"Giant photos of relics of the Napoleonic Era" Topic

Some of you may find this interesting.

THESE IMAGES ARE VERY LARGE. RIGHT-CLICK ON THE IMAGES, COPY AND PASTE THE URL/ADDRESS OF THE PHOTOS, THEN CLICK ON THE IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

Colonel Marbot wore this uniform, of the 7th French Hussars, during the Waterloo Campaign in 1815 (Marbot commanded the 7th Hussars during that campaign).

---------------------------------------

This is the green jacket of a British soldier from the 95th Rifles.

MORE TO COME…

King's German Legion Drum… This is a drum carried by a unit of the King's German Legion at the Battle of Waterloo.

----------------------------------------

King's Dragoon Guards Standard… This guidon was carried at the Battle of Waterloo by the British 1st (King's) Dragoon Guards. At Waterloo, the King's Dragoon Guards suffered 279 casualties, including the commanding officer Lt. Colonel Fuller. This was 48% of all soldiers in the regiment present at Waterloo, the highest casualty rate of any cavalry unit in the Anglo-Allied army. Despite the chaos, the bloodied survivors of the charge were able to retreat back to the Allied lines carrying this banner. It later had the battle honor "Waterloo" added.

French Cannon Captured at Waterloo… French 6 pounder field gun cast in Metz in 1813.

----------------------------------------

This beautifully decorated sword was carried by Napoleon at the Battle of Austerlitz, on 2 December 1805. The sword was made for Napoleon at the end of the Consulate period (1803 – 1804) by the famous goldsmith Martin Guillaume Bienais of Paris. Napoleon always referred to it as "my sword" and although he owned many swords, it is this one that is most associated with him.

----------------------------------------

This is the King's Colour of the 2nd Battalion of the 69th (South Lincolnshire) Regiment of Foot. At the Battle of Quatre Bras, two days before Waterloo, this flag was captured by French cuirassiers. A French cuirassier cut down Ensign Duncan Keith, who carried the King's Colour.

MORE TO COME…

Yes keep them coming

That doesn't look like a rifles jacket to me – no tails or shoulder-straps…

Great find

The rifles jacket is an officer's.

The cavalry guidon. Always thought British cavalry universally left them at home…parade only.

69th King's Colour. Greta story as to how it was found and brought back to UK eventually!

Always intrigued by what time and UV light has done to Marbot's uniform. Blue now, not green. Even the original in La M de l'Armee, look as hard as you can into the seams…no trace of green. Also his shako…not truly cylindric "rouleau"

Gentlemen,

All the info was taken from the 200 Objects of Waterloo website and, yes, I know that there are some wrong info in there.

An officer's jacket of the 95th Rifles! Thanks for clarifying that, deadhead.

Btw… See this beautiful uniform and read the explanatory text taken from the website. Apparentely, this uniform belonged to the Grenadiers of the French Imperial Guard… Crazy, completely crazy.

"The senior grenadier regiments were the elite infantry of the French Army. They had a fearsome reputation as soldiers. Grenadiers had once specialised in throwing grenades. This required tall, strong men, who were both brave and calm when throwing a live, unstable grenade. By 1815 grenadiers were the shock troops in all armies.

This grenadier wears the symbol of a grenade on his cartridge box, cap and coat turn backs. The fur cap and red epaulettes made the wearer look much taller and broader across the shoulders than they really were. Unofficially, they all wore gold ear rings.

Some images show them as white-haired, older men. This was because they powdered their hair. They were not old men. They were generally in their late 20's and had to have an excellent war record in a line regiment before applying to join the Guard.

The Guard were under Napoleon's direct control. No general could use the Guard without the Emperor's permission and this he rarely gave. They were his final reserve.
Everything was better in the Guard. Soldiers had better food, medical facilities, pay, and pensions than the rest of the army. When a line regiment met a Guard regiment on the march the former had to stand to one side and salute. The rest of the army complained about their arrogance and privileges, calling them ‘The Immortals'. This had two meanings. On the one hand they were always well dressed and on duty – and on the other, the Emperor never seemed to use them in battle!

At Waterloo they marched towards the allied ridge through a tremendous barrage as though on parade. Later, they fought ferociously to cover the retreat of the rest of the army. They are the most famous bodyguard in history."

THESE IMAGES ARE VERY LARGE. RIGHT-CLICK ON THE IMAGES, COPY AND PASTE THE URL/ADDRESS OF THE PHOTOS, THEN CLICK ON THE IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

This is one of the flags carried by the British 57th (Middlesex) Regiment of Foot at the Battle of Albuera (in 1811).

This colour is so damaged because of the incredibly brutal fighting at Albuera, during which the 57th Regiment took horrific casualties. This colour was hit by 21 shots and had its staff broken by enemy fire during the Battle of Albuera (16 May 1811). General William Beresford's army came under a massive flanking attack by a French force under Marshal Soult. A storm of shot tore into the British ranks and the 57th Foot suffered particularly severely. The 57th's commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel William Inglis, was hit but remained with the Regiment's colours, encouraging his men with the words 'Die hard, 57th, die hard'. A counter-attack saved the day and the French were eventually defeated. From that day on, the 57th were known as 'The Die-hards'. The 57th lost 88 per cent of its officers and 75 per cent of its men either killed or wounded.

So that would be a line NCO's uniform then….

"At Waterloo they marched towards the allied ridge through a tremendous barrage as though on parade. Later, they fought ferociously to cover the retreat of the rest of the army. They are the most famous bodyguard in history."

There were ferocious internet battles here on TMP about this – I say no, they were – more or less swept away in the panic and the rout of the French Army, especially on the Genappe road.

Most famous body guard ??? Really – British Guards outdo them easily by length of existance and success.

very nice immanges

Hey von Winterfeldt… This passage was taken from the 200 objects of Waterloo website and that website is a British website (sponsored by the British National Army Museum and the British Lottery).

There's a lot of wrong info in there (and quite a few old myths being perpetuated).

Having said that, I'm here to show big and beautiful images of rare artifacts. :-)

Old Guard are definitely more famous than the British guards, no matter their lifespan.

Well, they are to me anyway

Marc

There is a certain satisfaction in pointing out published howlers like this. There are so many to chose from, the art is not to add to them.

Only yesterday I proudly showed real close ups of my 52nd skirmishers (painted year or two ago) with unbrowned barrels to their muskets and silver bugle cap badges…oh dear…

But now on-line for ever more

and best Bodyguard? (Well, OK, best uniform anyway,) Saxon Garde du Corps at Borodino

and the Shako rouleau did not exist in 1815….je suis convinced. It was a Second Restoration style, appearing in many later "authoritative" illustrations of 1813-15. It is like Les Belles Filles cannon and "British" Blue waterbottles with white stencilled legends……..later on…. created!

I don't want to hijack the thread, about British blue water canteens

theminiaturespage.com

‌"TMP link

also

theminiaturespage.com

‌"TMP link

This is the cap of Ensign James Howard, an officer in the British 33rd Regiment of Foot. The hole comes from a French musket ball that was shot through the cap at the Battle of Waterloo. Astonishingly, the bullet missed Howard's head entirely.

This is the uniform coat of Lieutenant Henry Anderson of the 69th Regiment of Foot, who was shot in the shoulder at the Battle of Waterloo. On the reverse of the coat, underneath Anderson's left armpit, you can see the dried bloodstains.

This is an infantry officer's scarlet coat of superfine broadcloth, lined with shalloon, trimmed with gold lace, and bearing one ‘wing', indicating that its owner served in a flank company.

On 16th June, the battalion was engaged at Quatre Bras where, after confusion over orders, it was caught in extended line by French cavalry, suffered severe casualties and lost its King's Colour. The experience was undoubtedly horrific, though the casualty lists suggest that the "annihilation of the 69th at Quatre Bras" is one of many Waterloo myths. The number killed was 27 and the percentage of casualties, 41%, which was less severe than other regiments whose losses are rarely mentioned.

The coat belonged to Lieutenant Henry Anderson of the 2nd Battalion, 69th Regiment of Foot, an inexperienced battalion that had not served in the Peninsula, although they were with General Graham in Flanders in 1814. Average length of service amongst the privates was only 3½ years, less than any other British regiment at Waterloo.

At the battle of Waterloo itself, the battalion occupied part of the Allied line between La Haye Sainte and Hougoumont, serving in Halkett's British brigade of Alten's 3rd Division. Four regiments were amalgamated into two squares: the 30th with the 73rd, and the 33rd with the 69th. In the final phase of the battle, faced the advance of the Old Guard, the square of the 33rd and 69th began to give way and the other seemed likely to follow suit until General Halkett grasped the colour of the 69th and urged them to stand. It was then that Lt. Anderson fell, wounded "by a musket ball which broke his left shoulder, passed through the lungs and made its exit at the back, breaking the scapula."

Anderson's account of the incident survives in a letter he wrote to the Waterloo model maker, Captain Siborne. He wrote a letter to his parents on July 10 1815, saying:

"Bones are coming away every day from my shoulder, it will be about three inches lower than the other, however if I'm pointed at as a deformed person they must say, ‘that fellow was wounded at the Battle of Waterloo'."

Although he remained in the army, he was chiefly employed in administrative roles, as the impact of the wound remained with him for life.

This is the 1812 pattern helmet of a British officer of the 1st Regiment of Life Guards, heavy cavalry, who fought at Waterloo.

This beautiful jacket is a full dress jacket, meant to be worn on parade rather than the battlefield. The gold braid and elegantly buttoned waistcoat are unsuitable for active warfare. However, Lieutenant William Polhill of the 16th (Queen's Light Dragoons) was forced to ride into the Battle of Waterloo along with his regiment in full dress as they had not yet received their new uniforms.

It is worth seeing these outfits in "the Flesh", whether British or French.

The immediate/overwhelming impression is how tiny they are next to us these days. The shoulders, the waist would not even fit many of the XX fraternity (sorry, sorority) now….and I do also mean those of us with a XY chromosomes and a BMI of 25 or less.

The helmet is not Life Guards it is KDGs……

My last water bottles (for 2/3 95th) had no stencilling, I have learned from this forum.

Howard would have had a bizarrely shaped head, even for a Light Co officer, for that shot to have hit him.

But the Anderson's coat, from a Light Co, 69th…even as a Lieutenant, only one wing…..I would have got that wrong! I always thought both .

Keep these coming, but stress the errors, so as not to perpetuate them!

Howard would have had a bizarrely shaped head, even for a Light Co officer, for that shot to have hit him.

You say that, but, well, the 33rd were from Yorkshire.

Uniformology… I know very little when compared to several posters over here. I rely on you to help me, deadhead. ;-)

I agree with deadhead,
The 95th rifles jacket is an officers.
The helmet is Kings Dragoon Guards.
British Jacket, officers up the rank of lieutenant had one epaulet. If I remember correctly captains and above had two.
Howards head is normal, that ball hit high in the Shako. The crown of his head was probably around the 33 metal emblem.

Cuirassier – wonderful images, please post more.

"My last water bottles (for 2/3 95th) had no stencilling, I have learned from this forum."

So you ignore the contemporary print which precisely shows this – above?

This is the sword of Major-General Sir William Ponsonby, commander of the Union Brigade at the Battle of Waterloo.

THIS SWORD HAS A FANTASTIC HISTORY! READ ALL ABOUT IT.

Sir William Ponsonby commanded the British 2nd Heavy Cavalry Brigade at Waterloo. The Brigade is immortalised as the Union Brigade as it comprised regiments from England (The "Royals" or 1st Dragoons), Ireland (The "Inniskillings" or 6th Dragoons) and Scotland (The "Scots Greys" or 2nd Royal North British Dragoons).

Only the Royals had seen active military service in the Peninsula, the other two regiments had not seen active military service for 20 years before Waterloo. In the space of 30 minutes the Union Brigade, mustering approximately 1,000 sabres, destroyed what Napoleon had designed to be his battle winning move of smashing through the weakened Allied left by using 14,500 fresh infantry with cavalry and artillery support against 6,500 battle weary Allied troops.

It is reckoned that the Union Brigade rendered a third of the French attack hors de combat (killed, wounded or prisoners) and of course captured two imperial eagles. Sir William coordinated the Union Brigade's attack and led it first deploying the Royals, then the Inniskillings and finally the Scots Greys. In doing so he moved diagonally left across the battlefield.

When the Scots Greys' Lieutenant Colonel took a small body of Scots Greys on a reckless charge to attack the French artillery, Sir William took charge of the remainder of the Scots Greys to attack the retreating French troops of General Durutte which included light cavalry (chasseurs a cheval). It was while trying to break through the French cavalry and lead the Scots Greys to safety that the British cavalry were attacked in the rear by the 4th French lancers commanded by Colonel Bro.

Sir William was captured and made a prisoner by marechal de logis Francois Orban of the 4th lancers. When some Scots Greys attempted to rescue him, Orban killed Sir William and took his sword. Sir William's body was found the next day stripped except for his shirt which was soaked with his blood from the lance thrust. The body was brought back to England and buried in St Mary's Kensington.

Orban retired from the French army after Waterloo and worked on his parent's farm which he inherited. He displayed the sword on the chimney breast above the open fire hence the blued and gold decoration and the sword knot not being their original colour. Orban had no children and when he died his relations sold his mementos, including the sword, which passed through various collectors until it came into the collection of a former French Cuirassier officer, T Barbet de Vaux, who had fought alongside the British during the Boxer Rebellion.

After the end of the First World War, Barbet de Vaux showed the sword to Field Marshal Lord Haig and his ADC Major Astor who communicated its existence to Major General Sir John Ponsonby 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards. After a complex set of negotiations, Barbet de Vaux presented it to Sir John in 1928.

The sword is a very interesting composite piece. It has the typical English P or stirrup hilt and lions head pommel. The Lion's head pommel appeared on British and French swords of this period but only British swords had the lion's head pommel with the P stirrup hilt – French light cavalry swords preferred the D stirrup hilt. It is the blade that is most interesting. British, French and Spanish light cavalry regiments had curved blades and this is a Spanish blade.

If you look very closely on the decorated part of the blade you will see "Long Live the Emperor" in Spanish, which is ironic to say the least! Sir William was Lieutenant Colonel of the 5th Dragoon Guards and he led the regiment when it was in the Peninsular from 1811 to its return to England in 1814. Originally it formed part of Le Marchant's cavalry brigade and Sir William led the regiment in the great cavalry charge at the Battle of Salamanca in which Le Marchant was killed.

Wellington immediately promoted Sir William to command the brigade as well as joining the general staff. The British army entered Madrid in August 1812, Sir William and his brigade actually escorting Wellington into the capital. At the end of August, Wellington took some of his troops to pursue a French army northwards; an advance which would lead to failure to capture the castle of Burgos in Northern Spain and a disastrous retreat back to Portugal. Wellington took Sir William's brigade with him.

The scabbard of the sword has the Ponsonby arms and with it an intriguing date of September 1812. This is the last date at which Sir William would be in Madrid or the first day he would have rejoined his brigade for the advance on Burgos. We know from the work of Juan Jose Perez that the British army were arming the Spanish army by attaching new hilts that had been shipped from England to old Spanish blades.

Napoleon's brother King Joseph of Spain had regiments of Spanish troops who were sympathetic to the French cause and there were of course Spanish civilians who supported Napoleon as well. I wonder if the blade was originally made for one of these and with the flight of the French from Madrid on Wellington's approach the blade remained in the Royal Armoury or a sword maker's in Madrid.

It was then attached to the English hilt and either bought by Sir William himself or presented to him by the officers in the brigade when he rejoined them in September 1812. Given his straightened financial circumstances it might have been his only opportunity to acquire a world famous Toledo blade.

Great post and discussions thanks everyone!

Showing my ignorance, what identifies that helmet as a Dragoon Guard helmet as opposed to a line dragoon helmet?

thanks again, like the sabre and blued blade, so typical for officers sabres and swords.

What a great find is Ponsonby's sword. had never seen it before.

4th C, you ask an interesting question. I guess I said KDG based on the original description being 1st Life Guards….I assumed it was still Somerset's lads.

quality of workmanship does suggest an officer's helmet, but unless some inscription on the crest…..it may well be Royals or Inniskillings!

the white stencils on the waterbottle? So much on this on this site recently convinced me of huge doubt. I do see one of the two images shows them, notably the other, just as contemporary I suspect, does not!

"the white stencils on the waterbottle? So much on this on this site recently convinced me of huge doubt. I do see one of the two images shows them, notably the other, just as contemporary I suspect, does not!"

Indeed – for that reason, the case is not closed in my view – more research is necessary.

@ deadhead / von W

This sort of difference does raise an interesting point – one that in the absence of lots of further evidence I think has to be considered genuinely inconclusive. When we see two conflicting pieces of individually very credible evidence, what can we conclude?

Some years ago, when I had read less, I was a bit bemused by contemporary depictions of French cuirassiers that showed them both with and without carbines. What did this mean? Was one artist wrong? For all I knew back then, the painter had painted a cuirassier with (without) a carbine exactly because it was so unusual to see such a thing. Did only certain regiments carry them? If so, what determined which did and which did not?

Elting's writing eventually persuaded me that all cuirassier regiments were issued carbines, but that individual colonels took a view on what use they made of them. Some dumped the whole useless deadweight at the depot, some distributed 10 per company to be able to shoot back comfortingly if ineffectively when being peppered themselves, some distributed them to men without horses back in the echelon, and probably some made every trooper carry one.

Similar case: the Foot Guards' supposed white overalls at Waterloo. Painted in action by Denis Dighton, and a quartermaster's record suggests white overalls in 1815 too. But Dighton was looking at uniforms later than Waterloo, we don't know when the white distribution actually occurred, and maybe Dighton chose that subject exactly because it was new / unexpected.

You would totally never work any of this out from looking at contemporary engravings. If you've got conflicting cites it's inconclusive without evidence in a quantity that may never come to light.

I could really do with militia light infantry having worn the Belgic shako. They were closer to the supply so they might have got them sooner, and more importantly, it would provide me with a use for the the kneeling-on-guard figure in 14 packs' worth of Airfix British infantry.

Do you mean this post von?

Dibble:

Where the water canteen is concerned, there is no hard evidence at all that they were universally light blue/grey, marked with B.O or the arrow. Were all painted with white lettering to a defined regulation or even to a specific design.

The only depiction I have seen of a 'mounted' cavalryman with a light blue 'italian' canteen and marked up with black letters '3HKG (L?), is that of a KGL hussar offering a drink. I have seen no contemporary cavalryman wearing a canteen of any description, but I see them depicted in modern drawing and figures. Would they really need to carry them about their body when they have a nice horse to carry it for them instead of it getting in the way and uncomfortably bouncing off the rib-cage?

I have seen non-Hamilton Smith depictions of canteens in the blue colour but none had any markings on them. It seems (according to Hamilton Smith) that the Guards had very practical water canteens of black leather and of a much slimmer shape but again, with no markings Also, the sergeant of the 87th has what seems to be a small, black kidney type water bottle, an infantryman in great coat with an 'Italian' style canteen but with no markings. the other depiction which is of a Colour sergeant of the 9th, has his 'Italian' canteen suspended on a white leather strap but the canteen is depicted with its front turned away.

I have looked through countless contemporary pictures of militia and regular infantry depictions and they are almost all devoid of a canteen.

As for the 95th Great-coat. It was dark grey and not rolled up and strapped on top of the knapsack. It was rolled up and the knapsack flap buckled over the top. When the knapsack wasn't carried, the greatcoat was rolled up and worn like a portmanteau on the back. The greatcoat (Watch-coat) was worn over the top of all equipment wilst on guard duty but with equipment over the top when on campaign.

you will notice that both of those illustrations you posted above (where the blue canteen is depicted), are part of the 3rd foot Guardsmen's equipment so may have been peculiar to that regiment. also, I have only seen only one contemporary picture of a British cavalryman wearing a canteen and haversack but he happens to be dismounted. My personal thoughts on this account is that the canteen and haversack would be worn by the trooper except when mounted where they would be stowed about the horse

Paul :)

Flag, flag pole and imperial eagle of the French 105th Infantry Regiment of the Line (captured at Waterloo).

Imperial eagle of the French 105th Regiment of Infantry (captured at Waterloo).

I have never seen the flag that goes with this eagle. the 105th eagle was always on display at NAM. Ewart's eagle and the flag have always been on show in Edinburgh castle….but the 105th flag is a nice surprise. I imagined long gone!

It has faded just a bit, OK, but great to see it

Imperial eagle of the French 45th Regiment of Infantry (captured at Waterloo)

This saddle was ridden by a British cavalryman at Waterloo, and is pierced with holes from two bullets. Both horse and rider luckily escaped being injured or killed by these musket-shots.

This is the saddle of Cornet James Gape of the 2nd Royal North British Dragoons, most famously known as the Scots Greys. The saddle's design was based upon those used by the Prussian Cavalry, who were considered to be a part of one of the most technologically advanced armies in the 1790s. Gape's saddle is a typical example of those introduced in 1796 for use throughout the heavy cavalry regiments of the British army. For the sixteen-year old Gape the saddle's construction and design would prove to be invaluable for him and his mount at the Battle of Waterloo.

As the battle raged, Gape came face to face with a French infantryman who fired at him from a distance of only twenty yards. As the young Gape later wrote to his mother, the ball struck his cloak, which he had rolled up in front of his saddle, and passed through the cloth before digging into the leather. Whether he was unconcerned or unaware of the life threatening injuries he had successfully avoided, Gape focused more on the damage to his saddle, describing it as, "…completely spoiled." This was the first of two lucky escapes for young Gape, as a second ball subsequently struck the seat of the saddle. This was not an uncommon experience for the Greys as they rode into the ranks of the opposing French infantry. In desperation the French formed small rallying squares to try and gain some protection to reload and fire against the ferocious and now fragmented charge of the Greys.

Gape was fortunate that his saddle saved both his life and that of his horse. However, many fellow Greys were less lucky and succumbed to the stray shots of the French infantry. Gape's own commander, Lieutenant-Colonel James Inglis Hamilton, was shot through the heart whilst leading the regiment against the French artillery.

Actually… James Gape was 18 years old when he fought at Waterloo.

Interesting how low the holsters are positioned – just in front of the knees.

I forgot to show the flag of the French 45th Infantry Regiment (captured at Waterloo).

I think the strange position of Gape's holsters comes from that they are not fixed to the rest of the saddle, but just leaned against it for taking the photograph.

Can anyone guess who this 1796 officers cavalry sabre belonged to?

Paul :)

Paget/Uxbridge? Surely British anyway

Not quite! Think laterally….Though British is correct….

The ancestor brought this sword along to the Antiques Roadshow in 2008 along with a sepia portrait of the Sword's owner… He is to us, a very famous character….Oh! The sword was valued at an estimate of £20,000.00 GBP back then, which was the equivalent of $30,000. USD

Paul :)

I hope it was his descendant and not his ancestor that attended the Antiques Roadshow, even on Halloween!

Grant, Vandaleur, Cotton????

Yes you are right! it was a descendant :D The original sword owner's dad was an Engineer if I remember correctly. This famous chap was also a talented illustator and watercolourist who has many of his works archived in Canada.

Remember 'Think laterally'

No more clues.

Paul :)

Hey, it is two months on and this was never answered. I have heard of keeping in suspense but…..

Ponsonby (the one that survived)?

I just wonder if it was Mercer's….

Something tells me the problem is solved….

TMP link

Blücher's carried this sword/sabre during the campaigns of 1813 and 1814.

THESE IMAGES ARE VERY LARGE. RIGHT-CLICK ON THE IMAGES, COPY AND PASTE THE URL/ADDRESS OF THE PHOTOS, THEN CLICK ON THE IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.

In June 1814, the Allied sovereigns made a state visit to England to celebrate the peace following the abdication of Napoleon Bonaparte and his first exile to Elba in April 1814. The sovereigns and generals of the Coalition – Austria, Prussia, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom and a number of German States – attended various peace celebrations around the country including a ceremony at the Royal Garrison Church in Portsmouth. On this occasion the Prince Regent was presented with ‘this Sword… worn by the veteran hero Field Marshal Prince Blücher – during the whole of the memorable campaigns of 1813 & 1814 against the French …'. John Prosser's bill for repairing the Field Marshal's sword on 22 July 1814, is partly illegible, but it was recorded by Benjamin Jutsham, the Prince Regent's Inventory Clerk, as ‘Regilding a Sword, presented by General Blücher, repairing handle & bottom Chape, Cleaning & Darkening the Blade', for £15.00 GBP 8s.

The sword may have French origins. The hilt seems to owe something to a design of Nicolas-Noël Boutet who produced a number of hilts in this style; for example the sword presented to the Polish General Kniazieiwicz, now in the Polish National Army Museum, Cracow. The form of helmet used on the head of the back plate is one commonly found on the sabres of officers of the French National Guard. Nicolas Noël Boutet (1761-1833) was the director of the Manufacture de Versailles from 1798-1818. Boutet was the son of Noël Boutet, 'Arquebusier des chevaux-legers du Roi'. He followed his father's profession and married the daughter of Pierre Desaintes, the 'Arquebusier Ordinaire du Roi'. Desaintes passed on his royal appointment to his son-in-law who subsequently worked for Louis XVI at Versailles and, after the Revolution, was employed by Napoleon Bonaparte as general manager of the Manufacture de Versailles where weapons of the highest quality were produced. When he left Versailles in 1818 he traded from premises at 87 Rue de Richelieu in Paris but continued to use the signature 'Boutet à Versailles'.

Source: Royal Collection (Windsor Castle).