EL7178 - A late-Victorian Wilkinson 1821 pattern heavy cavalry officer's sword (numbered 31528 for 1892), with 1845 pattern blade, named to Edmund Deacon of the 1st King's Dragoon Guards. The Wilkinson record book records that the sword was sold in March 1892 to the outfitter Hawkes & Co. for Deacon Esq (Edmund Deacon being the only possible candidate in the Army List). Deacon first served in the illustrious 1st Dragoon Guards and eventually became a Colonel of the Essex Yeomanry, serving in the Imperial Yeomanry during the 2nd Anglo Boer War in South Africa. Accordingly, we can see that this was the sword he carried, as it has been very extensively and effectively service sharpened, with the entire edge bevel being brought to a fine edge. This has of course removed the etching on that portion of the blade. Deacon sadly died while commanding the Essex Yeomanry in 1915 in WW1. The sword is in good condition considering the active service and provenance, and this pre-1896 pattern version of the heavy cavalry sword is much rarer than the post-1896 version. Everything is firm, no movement, and it is complete with the steel full dress scabbard.
