A VICTORIAN LEATHER DESPATCH BAG

DATED 1855

Details

A VICTORIAN LEATHER DESPATCH BAG
DATED 1855
Of white soft leather, the outer with faded inked address 'Field Marshal / The Lord Raglan / G.C.B. / Commanding(?) / British Army / Crimea' and dated '26/5/55', the traces of two red wax seals remain towards the opening on the inner side
14¼ in. (36.2 cm.) x 17 in. (43.2 cm.)

Provenance

Field Marshal FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan (1788-1855).
Deposited with the Royal United Service Museum by Major FitzRoy Somerset, 4th Baron Raglan, between 1895 and 1908; removed by him in October 1952 (though inventory number apparently changed by then to 3057 from 3090).

Literature

Lieut.-Col. Sir A. Leetham, Official Catalogue of the Royal United Service Museum, Whitehall, S.W., 3rd Edition, 1908, p. 205, no. 3090 (erroneously dated to 1854); and subsequent editions (renumbered 3057 by 1932).

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Lot Essay

This bag was used to convey orders and correspondence from Great Britain to Lord Raglan in the Crimea. Although the markings are worn the interpreted date of despatch in the corner suggests this may have been one of the last bags received by Lord Raglan before his death on 28 June 1855 and was possibly used to send home some of his personal effects.

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