The small fighting force has defended the frontier posts between England (later the UK) and France since King John lost control of the Duchy of Normandy to King Philippe Auguste in the first decade of the 13th century. It saw its finest hour in 1781 at the Battle of Jersey, marked 50 years later when the Jersey Militia was created ‘Royal’ by William IV and the facings of the uniform were changed to blue from buff.
As one might imagine of a fairly small-scale operation – in 1869 Sir John Le Couteur assessed that the strength of the militia was 5325 men – the immaculately tailored officers’ garments offered here are pretty scarce and all but three of the ten lots were expected to break four figures. Not everything sold but £1300 was paid twice: first for an officer’s tunic of red cloth with silver and black trim worn by Lieutenant Colonel Philippe D. Heaume of Broadlands, Grouville (whose red and silver wire sword belt and sash were also included in the lot), and then for a Victorian officer’s blue cloth ball-topped helmet complete with chin chain and tin carrying case. Illustrated on the front cover of the catalogue and sold for a top estimate of £1500 was a blue cloth shako of the Third Royal Militia complete with its red tufted ball plume and its tin box.
Art and antiques with a strong sense of place, those objects linked through iconography, maker or provenance to a specific town or region, invariably find most appreciation on home soil. Channel Islands silver is a collecting category all of its own. There were two substantial pieces of hollowware here, the better a mid-18th century pot-bellied cream jug with three stepped pad feet marked twice with the initials PB under a crown and engraved with the arms of Dobree. It more than doubled its top estimate at £3500. Measuring just 2 1/2in (6cm) high was a Guernsey pattern two-handled christening cup, c.1750, struck with the maker’s mark IH under a crown and engraved ASM Don de MDG. It made its low estimate of £1200. The top price of the sale was a 22 1/2in x 3ft 1in (57 x 93cm) oil on canvas titled Steam Tug Towing Sailing Ship off Mont Orgueil Castle, signed and dated 1875 by James Francis Danby, sold for £8500.
A strong sense of place helps lots top their high estimates
ONE of the highlights of Bonhams & Langlois' (15% buyer's premium) March 26 Channel Islands theme sale was a collection of uniforms and associated ephemera and family history relating to three senior members of the Jersey Militia.
