Australian Historical Medals

Lot 1017    Session 4 (4.30pm Tuesday)    Australian Historical Medals

Estimate $350,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au

LLOYDS PATRIOTIC FUND SWORD, and other items awarded to Sir Maurice Charles O'Connell. First: Lloyds Patriotic Fund Sword, 31 1/2 inch hollow-ground blued and gilt blade etched design of flowers, foliage, trophies, figures of Britannia and of Victory, arms and cypher of George III and the presentation inscription, 'From The Patriotic Fund At Lloyds To Captain Maurice Chas. O'Connell Of / The 1st West India Regt For His Gallant Conduct Opposing The Landing Of The French / Forces At Dominica On 22nd Feby. 1805. Recorded In The London Gazte Of 7th May.', stirrup hilt of ormolu, the quillons formed as fasces, the ancient Roman symbol of justice, and set on it is a rectangular panel bearing a gallery of flags, the knuckle-guard as a Hercules club entwined by a snake, the langets cast with acanthus foliage and naval trophies, the back-strap of the chequered ivory grip cast as the skin of the Nemean lion, in original scabbard of ormolu decorated with medallions cast with the Hydra, and with the Nemean lion, the top edge of the locket engraved, 'R.Teed / Dress Sword Maker / to the Patriotic Fund / Lancaster Court, / Strand. London'. Second: Patriotic Fund bestowal document (36cm x 26.5cm); dated 14th May 1805, to Capt M. C. O'Connell, 1st West India Regt, Dominica. This graphic and calligraphic document has at the bottom, 'Engraved by E.Scriven, Historical Engraver to H.R.H. the Princess of Wales, from a Drawing by R.K.Porter' and below the text it has, 'Written by G.Robinson, late of Christ's Hospital, London. Aged 16 Years.' Third: A William IV mameluke hilt General Officer's Sword, Pattern 1831, 31 inch flat back blade etched with crowned cypher of William IV above crossed sword and baton, the cross piece of the gilt hilt also bearing crossed sword and baton in wreath, ivory grip, with expert contemporary repair plate and small piece missing from back edge, with plated scabbard. (This is the actual sword in the portrait of O'Connell.) Fourth: Pair of pistols by Prosser of London, converted from flint to percussion, 40 bore, octagonal twist barrels; engraved at breech, barrels 25cm, overall length 40cm; lock, hammer, trigger guard and top tang engraved; back safety and set trigger; half stocked chequered grips with flat engraved steel butt plates; maker's name along top of barrels, 'Prosser Charing Cross London'; small silver escutcheons engraved with a stag's head (O'Connell's crest); stored in a cedar case along with all accessories, case lid with inset brass escutcheon also engraved with stag's head, some partitions of case loose and repaired and recovered in non-matching velvet, surrounding folding half circle carry handle; accessories include turn screw, brass oil bottle, Dixon three compartment flask (Riling 113), two pincer ball moulds, one marked 35 (bore) other 40 (bore) and 'Pattison - Sidney (sic). Fifth: A pair of Officer's Epaulettes with flat straps with corded edge, sword and baton crossed and surmounted by a crown embroidered on the strap, in shaped metal container. Sixth: The Royal Guelphic Order, Knight Commander Star (Military) in silver; another in bullion for sewing to jacket; and the neck badge; the three styles of the award are housed in a custom made case bearing the following details on the lid lining, 'George Knaver / Konigl.Hof.Gold u Silberarbeiter / Und Juwelier / Marktstrasse 492 / in / Hannover'. Seventh: A pair of colour photos (290mm x 240mm) being copies of the portraits by William Nicholas (English 1807-1854) of Sir Maurice Charles Philip O'Connell and Lady O'Connell which now reside in the National Library. Eighth: Three framed documents (290mm x 240mm) outlining a brief history of Sir Maurice O'Connell and another in matching size being a colour photo of the original citation for the Lloyd's Patriotic Fund Sword. Sir Maurice Charles O'Connell, the elder (1768-1848) commander of forces and lieutenant-governor of New South Wales, was born in County Kerry, Ireland. He studied in Paris for the Roman Catholic priesthood while under the patronage of a relative, General Count Daniel O'Connell of the Irish Brigade serving in the French Army. He left this calling when his father arranged for his entry to a military school. In 1792 he was appointed a captain in the French emigre forces serving on the French frontier under the Duke of Brunswick. Then in October 1794, after the reconstitution of the Irish Brigade in the British Army, he was appointed captain in Count Daniel O'Connell's 4th Regiment. Approximately six years later he was appointed captain in the 1st West India Regiment, and saw service in Surinam, Grenada and Dominica. In January 1805 he was appointed brevet major and transferred to the 5th Regiment for service in the West Indies distinguishing himself at Roseau in Dominica in February 1805 when it was unsuccessfully attacked by greatly superior French forces. The House of Assembly thanked him for this distinguished service and made a presentation of a sword valued at one hundred guineas. The committee of the Lloyds Patriotic Fund also expressed its appreciation by giving him a sword valued at fifty pounds and a plate valued at one hundred guineas. The Lloyd's Patriotic Fund had been established about three years earlier as a national subscription to receive funds from every level of society both in Great Britain and its colonies. The basic aim of the fund was to help the wounded and the dependants of those who died on war service however it also made presentation awards such as swords and silver vases to those officers whose courage, skill and seamanship had made victories possible. The swords fell into three categories, £30 swords, £50 swords, £100 swords and Trafalgar swords being a variation of the £100 design. After 1809 presentation awards ceased when the heavy toll of casualties meant that all available funds were being used to assist the wounded and dependants. During the short period of the awards, a total of sixty silver vases and one hundred and fifty presentation swords were awarded. In 1806 O'Connell transferred to the 73rd Regiment attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel in May 1809. Shortly after, in December 1809, the 1st Battalion of the 73rd Regiment under the command of Lieutenant Colonel O'Connell arrived at Port Jackson in Sydney accompanying Governor Lachlan Macquarie. The next month Lieutenant Colonel O'Connel was commissioned lieutenant-governor. Almost immediately, O'Connell began courting Mary Putland, the widow of Lieutenant Putland and daughter of the despised former Governor William Bligh. After a short courtship, and despite Bligh refusing to endorse O'Connell's request to marry his daughter, the couple were married at Government House on 8 May 1810 and Bligh sailed for England four days later. Prior to the marriage, Macquarie had granted O'Connell 2,500 acres near Windsor. He named this property Riverston, and today it is the suburb of Riverstone. In the month after the wedding he also granted the new Mrs O'Connell 1,055 acres in the district of Evan which adjoined acreage she had already received at Frogmore from Governor King. She was now quite well-off, owning 3,000 acres, 7,000 head of cattle and an income of £400 per annum. During Governor Macquarie's absence in Tasmania in the latter part of 1812 O'Connell administered government in New South Wales. As well as being the second-ranking officer in the Colony of New South Wales, O'Connell held down several other important positions. In May 1810 he was appointed trustee of the Female Orphan Institution and in August of the same year was steward of the racecourse. Other appointments include President of the Philanthropic Society in January 1814. By now, Mrs O'Connell's resentment against those who had ousted her father was causing considerable problems and embarrassment because she exercised great influence over her husband. Governor Macquarie determined the best course of action was to remove the problem so he arranged for the 73rd Regiment to be relieved and transferred it to Ceylon. O'Connell sailed with his regiment in March 1814 subsequently leading it in the war against the King of Kandy in 1815 and put down an uprising of the Kandians in 1817. In August 1819 he was promoted to colonel and in 1821 the regiment was recalled to Ireland. In July 1830 he was promoted to the rank of major general and in 1835 was knighted, being appointed Knight Commander of the Royal Guelphic Order (Military). In December 1838 he returned to Sydney as the commander of forces in New South Wales with his son, Captain Maurice Charles O'Connell of the 73rd Regiment, as his military secretary. On arrival he was appointed to the Executive and Legislative Councils being the senior member and successor to the governorship. Less than a year later, in August 1839, Lady O'Connell once again created difficulties when she persuaded her husband to lodge several claims on behalf of the heirs to land granted to former Governor Admiral William Bligh including one for 105 acres at Parramatta that included the sites of The King's School, The Female Factory, the Roman Catholic school and chapel, and many houses. In February 1841 a settlement was reached whereby the daughter of Bligh surrendered her claim to the land at Parramatta but she and her husband were granted titles to other properties one of which was Camperdown, the site of the present suburb. Not long after they sold this for ú25,000. The O'Connells lived and entertained in lavish style at Tarmons, a two-story villa, on the site of the present-day St Vincents College in Victoria Street, Potts Point. In November 1841 O'Connell was appointed lieutenant general, in December 1842 appointed colonel of the 81st regiment and in January 1844 colonel of the 80th Regiment. In 1843-44 he was a nominated member of the partly-elected Legislative Council and in 1844 his name was at the top of the list of nineteen persons nominated for a colonial order of merit. When Governor George Gipps left office on 11 July 1846, Sir Maurice O'Connell was acting-governor of New South Wales from 12 July to 2 August until the arrival of Governor Charles Fitzroy who took over on 3 August. In 1847 he was succeeded as commander of the forces in New South Wales by Major General Edward Buckley Wynyard. Sir Maurice was about to leave for England when he died suddenly at Darlinghurst on 25 May 1848. He was given a full military funeral. It was reported that, despite the inclemency of the weather, thousands on thousands attended the melancholy procession with guns firing from Fort Phillip at Benelong Point as the cortege of 150 carriages wended its way from Tarmons to the service held at St James' Church, which still stands today at the northern exit of St James train station. After the service the general's body was delivered to the Burial Ground in George Street. His wife Mary then left the colony returning to England where she lived at Gloucester until her death on 10 December 1864, aged 81. There is a memorial to the general at St James' Church. O'Connell, Maurice Charles, I know that my redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. Job. XIX.24 Sacred to the memory of Lieut. Genl. Sir Maurice Charles O'Connell KCH Colonel of the 80th Regiment, Lieut. Governor of this Colony from 1810 to 1814; and Commander of the Forces from 1838 to 1847. He died May 25th 1848. "The ear that heard him blessed him and the eye that saw him gave witness to him: because he delivered the poor that cried, the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon him: and he caused the widow's heart to sing for joy." Job 29th Chapr. 11, 12, 13 verses South wall No.62 He is also commemorated with Sydney's O'Connell Street having been named in his honour. Sir Maurice's son, Sir Maurice Charles O'Connell, the younger (1812-1879) was born at Sydney in 1812. After a distinguished military career during which he fought with the British Legion in Spain and was created a knight in several Spanish orders, he went on to become prominent in Queensland politics. He was commandant of the local forces and on four occasions was acting-governor of Queensland. He was knighted in 1868. There is a monument to his memory at Toowong in Queensland. O'Connelltown, now absorbed into the larger adjoining suburb of Windsor, about three kilometres from Brisbane, was named in his honour. He left no male heir to carry on the family name. Individual oil on canvas portraits of Sir Maurice O'Connell and his wife Lady Mary O'Connell are held by the National Library. Sir Maurice's portrait features him in uniform wearing the breast badge of Knight Commander of the Royal Guelphic Order (Military). In his right arm he is holding his regimental shako with its elaborate display of egret plumes and his left hand is resting on the General Officer's Sword offered here at item three. Ex Christies Melbourne Sale, 31 March 1998 (lots 411, 411A, 419, 422).