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Description: | The weaponry collections are divided into three main groups: the cutting weapons, firearms and cannons, all originating from a much wider period of time and sources than the zoology and ethnography. In addition to the weapons there are various items of armour which, though confined to single numbers in terms of quantity, are of varied geographical origins and interest, including English, Asian and Japanese material (the Museum's only complete suit of armour).
The collection of cutting weapons has gradually evolved since the building of the current Quex House (1815) with several members of the family acquiring items of varied English and European origin. This amorphous collection is known as the Quex House Collection and has been added to significantly by Major Powell-Cotton throughout his life by way of purchase during his early Asian trips and, subsequently, at various sales and auctions. The collection includes swords, short swords, daggers and bayonets, axes, and a small number of decorative/ceremonial lances, spears, etc. The number of objects in the whole collection is c.400 items. These purchased collections include important collections of Indian weapons such as the Russell Collection purchased in 1940, and general Malaysian and South-East Asian collections such as accumulated items from Singapore purchased in 1891 and the Mackay Collection, purchased in 1911. There is also a small, additional quantity of Japanese cutting weapons and armour, including Samurai swords. The firearms collection numbers some 400 items and, again, originates from the early family collecting absorbed in to the generic Quex House Collection. This includes early examples of matchlock, flintlock, percussion; Major Powell-Cotton has added to these types during his own collecting and purchasing also adding the more modern breech-loaders to this important collection.
Firearm collections purchased by Major Powell-Cotton include Mackay, Russell and Hilton-Simpson (c.1910). These collections include an example of the Dafte Screw-Barrell pistol belonging to a Royalist family during the English Civil War, a rare volley gun and loading equipment from Henry Nock which was owned by John Powell Powell, first owner of the current Quex House. The firearms collection also includes many modern weapons acquired as part of the general handgun amnesty during the 1990's following the Dunblane Tragedy, including the Speakman Collection of Lugers and other handguns. The geographical origin of this collection is largely European - English, German, French, but most of the matchlock weapons are Asian and North African.
The large collection of more than 40 cannon and mortar was collected largely by John Powell Powell. These weapons include two 32lb cannons salvaged from the "Royal George" off Spithead (breech-marked 1743), a battery of seven George III cannon recovered from the wreck of the "Guernsey Lily" in 1799, and Lord Holland's saluting battery of sixteen guns from Kingsgate, Thanet. The earliest weapon is a Parish Gun from 1613. Henry Fox, 2nd Lord Holland was the owner of the Quex Estates c.1790 before these were acquired by John Powell, passing them to his nephew John Powell Powell. | Source: | Cornucopia - Discovering UK Collections | Address: | Quex Park
Birchington
Kent,
CT7 0BH | FAX: | 01843 846 661 | Telephone: | 01843 842 168 | Identifier: | oai:www.cornucopia.org.uk:5592 | Go to resource |
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