SCOTTISH 93RD SUTHERLAND HIGHLANDERS REGIMENT OF FOOT MiLITARY CAMPAIGN CHEST

Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this exceptionally rare, fully signed, 93rd Lancers (Regiment of Foot) military campaign chest of drawers circa 1850

Please note the delivery fee listed is just a guide, it covers within the M25 only for the UK and local Europe only for international, if you would like an accurate quote please send me your postcode and I’ll provide you with the exact price

What a find! As you will see from my other items I have bought, sold and have in stock countless pieces of campaign furniture, this is the only piece that has been signed with the officer’s name Langton, and under his Regiment 93rd Highlanders which of course relates to the Sutherland Highlanders, Regiment of Foot.

This Scottish infantry regiment was raised in 1799. It served until the 1881 Army reforms, when it was merged into Princess Louise’s (Argyll and Sutherland) Highlanders.

After some light research I found the original owner to be Lieut Stephen Langton who passed away on the 30th November 1872

The chest is in period campaign used condition, the timber has countless patina marks and signs of use as you would expect, the side handles are missing on the right, present of the left

Dimensions

Height:- 90cm

Width:- 105.5cm

Depth:- 48.5cm

Please note all measurements are taken at the widest point, if you would like any additional or specific measurements please ask

Origins

The regiment’s origins lie in the Sutherland Fencibles, home defence troops raised and disbanded three times in northern Scotland during the 18th century. On the Fencibles’ final disbandment in 1799, its former colonel William Wemyss re-recruited most of its troops into a new regular infantry regiment on behalf of his cousin, Elizabeth, Countess of Sutherland. This new regiment was given the number 93 in the Army’s order of precedence and formally embodied at Inverness in 1800.

Deployments

The new unit initially served in the Channel Islands, Scotland and Ireland, before helping capture the Cape of Good Hope from the Dutch in 1806.

After eight years in southern Africa, it fought against the Americans at New Orleans in 1815 during the War of 1812 (1812-14). Lengthy garrison duties in Ireland, the West Indies and Canada followed.

In 1813, a 2nd Battalion was raised. This served in Britain and Newfoundland, but was disbanded in 1816. In 1848, 1st Battalion arrived home for service in Scotland and England. It provided an honour guard for Queen Victoria the following year.

The regiment’s next deployment was to the Crimean War (1854-56) in 1854. It fought with distinction at the Alma (20 September 1854) and became the only infantry unit to win the battle honour ‘Balaklava’ (25 October 1854), after holding off repeated Russian cavalry charges. It was for this feat that it gained the nickname ‘The Thin Red Line’, coined by the journalist William Howard Russell.

India After the Crimea, the regiment was sent to help deal with the Indian Mutiny (1857-59). It won six Victoria Crosses (VC) in one day during the storming of the Secundra Bagh in Lucknow in November 1857. A seventh VC was won by William Bean, a lieutenant in the regiment, for killing 11 rebels at the gate of Kaiser Bagh.

The following month, it fought at the capture of Cawnpore. The regiment then remained in India on garrison duty until 1870, taking part in the Umbeyla Campaign (1863-64).

Legacy Following further garrison duties in Britain, Ireland and Gibraltar, it amalgamated with the 91st (Princess Louise’s Argyllshire Highlanders) Regiment in July 1881 to form Princess Louise’s (Argyll and Sutherland) Highlanders.

Any questions please feel free to ask before you bid

Condition:

Please view the very detailed pictures as they form part of the description around condition

Please note vintage period and original items such as leather seating will always have natural patina in the form of cracking creasing and wear, we recommend regular waxing to ensure no moisture is lost, also hand dyed leather is not recommended to sit in direct sunlight for prolonged periods of time as it will dry out and fade.