The East Surrey Regiment
Sterling Silver Inkstand Extract from a letter addressed to the President, Sergeants’ Mess, 1st Bn The East Surrey Regiment, Rawalpindi, India, from the Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Company Ltd., 112, Regent Street, London, dated 1st February 1928: “With reference to the sterling silver Inkstand which was brought in to us for the purpose of being put in order, we very much regret the delay in writing to you on this subject, but on examining the article we found that there were certain parts missing, and it was only after a search that we were able to ascertain what was really required to complete. This Inkstand was made some forty years ago, and by chance we happen to have an old photograph taken of it at the time of its completion, which we are enclosing herewith. You will notice, however, that in its original state there was no figure of Victory attached to the top of the cover, also that the old badge of the 31st Huntingdonshire Regiment, the forerunner of your own Battalion is missing, together with its back plate and laurel leaves. It requires a considerable amount of work to put this article in thorough order, and to supply the missing parts, including the badge, reconstruct the wooden base, take off all the lettering comprising the Battle Honours, and refit, and the cost to put the Inkstand in good order will be £17-0-0. If desired we shall be pleased to refit the figure of Victory to the lid, which will be included in the above sum”. |
Soup Tureens One of the two soup tureens recovered from the flood of the Cabul River, Nowshera, in 1858. Consequently they are two of the very few remaining pieces of the original 70th regimental silver. They are both remarkably fine examples of early Georgian craftsmanship and surely, their high standard is an indication of what the 70th regimental silver must have been like. The oval tureen is described as - antique silver soup tureen oval plain border, two vine handles, and cover surmounted by model of Lioness, dated George III 1805. |
It is inscribed: -
“The Legislature of Antigua. To His Majesty’s 70th Regiment presented by the Unanimous Resolution of the Legislature dated 19th June 1806 in testimony of the exemplary and meritorious conduct of the Regiment during the period of its stay in the Garrison of the Island”.
The round tureen is described as: - antique silver soup tureen and cover heavily fluted with four ion mark and claw feet, two leaf handles with lioness forming knot, dated George III 1812, Edinburgh, engraved 1808-9-11.
It is inscribed: -
“From the inhabitants of the Island of St Thomas. To their visitors the 70th Regt as a mark of esteem and appreciation of the conduct of that Corps which quartered there during 1808-1809-1810-1811”.
Both tureens were displayed in the Exhibition of Officers’ Mess
Silver of the Three Services held at the Royal Academy in 1956.
They were in the regimental museum at Clandon at the time of the fire in April 2015.
Sterling Silver Sauce Tureens Extracts from a letter addressed to the Mess Secretary, 1st Surrey (31st) Regt. Plymouth from Messrs Franklin, Hare & Goodland, Ltd., Jewellers & Silversmiths, Taunton, dated 15th June 1910: “We beg leave to inform you that amongst some goods which we have recently taken from an old customer of ours is a pair of very fine genuine old Sheffield Sauce Tureens and upon examination we find they bear the badge of your Regiment and we thought that you would like to have the opportunity of acquiring them. We enclose a photograph of one of them and should be very pleased to send them for your esteemed approval if you so wish. The price we are able to sell them for is £14-14-0 the pair”. |
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