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A Malacca Wood Walking Stick believed to have been used by Napoleon on St. Helena, early 19th century, image 1
A Malacca Wood Walking Stick believed to have been used by Napoleon on St. Helena, early 19th century, image 2
A Malacca Wood Walking Stick believed to have been used by Napoleon on St. Helena, early 19th century, image 3
Lot 159

A Malacca Wood Walking Stick believed to have been used by Napoleon on St. Helena,
early 19th century,

27 October 2021, 14:00 BST
London, New Bond Street

Sold for £27,750 inc. premium

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A Malacca Wood Walking Stick believed to have been used by Napoleon on St. Helena, early 19th century,

With bentwood handle and applied with silver plaque engraved THIS STICK LATE IN COMMON USE BY NAPOLEON AT ST HELENA & BROUGHT OVER BY SIR HUDSON LOWE FROM WHOM IT PASSED TO H.F.& FROM HIM TO G.H.W.IS NOW BY THE LATTER GIVEN TO HIS FRIEND J M M 19 NOVEMBER 1843,
87cm long

Footnotes

Provenance:
Sir Hudson Lowe (1769-1844), jailer of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Passed to H.F. by the above.
Passed to G.H.W. by the above.
Passed to J.M.M. by the above, 19 November 1843.
(the above according to silver plaque)
The Earl of Sutherland - at Dunrobin Castle until the present day

Sir Hudson Lowe (1769-1844) had a long and illustrious military career, starting at the age of 12 as Ensign in the East Devon Militia. Lowe was active across Europe, North Africa, and America, before arriving at St. Helena as jailer of Napoleon on the 14th April 1814. Napoleon and Lowe's paths had intersected once before, as both were present at the Siege of Toulon in 1793.

Despite living within a few miles of the Longwood estate on St. Helena, Lowe met with Napoleon only six times over the course of the former's first four months on the island. All subsequent engagement was made by a series of combative written correspondence. As jailer, Lowe was highly critical of Longwood House's running costs, including security and hundreds of bottles of wine consumed each month by Napoleon and his entourage. According to one visiting diplomat, Lowe was bemoaned on the island as "fussy and unreasonable beyond all expression".

Sold on the Instructions of the Earl of Sutherland.

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