Lot Essay
John, Baron Cutts (1661-1707) was a soldier, member of parliment, courtier, and poet during the reigns of both William and Mary and Queen Anne. He distinguished himself at the seige of Buda in 1686 and four years later he led his regiment at the battle of the Boyne. His courage as colonel of the Coldstream Guards at the seige of Namur in 1695 earned him the nickname of 'The Salamander' and he returned to England as a popular hero. He served as a Lieutenant-General under Marlborough during the war the Spanish Succession and was was third in command at the battle of Blenheim. His final post was as Commander-in-Chief of Ireland, where he died in Dublin in 1707.