An Extremely Fine Rifle Officer’s Presentation Sword
83cm blade by J. & W. Wood, Cutlers, Manchester, finely etched with foliage, stands of arms, crowned VR cypher, the Arms of Stockport, slung bugle horn, Prince of Wales feathers, recipient’s crest and arms and presentation inscription, the gilt patent solid hilt, the guard cast and pierced with foliage, Prince of Wales feathers, the unit title of The Stockport Rifle Volunteers Fourth Battn Cheshire, around the Arms of Stockport, the Royal cypher, a slung bugle horn and the recipient’s crest, the back-piece cast with laurels, oak leaves and acorns and a classical helmet, wire bound chequered horn grips, in its gilt scabbard with large gilt mounts embossed with foliage and panels of trophies of arms against a stippled matted ground, two suspension rings, complete with its blue and gold bullion sword and knot.
The inscriptions reads: Presented to Major Coppock, By His Late Company The First Stockport or XVIIth Cheshire Rifle Volunteers, May 4th 1861.
HENRY COPPOCK appointed Captain when the 17th (Stockport) Company was formed 10 March 1860. Upon the formation of the 4th Administrative Battalion, Cheshire Rifle Volunteers 20 November 1860, he was appointed Major (though with a Captain’s rank), a position he held until his death in 1870.He was born in 1806 in Stockport and became a lawyer. Upon the formation of Stockport Borough in 1835 he was appointed Town Clerk, and served the town through the troubled times of the Chartists Riots and other insurrections.
He fathered 12 children and resided at Daw Bank House, Stockport. He died in 1870. His ‘family’ arms/crest appear to be his own invention. The Arms for Stockport as shown on the sword are still in use, though they were not Granted until 1932.