contemporary portrait miniatures of members of the Pulling family. Two on ivory by Frederick Buck (Irish, 1771-circa 1840), one believed to be the owner of the sword. The larger central miniature on paper (English School, circa 1820): each in a gilt oval frame mounted into a common ebonised frame, the back with partly legible handwritten paper labels; a gold-mounted fob seal embossed and chased with foliage, the amethyst seal with bezel edges and cut with the Pulling coat-of-arms, a gold propelling pencil set with a shield-shaped bloodstone seal cut with the Pulling crest, and two foliate engraved gilt-mounted pocket watch keys with amethyst and agate seal respectively and each cut with the Pulling crest

George Christopher Pulling was born in 1766 and joined the Navy in 1780. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1790 and in 1792, whilst serving in Newfoundland, he investigated the poor relationships between the settlers and the native Beothuk Indians. He recorded violent acts against the Indians and fostered better relations between them and the settlers.

In 1798 he attained the rank of Commander and in 1801 while in command of the Brig Kangaroo (18), in the company of the Sparrow (14) commanded by the intrepid Lord Cochrane, attacked a Spanish convoy sheltering in Old Castille. They destroyed a shore battery, sunk or drove off seven gun boats and carried off three brigs laden with rice, wine and bread.

He was promoted to Captain in 1802 and died in 1819. There is a monument to him in St. Arvans Church, Monmouthshire

Additional information

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