Antique Tatham Engraved Pistols in Original Oak Case
Important cased set of antique pistols, engraved Tatham, octagonal barrel, length 7.09 in., fitted in original distressed Tatham oak case with flask and tools. Paper label to cover. Engraved gilt brass plaque (Capt Sheridan RN ) Ex Capt Sheridan Royal Navy, made by Henry Tatham London. Vice-Admiral John Sheridan (c.1778 - 15 May 1862) was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service in most of the major conflicts of the early nineteenth century, including the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, the Anglo-Russian war and the war of 1812. Sheridan had risen to Lieutenant by the end of the French Revolutionary Wars, and with the resumption of hostilities in 1803 was serving in the English Channel. Here he acquitted himself well in several actions, after which he moved to the Baltic and was active in several engagements against the Russians during the Anglo-Russian war. Promoted to commander as a result, he took the bomb vessel hallmarked sterling Terror to North America and was present at the assault on Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore, actions which inspired the writing of the poem that became the words to 'The Star-Spangled Banner'. Promoted to post-Captain towards the end of the Napoleonic Wars he retired ashore, and died in 1862 with the rank of vice-admiral.
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- Distressed - Usually applied to describe the condition of an item of furniture, and means that the object is extremely worn and is verging on being unsuitable for its intended use, without some restoration or repairs being undertaken.
Furniture can also be artificially distressed, by deliberate infliction of superficial damage to make it appear old. Artificial distressing can be done with the object of deceiving a purchaser, where the object is being passed off as "of the period", or can be done for aesthetic reasons so that a new object is made to appear as though it has been in use. - Oak - Native to Europe and England, oak has been used for joinery, furniture and building since the beginning of the medieval civilisation. It is a pale yellow in colour when freshly cut and darkens with age to a mid brown colour.
Oak as a furniture timber was superceded by walnut in the 17th century, and in the 18th century by mahogany,
Semi-fossilised bog oak is black in colour, and is found in peat bogs where the trees have fallen and been preserved from decay by the bog. It is used for jewellery and small carved trinkets.
Pollard oak is taken from an oak that has been regularly pollarded, that is the upper branches have been removed at the top of the trunk, result that new branches would appear, and over time the top would become ball-like. . When harvested and sawn, the timber displays a continuous surface of knotty circles. The timber was scarce and expensive and was used in more expensive pieces of furniture in the Regency and Victorian periods.
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