On 23 July a sword that may have seen action at the Battle of Culloden is being sold by Bonhams at their sale of antique arms and armour in London. The very rare cavalry backsword belonged to a trooper of the Fitzjames Regiment of Irish Horse who were in French service from the mid-18th century. They had been sent to Scotland to serve with Charles Stuart, the Young Pretender, Bonnie Prince Charlie’s army. They landed at Aberdeen in February 1746 , later a squadron fought at Culloden, with a troop providing the escort for Prince Charles. After the battle they escorted the prince from the field and the troop was dismissed with orders to surrender to the Duke of Cumberland.
David Williams, of Bonhams, said it was possible the sword saw action at Culloden. “This is a particularly interesting moment — following the recent Irish rejection of the Treaty of Lisbon — to remember that for many years the Irish were staunch supporters of the French in their many European wars. This sword is a powerful reminder of that battle-tested relationship. It is a strange irony that today it is the Irish who have put the EC bandwagon on hold.” The sword has an estimate of £2000 - £3,000
