Bonhams search for Spanish patriot & friends of Britain given gift of pistols by the Prince Regent

The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Friday, March 29, 2024


Bonhams search for Spanish patriot & friends of Britain given gift of pistols by the Prince Regent
Lot 237 in the sale is a rare cased pair of 28-bore saw-handled flintlock duelling pistols. Photo: Bonhams.



LONDON.- Bonhams is trying to find the family of a Spanish merchant who assisted Britain during the 1800’s and who by way of thanks the Prince Regent presented with a set of duelling pistols. The guns are being sold in Bonhams sale of Antique Arms and Armour on April 18th in London for £4,000 to £5,000.

Lot 237 in the sale is a rare cased pair of 28-bore saw-handled flintlock duelling pistols Presented To Don Francisco De Sayus From H.R.H. The Prince Regent Of Great Britain. They were made by H.W. Mortimer & Son, 89 Fleet St, London, Gun-Maker To His Majesty, circa 1812.

David Williams, Director of Bonhams Antique Arms and Armour Department, says: “It would be wonderful to be in a position to understand who this Spanish gentleman was as it would greatly add to the provenance and value of this pair of pistols. His actions to assist Britain must have been significant to have solicited a royal response of the kind made by the Prince Regent.”

It appears likely that the recipient of these pistols was Don Francisco de Sayus of Santander, a Spanish merchant who is listed in directories of the period as supplying large quantities of flour to the American Isles, as well as in the administration of local justice and government. His role in aiding Britain is unclear, but it is possible that an act of passive resistance, such as diverting supplies to British forces or denying them to the French, would have earned him the appellation 'Friend of Britain'

According to a handwritten note included with the lot, the pistols were 'given to Stephen R. Mallory Sec. of the Confederate States Navy, by Major Fitzpatrick of South Carolina – Maj. Fitzpatrick bought them from a Spanish army officer in Cuba sometime before the Civil War.' Stephen R. Mallory (1812-1873) served as a Senator for Florida in the United States Senate between 1850 and 1861, during which time he was Chairman of a Committee on Naval Affairs. After the secession he followed his state, serving the Confederate States of America as Secretary of the Navy under Jefferson Davis throughout the life of the Confederacy. After the war he was held on charges of treason, but was pardoned by President Andrew Johnson in 1866, returning to his home state to practice law until his death.

The pistols have octagonal sighted. Inlaid on each side opposite the lock there is a silver scroll engraved 'To Don Francisco de Sayus - The Spanish Patriot - The Friend of Britain', and a silver roundel engraved with the royal arms above 'From H.R.H. The Prince Regent of Gt. Britain'. It has 23.5 cm.long barrels.










Today's News

March 28, 2012

Photo albums related to Nazi art theft unveiled by Monuments Men Foundation

Walters Art Museum receives $265,000 NEH grant to digitize over 100 Flemish manuscripts

Rare work on paper assumed lost to history emerges from a private Texas collection

Dulwich Picture Gallery to mount first UK showing of Andy Warhol: The Portfolios

Mimmo Paladino: New exhibition of works on paper to show along retrospective of editions and prints

Timothy Taylor Gallery announces a memorial exhibition celebrating the life and work of Craigie Aitchison RA

Over 150,000 tickets booked for Van Gogh Up Close at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Brazil's leap forward unearths a painful history; archaeologists are digging up fragments

National Portrait Gallery clocks up 2,000,000 visitors...Its highest ever annual figure

Rare first edition of Adam Smith's 1776 'Wealth of Nations' anchors Heritage Auctions' Rare Books event

Morphy's March 17 auction featuring Zygmunt coin-op collection chalks up $942,000

The Les Paul Foundation and Julien's Auctions announce an unprecedented auction event

Bonhams search for Spanish patriot & friends of Britain given gift of pistols by the Prince Regent

Indian tribe worries pipeline will disturb graves

Morphy's moves into European market, appoints new rep Jeroen van Valkenburg

Cuba's tiny patron saint a potent national symbol

Titanic centennial: Museums, events, dinners

Museum revives Hands Across Art tours to bring the collection alive for more visitors




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful