Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. Admiral Sir Henry Digby GCB (20 January 1770 – 19 August 1842) was a senior British naval officer, who served in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars in the Royal Navy. Born into a long-established naval family, his uncle was the famous Admiral Robert Digby, Henry went to sea at the end of the American Revolutionary War aged fourteen.
This is a phenomenal example of a British Midshipman’s Dirk with its original scabbard, which is engraved at the throat H. DIGBY R.N., identifying the dirk to Admiral Sir Henry Digby GCB, one of the most storied British Naval Officers of the Napoleonic Era, a recipient of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, and commander of six different vessels during his tenure, as well as serving as Commander in Chief, Sheerness, attaining the rank of Admiral in 1841.
Traditionally aged 12 or 13 years of age, the young sons of England's gentry entered the Royal Navy as sailors with the rank of MIDSHIPMAN. This was basically a post of Ensign, which the lad had to endure for four or five years before being promoted to usually a Lieutenant. All the great Sailors of the era did this including HORATIO NELSON.
The blade of this example measures roughly 16½”, with an overall length of 21”. The blade has some beautiful bluing halfway up the blade with some great floral design. The crossguard is in good shape. The grip of the dirk is ivory/bone which has aged tremendously, and the blade and grip are still tight to the hilt. The hilt was originally gilt, and still retains roughly 60% of its original finish. There is a small FT hallmark on the crossguard.
The included scabbard is in rough shape for its age, only missing the end chape. Thankfully, it’s the throat chape which is engraved with H. DIGBY R.N. in the correct period engraving style. The throat and middle chapes still retain their suspension rings. The end of the blade sticks out of the end of the scabbard.
This is an absolutely tremendous dirk identified to a Naval Officer with a long and prestigious career, ready for further research and display.
Specifications:
Blade Length: 16½"
Blade Style: Dirk
Overall length: 21"
Scabbard Length: 14½"
