AMERICAN SILVER-HILTED SMALL SWORD BY ANDREW TYLER, CARRIED BY THE LITHGOW FAMILY Boston, Circa 1730
A historically important American smallsword carried by at least three members of the Lithgow family, from the French and Indian Wars through the Revolutionary War era. Made by noted colonial silversmith Andrew Tyler and believed to be the only surviving example made by him. Counterguards engraved "RL 1701" and "Capt. Wm. Lithgow". Stamped with Tyler's rectangular "AT" mark on the knuckle bow and quillion. Grip wrapped in braided silver wire, with Turk's-head ferrules. Trefoil steel blade etched with scrollwork and the figure of an American Indian in headdress. Overall length 33".
The initials "RL" apply to Robert Lithgow (1678-c. 1732), the first owner of the sword. He emigrated from Scotland via Ireland and Nova Scotia around 1712. After a brief residency in Boston, he settled in Topsham, Maine around 1720, but fled to the garrison in Brunswick when the settlement at Topsham was attacked by Indian raids in 1722. He served in various companies during the "Indian War" throughout the 1720s and 1730s. It is believed "1701" following "RL" signifies the year James Francis Stewart, James VIII, became the legitimate king of Scotland. Lithgow descended from a long line of Scottish patriots.

The sword was passed on to William Lithgow, Robert's only son, referred to as "Capt. Wm. Lithgow". William (circa 1713-1798) was born in Boston but grew up primarily in garrisons and forts located throughout Maine. He commanded Ft. Richmond and Ft. Halifax, and from about 1754 to 1774 he was employed by the government as an Indian agent. It has believed the American Indian figure on the blade was etched at this time, symbolizing Lithgow's interactions with the native population. The figure is also possibly the earliest representation of an American Native on an American sword. In 1746 he married Sarah Noble and later in life he became a judge.

The third owner of the sword was William Lithgow, Jr. (1750-1796), one of William and Sarah's eleven children. He served as a captain in the Massachusetts Militia and was a major in the 11th Massachusetts Regiment. An honorable aide-de-camp to George Washington, he was present at General Burgoyne's surrender at Saratoga, a major turning point of the Revolutionary War, and his likeness appears in John Trumbull's famous painting of the event. Following the war, Lithgow studied law and was appointed District Attorney of Maine by President Washington.

Photocopies of family history, genealogies and military records, as well as History of Brunswick, Topsham, and Harpswell, Maine by G.A. Wheeler and H.W. Wheeler (Boston: Alfred Mudge & Son, 1878) and the 11-volume set Collections of the Maine Historical Society(Portland, Me.: Day, Fraser & Co., 1831) accompany the lot. Additional information about the family was sourced from the New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. XXIX, No. 1, published 1898.

Silversmith Andrew Tyler (circa 1691-1741) is well-known for his church silver and several examples are in the collection of Boston's Museum of Fine Art. He was apprenticed circa 1705 to John Coney, Boston's leading silversmith of his generation. He completed his apprenticeship around 1713, married Miriam Pepperell in 1715 and fathered 16 children. In addition to silversmithing, Tyler also held many town offices in Boston, including clerk of the market and selectman.

Illustrated in Book of Edged Weapons compiled by George E. Weatherly and edited by Robert A. Sadler (Ephrata, Penn.: American Society of Arms Collectors, 2004), p. 23. A copy of this volume accompanies the lot.

Provenance:
Descended in the Lithgow family.
Dr. Herbert T. Schwarz Collection.
Private Collection.

Conditions of Sale

1. CORRECTNESS OF DESCRIPTION: Robert C. Eldred Co., Inc. (hereinafter referred to as Eldred's) has exercised reasonable care to catalog and describe correctly the property to be sold, but neither Eldred's nor its consignors warrant the correctness of description, attribution, authenticity, or condition of said property. No statements shall be deemed such a warranty or representation or an assumption of liability with respect thereto, but are to be construed as opinions only. Bidders are encouraged to personally examine all property to be sold prior to the beginning of the auction.

2. Unless otherwise announced by the auctioneer at the time of sale, all bids are per lot as numbered.

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10. SALES TAX: All purchases are subject to the Massachusetts sales tax (currently 6.25%) unless the purchaser A) possesses a Massachusetts sales tax exemption or resale number and registers that number with the company, B) is an out-of-state vendor who meets all the requirements of Massachusetts Department of Revenue GLC 64H 1(5) and Directive 89-10 and registers with the company prior to each purchase, or C) has purchases shipped out of state directly from Eldred's by a bona fide shipping agent. Dealers, museums, etc. can apply for a Massachusetts number prior to the auction by contacting the Massachusetts Department of Corporations and Taxation, 100 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02204.

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15. Bidding on any article(s) indicates acceptance of the terms set forth above.

16. These Conditions of Sale

Absentee Bids

Because of the manner in which our online system processes and transmits left bids, Eldred's does not receive bid information until the exact moment of sale. Because the bidding console does not differentiate between left bids and live bids, the first bid accepted by the auctioneer is the winning bid, regardless of the time the bid was originally left.

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COLLECTION OF PURCHASES: Delivery or shipping arrangements must be made within seven (7) days from the close of the auction for all purchases. All items must be removed from Eldred's facilities within fourteen (14) days of the end of the auction. All items remaining after fourteen days may be subject to a $5/per item/per day storage fee. No items will be released unless storage fees are paid in full. Items remaining over thirty (30) days from the close of the auction may be sold for the buyer's account minus auction and storage fees.

Buyer's Premium

A 25% Buyer's Premium will be charged on successful bids. This is inclusive of the the 5% on-line auction fee. All purchases are subject to the Massachusetts sales tax (currently 6.25%) unless the purchaser possesses a Massachusetts sales tax exemption or resale number and registers that number with the company or has purchases shipped out of state (with the exception of Connecticut) directly from Eldred's by a bona fide shipping agent. Connecticut residents picking items up in our Mystic branch or having purchases shipped to their Connecticut address are responsible for CT state sales sax.

Condition Reports

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