Coldstream Guards - Major The Lord Winchester’s Charger’s Hoof, 1901

Coldstream Guards - Major The Lord Winchester’s Charger’s Hoof, 1901.

Length: 17cm (6.6in).

Silver mounted hoof of an officer’s charger adorned with silver shoe and chased mount, the hinged lidded inkwell compartment engraved with a marquess’s coronet and inscribed ‘Charlie died Jan. 1901, the charger ridden by the late Major, the Marquess of Winchester, 2nd Battn., Coldstream Guards, given after his death by the present Marquess to J.W. Smith of Weyhill’. Maker’s mark Rowland Ward Limited, 166 Piccadilly, London. Hallmarked 1900-01.

The 15th Marquess of Winchester (1858-1899) was educated at Eton and succeeded his father to the peerage in 1887. He was commissioned in the Coldstream Guards in 1879 and served in the Sudan in 1884 as Aide-de-Camp to Sir John McNeill, being was present at the engagements at Hasheen, the Zofrek zariba and the battle of Tamai. He was one the point of resigning his commission when the Boer War broke out in September 1899 but chose to remain with his regiment and sailed with the 2nd Battalion to South Africa, arriving at the Cape in November 1899.  The 2nd Coldstream along with the 3rd Grenadier Guards, 1st Coldstream, and 1st Scots Guards, formed the 1st or Guards Brigade, which advanced under Lieutenant-General Lord Methuen to relieve the Siege of Kimberley. On 28 November Methuen met stiff resistance at Modder River but forced the Boers to retreat to Magersfontein. On 11 December at he failed to perform adequate reconnaissance and was unaware that Boer Vecht-generaal De la Rey had entrenched his forces at the foot of the hills surrounding Magersfontein, rather than the forward slopes, as was the accepted practice. That allowed the Boers to survive the initial British artillery bombardment, and ito nflict heavy casualties when the assault by the Highland Brigade went in. The Guards Brigade protected the right and rear of the Highlanders over a front of about two miles, with the two Coldstream battalions being pushed well into the main action. During the course of the attack Lord Winchester and 2 men of the 2nd Coldstream were killed with a further 22 wounded. In Methuen's despatch of 15 February 1900 he reported ‘Major the Marquis of Winchester was killed whilst displaying almost reckless courage’. Magersfontein was one of the reverses of 10 to 15 December 1899 which shocked the public in Britain and became known as ‘Black Week’ with Gatacre defeated at Stormberg and Buller at Colenso. 

Price

£2400.00

This object is eligible for a Certificate of BADA Provenance