ANTIQUE SWORD STICK BELONGING TO JAMES ORBELL OF NEWMARKET, FARMER AND SOLDIER, KILLED IN ACTION ON THE SOMME IN 1916.

Fine quality malacca wooden stick with staghorn handle, pulling the handle away from the stick reveals a long lethal steel blade. The collar of the stick is fitted with a silver collar which is engraved with the original owners details, James Orbell Newmarket, fitted into the staghorn handle is another much smaller blade, most unusual and the first time I have seen this. James Orbell was born in Denston near Newmarket in 1876 , his father was a farmer at Church farm at Denston Near Newmarket but unfortunately he died in 1878, his wife continued at the farm and she employed 8 men and 4 boys to work on the farm, James lived on the farm with his mother and his brothers and sisters. His mother then remarried in 1881 but in 1895 she was admitted to the Woodbridge asylum suffering with suicidal tendencies and she died there in 1901. After leaving school James worked with his stepfather on the farm. In about 1900 James Orbell enlisted into the City of London Imperial Volunteers and then transferred into the 2nd Essex Rifles and eventfully into Young Husbands Horse serving in South Africa and he received at least two awards. He seems to have left the army several times over the years probably to return to the farm but then re-enlisted. In 1914 he re-enlisted yet again at Canterbury and served with the Royal Sussex Regiment and then the East Kent Yeomanry, he was killed in action on Saturday the 9th of September 1916 on the Somme aged 40. Complete with some research concerning this farmer / soldier, a most unusual sword stick with a fascinating military history. Exc++

Code: 37357