Ending 26th Apr, 2026 16:00
Olympia Timed: The Robert E. Brooker Jr. Collection of Rare Antique Military Arms, Part IV
1
‡ A RARE ENGLISH TROOPER’S SWORD OF THE EARL OF OXFORD’S REGIMENT OF HORSE
LATER THE ROYAL HORSEGUARDS (THE BLUES), LATE 17TH CENTURY
with tapering blade (old pitting overall) of hollowed flattened diamond section, copper alloy hilt comprising double shell-guard with moulded borders and cast in relief on each side with the crowned crest and motto of Aubrey de Vere, 20th Earl of Oxford and linked to the knuckle-guard by a scrolled bar on both sides, lobed rear quillon, large globular pommel en suite with the guard, and grip (perhaps replaced) bound with two thicknesses of twisted copper alloy wire between Turk’s heads (old wear overall), 88.0 cm blade
Provenance
Park Lane Arms Fair, 2005
Robert Brooker Collection inv. no. S-992
Literature
Robert E. Brooker, British Military Pistols and Associated Edged Weapons, 2016, p. 57, fig. 15
Aubrey de Vere, 20th Earl of Oxford (1627-1703) claimed to have led a 'regiment of scholars' from Oxford for the King in the first Civil War, though there is limited evidence of this. Shortly after his marriage to Anne Bayning in 1647 he embarked upon his career as a royalist conspirator, being considered for the post of general of the royalist forces in 1665. He was one of the so-called 'new lords' who took his seat in the house on 27 April 1660 and was made a Knight of the Garter the following month. The King also appointed him Lord Lieutenant of Essex and gave him command of the King's Regiment of Horse, or, as it was commonly known while he was its colonel, the Oxford Blues. The regiment enjoyed the King's favour and was entrusted with special duties attaching it to the sovereign.
He is recorded living riotously on the Piazza at Covent Garden in the 1660s, where on one occasion a brawl erupted among his guests which was only quelled after the arrival of troops dispatched by the Duke of Albemarle. Samuel Pepys recorded in 1665 that he visited Oxford's house on business, and wrote 'his lordship was in bed at past ten o'clock: and Lord help us, so rude a dirty family I never saw in my life'.
Another sword from this group is preserved in the Museum of London (inv. no. A12992) and another is illustrated in Brooker 2016, pp. 57.
Sold for £1,100
LATER THE ROYAL HORSEGUARDS (THE BLUES), LATE 17TH CENTURY
with tapering blade (old pitting overall) of hollowed flattened diamond section, copper alloy hilt comprising double shell-guard with moulded borders and cast in relief on each side with the crowned crest and motto of Aubrey de Vere, 20th Earl of Oxford and linked to the knuckle-guard by a scrolled bar on both sides, lobed rear quillon, large globular pommel en suite with the guard, and grip (perhaps replaced) bound with two thicknesses of twisted copper alloy wire between Turk’s heads (old wear overall), 88.0 cm blade
Provenance
Park Lane Arms Fair, 2005
Robert Brooker Collection inv. no. S-992
Literature
Robert E. Brooker, British Military Pistols and Associated Edged Weapons, 2016, p. 57, fig. 15
Aubrey de Vere, 20th Earl of Oxford (1627-1703) claimed to have led a 'regiment of scholars' from Oxford for the King in the first Civil War, though there is limited evidence of this. Shortly after his marriage to Anne Bayning in 1647 he embarked upon his career as a royalist conspirator, being considered for the post of general of the royalist forces in 1665. He was one of the so-called 'new lords' who took his seat in the house on 27 April 1660 and was made a Knight of the Garter the following month. The King also appointed him Lord Lieutenant of Essex and gave him command of the King's Regiment of Horse, or, as it was commonly known while he was its colonel, the Oxford Blues. The regiment enjoyed the King's favour and was entrusted with special duties attaching it to the sovereign.
He is recorded living riotously on the Piazza at Covent Garden in the 1660s, where on one occasion a brawl erupted among his guests which was only quelled after the arrival of troops dispatched by the Duke of Albemarle. Samuel Pepys recorded in 1665 that he visited Oxford's house on business, and wrote 'his lordship was in bed at past ten o'clock: and Lord help us, so rude a dirty family I never saw in my life'.
Another sword from this group is preserved in the Museum of London (inv. no. A12992) and another is illustrated in Brooker 2016, pp. 57.
Auction: Olympia Timed: The Robert E. Brooker Jr. Collection of Rare Antique Military Arms, Part IV, ending 26th Apr, 2026
The Robert E. Brooker Jr. Collection represents one of the most significant collections of its type assembled in the modern era. Spanning more than three centuries, it comprises a remarkable and highly coherent group of munition firearms, edged weapons and associated objects, distinguished by its breadth, quality and consistency of focus.
The present sale concentrates on edged weapons and firearms of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a period shaped by near-continuous conflict, evolving from dynastic and cavalry-dominated warfare to mass, increasingly industrialised armies defined by discipline, standardisation and the growing power of the state. The evolution of weapon design during this period saw the emergence of distinct patterns and regulated models, driven by the changing requirements of the battlefield and, in turn, advances in manufacture.
This group offers collectors an exceptional opportunity to acquire a number of rare and representative pieces from this significant collection.
Viewing
PUBLIC EXHIBITION:
Sunday 19th April: 12pm to 4pm
Monday 20th April: 10am to 7pm
Tuesday 21st April: 10am to 5pm
Wednesday 22nd April: 10am to 5pm
AUCTION:
Closing from: 4pm 26th April, 2026
