THE pistol carried by a North East cavalryman at the Battle of Waterloo is to be sold at auction in London today.
It belonged to William Beckwith, who was born at Trimdon in County Durham in 1795.
The flintlock officer’s pistol will be sold by Thomas Del Mar Ltd in association with Sotheby’s and is rated at £1,000-£1,500.
In 1813 William Beckwith purchased a cornetcy – the rank of a new or junior officer – in the 16th Light Dragoons, or light cavalry.
He served with his regiment in the last years of the Peninsular War, seeing action at the battles of Nivelle and Nive. He was next in action at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, and was promoted lieutenant in 16th Light Dragoons.
In 1817 he was a lieutenant in 14th Light Dragoons, captain in 1822 and major in 1828.
In 1821 he married the heiress Priscilla Maria Hopper of Silksworth House in County Durham. Both he and his wife are buried in Hillside Cemetery in Houghton-le-Spring. In 1831 Beckwith was in command of a squadron of 14th Light Dragoons during the suppression of the “reform” riots in Bristol.
He progressed to the ranks of colonel (1846), major general (1854), lieutenant-general (1861) and general (1869). He was appointed colonel of 14th (King’s) Hussars in 1860.
Thomas Del Mar said: “Items from Waterloo very rarely come up so this is very exciting. It is an expensive officer’s pistol by a high quality London maker. William Beckwith was a distinguished officer who had an impressive career. At Waterloo, which was a turning point in European history, he would have been in the thick of it.”
During the battle, the 16th were heavily engaged throughout the day, initially to support the Heavy Brigade under Sir William Ponsonby, which had been ordered to charge retreating French infantry but had pushed the charge too far.
As a result, once their horses were blown, they found themselves far from friendly lines and being countered by French lancers as they attempted to rally.
It was only the timely intervention of the 16th which prevented the total destruction of the Heavy Brigade.
William Beckwith wrote: “No one was ever in such a fight before. I think Bonaparte is ruined. We charged four times.”
