Early-modern English armour on display at Brome County Historical Society’s Martin Annex
ASubmitted by Brome County Historical Society
mong the various local treasures listed in the Brome County Historical Society’s accession registers are objects with more international provenances. On display in the BCHS’S Martin Annex is one such international artefact: a composite set of early-modern English armour including a trooper’s breastplate, a pikeman’s helmet, two vambraces, and a harquebusier’s helmet. The set of armour has no beautiful etching or radiant gilding – it was meant for battle rather than parade - but what it lacks in aesthetic qualities it makes up for with dual historical significance.
First, this set of armour defies the erroneous belief that the rise of firearms on Western battlefields during the sixteenth century caused the immediate downfall of armour. Indeed, visible on the right side of the breastplate, likely dating to the late-sixteenth century, is a circular indentation where a bullet has struck the breastplate but failed to penetrate it. This mark was not the result of combat but exists rather as a “proof mark”. After having crafted this breastplate, the armourer who made it fired a matchlock harquebus at it to test its strength, thereby leaving a proof mark as the bullet ricocheted away and proving to the would-be buyer that the armour was well constructed.
Beyond testifying to technological development, this set of armour also illustrates an intriguing episode in the life of Paul Holland Knowlton. While the armour’s provenance is difficult to prove beyond doubt, records suggest that this armour was part of the estate of Paul Holland Knowlton, who himself inherited it from Sarah Knowlton. Despite sharing a last name, there is no evidence that Paul Holland and Sarah – whose portrait hangs in the Old Courthouse as part of the BCHS’S collection were anything more than distant relations. In fact, it was only after reading of Paul Holland’s service during the Rebellion of 1837, that Sarah wrote to him and declared herself a relative. Thus began a great friendship and Paul Holland visited Darley Dale before Sarah’s death in 1845. Upon her death, Sarah left her important estate to Paul Holland, that seemingly included this set of armour allegedly once housed in the Tower of London.
Ultimately then, this armour stands witness to the early-modern arms race opposing armourers to gunsmiths and speaks to an important episode in local history and in the life of Paul Holland Knowlton – a “proof mark” that the collection of the BCHS contains thousands of stories each more fascinating than the last.
Rght: Breastplate from the 16th c. in the collection of the BCHS. Note the proof mark on the right side.