Military

Sword

Gift of King Henry VIII

The gift of King Henry VIII of England in 1536 along with a cap of maintenance to the mayor of Waterford as a reward for loyalty at the time of the rebellion of Silken Thomas FitzGerald in 1534. The gifts were sent via William Wyse (of the famous Wyse family of the Manor of St. John, who had been brought up with the young Henry), Waterford's emissary to the court at Greenwich.

Wyse was given a letter of thanks, a promise of continued royal favour and the sword to be borne before the mayor from time to time within that our said city. An extremely fine example of the art of the sixteenth century European cutler.

Henry VIII

A gift of King Henry VIII of England in 1536 to the mayor of Waterford as a reward for loyalty at the time of the rebellion of Silken Thomas FitzGerald in 1534.

Henry VIII

A gift of King Henry VIII of England in 1536 to the mayor of Waterford as a reward for loyalty at the time of the rebellion of Silken Thomas FitzGerald in 1534.

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date/period:c.1536 A.D./late medieval

inventory no.: 1999.1745

collection: Waterford City Council

location: Waterford Museum of Treasures exhibition

dimensions: 1480 length / 470 width mm

provenance: Historic Municipal Collection

material:sword: gilded metal, wood

scabbard: wood, velvet

Further Reading:

Eamonn McEneaney (ed), A History of Waterford and its Mayors from the 12th to the 20th Century, Waterford 1995
Eamonn McEneaney, Discover Waterford, Dublin 2001