British 1798 Pattern Highland Infantry Officer’s Broadsword

BY THE LATE 18TH CENTURY, Highland regiments of the British Army enjoyed a substantial amount of freedom when it came to choosing their own swords.  This laissez-faire attitude continued well into the next century, when individual Scottish regiments created their own unique sword “patterns” including cross-hilted broadswords and specific regimental variations as seen in swords carried by the Royal Scots Fusiliers.

Towards the end of the 18th Century, Scottish Highland infantry officers still carried a traditional form of basket hilt, both as a service and dress sword.  The hilt was manufactured from either gilded copper, steel or iron and in many cases, was matched with a continental broadsword blade, usually German made.  Many were spuriously marked “ANDREA FERARA” (spellings vary).  Some basket hilts were also fortunate survivors from the Jacobite period (when post-Culloden the carrying of swords was prohibited) and had been handed down through military families and clans.

Even Scottish Highland regiments could not avoid the changes brought about by the introduction of official British Army sword patterns in the 1780’s and in 1798, the first regulation pattern Highland officer’s broadsword was introduced.  It was formally announced in a letter from the Adjutant-General of the Army to Lieutenant-Colonel Mclean of the 4th (Breadalbane) Fencibles:

‘…I have the honour to inform you that it is only within the last few days that his Royal Highness, the Commander-in-Chief (at that time, Frederick, Duke of York) has approved a Pattern Sword for the use of the Officers of the Highland Regiments.  The Pattern approved by his Royal Highness was made by Mr Prosser, in Charing Cross, and is lodged in the offices of the Comptrollers of Army Accounts.’

Unfortunately, no specific details of the pattern were made available at the time, but contemporary portraits of serving officers indicate a general consensus in design, albeit with typical regimental variations.  It took the form of a gilded copper or brass basket hilt, with matching scabbard  of black leather, suspended from a traditional shoulder belt.  The hilt had a liner of crimson silk and red tassels fitted below the pommel.  Grips were covered in fishskin and bound with either silver, brass or copper twistwire.  A number of 1798 Pattern basket hilts were also regimentally engraved to the hilt panels, including regimental number, badge or St. Andrew’s Cross.  In the case of grenadier companies, flaming grenade badges were also attached.  Some Highland officers chose to carry a lighter non-basket-hilted sword for dress occasions.  These regimentally marked examples are very similar to the 1786 Pattern Infantry Officer’s Spadroon Sword (the so-called “beaded” or “five-ball” hilt). 

Not all officers in Highland regiments carried the basket hilt and it is noted that flank companies within Highland regiments carried curved sabres in line with regiments in England and examples are noted that display regimental motifs to the hilt and engraving to blades.  These swords were not officially sanctioned but it is known that officers of the 79th (later to become the Cameron Highlanders), 42nd (Black Watch), 71st (later to become the Highland Light Infantry) and 78th regiment (later to become the Seaforth Highlanders) carried such  swords and they are described as having broad, curved blades, knucklebow guards and one or two outer hilt bars.

Blades produced for the 1798 Pattern are commonly encountered with the name “JJ RUNKEL” (spellings vary) engraved within a central single fuller.  John Justus Runkel was a prolific German-born sword importer, living in England during the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815).  His company provided thousands of blades and completed swords for the British Army. 

© Harvey Withers Military Publishing, 2024

Taken from The British Sword – From 1600 to the Present Day – An Illustrated History by Harvey J S Withers – 12,000 full colour photographs – 884 pages

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