Pauldron: HEN.M.6F-1933

Maker(s)

Production: Unknown (Possible)

Entities

• Pauldron
• Vambrace

Categories

• Armour

Description

Pauldron and vambrace for the left shoulder and arm, for heavy cavalry use. Formed of a pauldron of seven lames connected by a turner to a vambrace comprised of a tubular upper cannon, a winged bracelet couter of three lames and a tubular lower cannon. The pauldron is formed of seven, medially ridged lames that overlap outwards from the third which is slightly shaped to the point of the shoulder. The first to third lames extend inwards over the chest and back. The third lame is expanded downwards to the level of the bottom of the fifth lame. The expanded portion has a strongly convex inner and lower edge, and is flanged at its outer edge where it overlaps the inner ends of the fourth and fifth lames. The fourth to seventh lames extend only to the inside of the arm. The first to third lames are connected to one another by five modern, internal leathers secured by pairs of rivets, all of which are externally-flush, except for those in the third lame which are of brass with round heads and circular, internal washers. The second from front and second from rear leathers are incorrectly aligned, and thus only secured by the outer of the pair of rivets in the second and third lames. The inner of the pair of rivet-holes for the second from front leather in the second lame is now vacant. Construction-holes in the first and second lames, aligning with the inner of the pairs of rivet-holes for the front and rear leathers, are occupied by purely decorative, modern, round-headed, brass rivets. The third to seventh lames are connected to one another by three, modern, internal leathers secured by pairs of externally-flush rivets, except in the case of the third lame where they are secured by the same round-headed rivets and internal washers as those that secure the central three leathers of the first to third lames. The leathers for the fourth to seventh lames would originally have been continuous with the latter. Construction-holes in the third to sixth lames, aligning with the inner of the pairs of rivet-holes for the front and rear leathers, are occupied by purely decorative, brass-capped, round-headed rivets. Later holes in the sixth lame, aligning with one of each of the underlying pairs of rivet-holes for the connecting leathers, must at one time have been used to rigidly rivet the sixth and seventh lames to one another, but are now plugged by externally-flush rivets. The main edges of the pauldron have file-roped inward turns. Those of the first to third lames are accompanied by recessed borders containing twenty-two modern lining-rivets. Sixteen of the rivets are round-headed with brass caps, and two are round-headed of solid brass. The remaining four, occurring at the overlaps of the lames, are externally-flush. Construction-holes in the overlying lames, aligning with the externally-flush rivets, are occupied by purely decorative, modern, round-headed rivets. Attached by a flat-headed rivet at the centre of the first lame is a modern, single-ended, tongued, iron buckle with a rectangular loop and rounded hasp that serves to suspend the pauldron from the strap issuing from the collar. The strap at some time passed through a crudely-pierced, rectangular slot located just above the buckle. The rear end of the first lame, and two sections of the lower edge of the front of the third lame are repaired with riveted internal patches. The lower edge of the seventh lame is pierced with seven holes. The outer holes, which originally served to attach the straps that fastened the pauldron around the turner of the vambrace, are now occupied by round-headed rivets of brass. The second holes from each end, which are later and at one time served to rigidly rivet the lower edge of the pauldron to the turner, using leathering holes existing in the latter, are now plugged by externally-flush rivets. The third holes from each end, which have no obvious function, are now occupied by brass-capped, round-headed rivets. The larger, central hole at one time served to engage a stud projecting from the turner of the vambrace. The hole for the stud is now plugged with an externally-flush rivet. The pauldron is now confected to the turner by the same three internal leathers that connect its fourth to seventh lames to one another. Each leather is attached to the turner by a single, externally-flush rivet. The tubular turner has a forward-overlapping join at its inside secured by a pair of externally-flush rivets. A later hole is pierced just to the rear of the rivets. The upper edge of the turner has a file-roped inward turn at the inside of the arm where it is cut away in a shallow, concave curve. The lower edge of the turner is bordered by a file-roped, raised rib, the hollowed underside of which locks over and rotates on the outward-flanged upper cannon of the vambrace. The medially-ridged upper cannon is of tubular form with an inward-overlapping join at the rear secured by three externally-flush rivets. Its lower edge has a file-roped inward turn at the inside of the elbow where it is cut away in a concave curve. The medially-ridged couter is formed of three lames that overlap outwards from the central one which is strongly shaped to the point of the elbow and completely encircles the arm. The central lame expands to a large wing at the front and rear. The wing is formed of a separated plate secured within the main plate by three externally-flush rivets front and rear. Its upper and lower edges have file-roped inward turns. The lames of the couter are connected to one another and to the upper and lower cannons at their outer ends by modern brass-capped, round-headed rivets with octagonal internal washers. The rivets that connect the top lame to the upper cannon, and the central lame to the bottom lame at the front of the couter lack their washers. The medially-ridged, tapering, tubular lower cannon is formed of an inner and an outer plate, the former fitting within the latter. The plates are connected to one another at the rear by an internal hinge, and fastened at the front by a pair of plain circular studs riveted at the front edge of the inner plate that engages a corresponding pair of holes in the front edge of the outer plate. The hinge, which is accommodated within a rectangular notch cut within the rear edge of the inner plate, has pointed ends secured by three modern, round-headed rivets in each case. The inner and outer plates must at some time have been rigidly secured to one another at the rear by two rivets respectively located above the hinge and near the cuff. The rivet-holes in the outer plate are now filled with brass-capped, round-headed rivets, while those in the inner plate are now vacant. The upper edge of the inner plate has a file-roped turn at the inside of the elbow where it is cut away in a concave curve. The lower edge of the lower cannon has a file-roped outward turn bordered by a pair of close-set incised lines.
Although the pauldron and vambrace have a similar character, they don't appear to be associated with one another. This is indicated by the differences in the number and positioning of the rivets that attach their connecting leathers, and the fact that the pauldron has a recessed border and the lower cannon of the vambrace has an incised border. The pauldron would originally have been separate from its vambrace, whereas the vambrace would originally have been made in one with its pauldron. Part of the composite three-quarter armour HEN.M.6A-G-1933

Notes

History note: Mr James Stewart Henderson of 'Abbotsford', Downs Road, St Helen's Park, Hastings, Sussex

Legal notes

J.S. Henderson Bequest

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1933-03-16) by Henderson, James Stewart

Dating

17th Century, Early#
Circa 1600 CE - 1610 CE

Note

South German

The pauldron and vambrace are bright with a light to medium patination overall. Their surfaces are heavily scored by mechanical cleaning. The front of the pauldron shows several cracks in its edge.