Original 1898 Dated Scottish Campbell Clan Sterling Silver Card Case- Engraved Original Items

Original Item: One of a Kind. Who does not like DOWNTON ABBEY? A fascinating upper class English family no doubt very similar to the Scottish family featured here.

This is a sterling silver card case, hallmarked London 1896 made by Sampson Morden & Co. of Regent Street, London. It measures 4″ x 3″ , is beautifully blue leather lined and has it’s accompanying propelling pencil and permanent note slate included making it a very expensive and high-class gift with specific family associations.

The silver card case comes complete in the original velvet lined outer case from when it was made.

Engravings are as follows:

MR. J. CAMERON,

from

MRS. CAMPBELL OF DUNSTAFFNAGE

in recognition of

over 30 years zealous work

on her own and her parent’s property.

There is then a glazed cameo enclosing, what appears to be, a lock of hair.

Under which are three initials:

C.C.C.

Followed by:

and in Memory of

her Mother

MRS. CAMERON CAMPBELL OF MONZIE.

Died 1898

On the other side is a second glazed cameo showing a scrap of fabric looking to be stripes of “White, Blue and White” around which is engraved:

COLORS, 32ND. REGIMENT,

COMMANDERED BY LATE GENERAL CAMPBELL OF MONZIE

Research tells us the following:

General Alexander Campbell of Monzie born in 1760 was Commander of the 32nd Regiment of Foot, from 1813 until his death in 1832. He was Aide to Queen Charlotte, the wife of King George III’s wife in 1814.

The Regiment was raised in 1702 but is best known for it’s stand in Wellington’s front line at the Battle of Waterloo on Sunday, June 18th 1815 where 647 men of the 32nd faced the French assault and by dusk only 131 men were still standing. The Regiment suffered the worst losses of any British Regiment that day and inspired Sir Edward Hamly’s poem:-

A moth eaten rag on a worm eaten pole,

it does not look likely to stir a man’ soul.

Tis the deeds that were done ‘neath the moth eaten rag,

when the pole was a staff and the rag was a flag.

The old General’s daughter was CHRISTINA CAMERON CAMPBELL (“C.C.C.”) who lived 1826-1898 at the vast estate at Monzie known as Fort William, a castle built by General Monk for Oliver Cromwell in 1655 to house the Inverlochy Garrison. The Campbells of Monzie acquired the estate in 1860 from H.R.H. Queen Victoria’s Government.

The donor of the Card Case is the old General’s granddaughter, MRS. JANE CAMPBELL OF DUNSTAFFNAGE (1860 -1922) who married ALEXANDER HENRY CAMPBELL OF DUNSTAFFNAGE (1846-1908).

DUNSTAFFNAGE CASTLE was built in the 13th century and was the ancient home of the Clan Campbell and where Flora MacDonald was imprisoned after having aided the escape of Prince Charles Edward Stuart, the young Pretender, after his defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. The Castle is said to be haunted and has been the subject of several psychic investigations.

Finally of the recipient of this top quality Sterling Silver Card Case, a MR. J. CAMMERON we know absolutely nothing, but no doubt he was the long time Estate Manager or Family Retainer to the Campbell family.

From a time when there really was an “Upper Crust”, a family of note for generations, before WW1 changed the world forever.