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A Sword in the Attic

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The stairs leading to the Nova Scotia attic were broad and wide, with the door located in the hallway outside my bedroom.  The south facing dormer and the gable window lit the loft space well but there was also a light on a pull cord, in case you needed additional lighting. I was eight when we first moved to the house and the sword was still being kept away from young hands, out of sight in the eaves of the big attic with its wide pine floors.  The thought of a sharp steel sword injuring a young child kept it there, until we children started playing in the attic.  Mother was uncertain what to do with it and gradually, I decided it belonged in my bedroom.  Already a budding antiquarian by age twelve, I had boldly asked my maternal grandfather for his ancient pistol, and when he agreed I followed that up by asking for a pocket knife kit he had which included 10 tools that could be attached to the bottom of the knife - essentially a Swiss Army knife with detachable tools. We had lived with grandfather and grandmother the year Dad had died so he knew I was a kid who appreciated old things.  After cleaning every part of this family artifact, I became intrigued with the origin and asked mother, where did this come from?  Since it belonged to my late father she knew that it was his, and that it came from his relatives and not his own military career, but that was it. Dad was a Canadian Navy Chaplain in WWII, and the item was too old to be a 20th century dress sword.

With no inscription, the item with uncertain origin had pride of place among my little collection, lodged on an old pair of mounted moose antlers. My young mind wondered, was this just an old sword or did it have a family story of adventure, or importance to tell.

While I was away at college, mother moved into a smaller place, and the sword ended up in a closet.  In the years after, having the safety of my own young children in mind I left it with her.  In the 1990's a relative who was part of a local historical society borrowed it for a museum display. When the display was eventually dismantled Mom had passed on, so it was returned to the relative who borrowed it - until she also died.

The sword remained safe with relatives. When I was reunited with it in 2001 my uncle, Fred Scott, age 90, told me how my father first acquired it. It seems that the sword had been part of an estate auction in the 1930's when executors sold items that were part of a related family. Without direct descendants, some items in the estate were given to family, while others were sold when the last members died. The sword was in the auction so Dad bid on it and bought it. Still a young man, his travels took him to the Canadian North and graduate studies in Edinburgh, while the sword remained with his father and brother (Fred Scott) in Nova Scotia.  Eventually when settled back in Canada the sword rejoined Dad's household and thus to the Nova Scotia attic of my youth. Gradually answers are now emerging on the possible origin.

The 1796 pattern British military sword was  authenticated by a military curator in at the Halifax Citadel in February 2002 as being the model of sword that could have been worn by a Sergeant stationed with the Royal Artillery in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1803. Although sources are limited on the topic his research indicates:

It does appear that you are in possession of a 1796 pattern sword, and a nice
one at that. However, making the connection to your ancestor is a bit more
difficult.

Unfortunately, information on personal arms (i.e. side arms) of artillery NCOs
is very sketchy for this period (pre 1820). Alistair Campbell's work "The Dress
of the Royal Artillery" (p. 94) notes that in 1743 artillery NCOs were issued
long swords (which were different from the shorter infantry hangars issued to
gunners). He further indicates that in 1748 gunners gave up their swords but
there is no mention of the NCOs swords again until about 1820. By this
exclusion, then, I would assume that NCOs had the long sword through the turn of
the century.Two other sources (Robson and Wilkinson) agree that swords may have
been issued to artillery sergeants of this period. They also concur that there
was no particular artillery pattern sword until the 1820s and that Artillery
personnel would probably have used the pattern employed by the infantry. So, if
he had a sword, it could have been of this pattern.

Sergeant David Scott a non-commissioned officer, was stationed in the Royal Artillery in Halifax, where he was killed "while in the execution of his duty as Sergt- Commanding the Royal Artillery Barrack Guard "in 1803, the question of whether the sword could be his, and then given to his widow and children, was asked. He answered:

Unlike officers, who purchased their own clothing, accoutrements and weapons, a
soldier's uniform, accoutrements and weapons were issued by the government and
normally all serviceable items were recycled, especially weapons, when the
soldier left the service. The exception to this might be the proverbial 'clothes
on their back'.

However, this was also a time of noble gestures (or at least the end of that
age) and it is possible that a presentation could be made to the widow if the
soldier was held in high regard or did a very notable deed. Certainly the
excerpt from the Headquarters Book that you forwarded would indicate he was held
in high regard. However, this is still not proof that this was his sword .

The proof of this likely rests within your family. Can you trace the ownership
of the sword back any distance back in your family? Is it possible that the
sword may have come into the family's possession through other means many years
ago?

Wayne Moug
Senior Curator (Military)

The connection of the estate auction to Sergeant David Scott is through James Sterling (b. 04 Apr 1853, Newport N.S. d. 12 Apr 1934) a great grandson of Sergeant David Scott possibly through his mother.  Although the possibility exists that the sword come from another source to James Sterling, the sword is the type that Sergeant David would have used in 1803, and it could have remained in family hands for 200 year.

No records has been found to definiatively link the sword to Sergeant David, but new information may arise at some time. In the meantime the 1796 pattern sword remains a treasured family item, as something that continues to spark curiosity, in all ages, as it has for many years.

The scabbard case recently underwent leather restoration to stabilize the effects of ageing and the sword remains is excellent condition.