Grenadiers and Light Infantry sword, which belonged to Lieutenant Edmund Lechmere (died 1841). The hilt of the sword consists of a pierced gilt knuckle bow with a crown over the monogram 'GR'. The sword has a lion's-head pommel and back-piece, the mane extending half of the length of the back-piece. The sword has a black fish-skin grip. The sword comes complete with a red and gold ribbon Army sword knot. The steel blade is very curved and flat-backed. The obverse of the blade is engraved with a military trophy, with decoration above and below. The reverse of the blade is engraved with two groups of military trophies, with decoration above and below. The black leather scabbard has two gilt lockets with fixed rings and chape, which is ornamented with lines. The reverse of the top locket is engraved with the words 'Lieut. Edmund Lechmere H.M.S.Rodney 1828'.

This sword is something of a mystery, as it is an Army sword, which bears a Naval inscription. The introduction of the half-basket hilt in 1827 had considerably altered the Naval sword and there is evidence that as the regulations were not very clear, some sword-cutlers foisted upon Officers swords which were far from uniform. In some ships Officers were not very particular what they wore. So it is possible that when Lieutenant Edmund Lechmere (died 1841) was appointed to HMS 'Ramillies' in 1828 he needed a new sword and, to economise, jumped at the chance to acquire this weapon, which, no doubt, was represented to him as near enough to pass muster. The inscription was probably added after his death by a loving relative in order to keep his name alive. He/she probably knew that he wore this sword during his last appointment but after a passage of time was muddled as to which ship he was on at that time as indicated by the mention of HMS 'Rodney' which was not launched until 1833.

Lieutenant Edmund Lechmere (died 1841) entered the Royal Navy as a Midshipman in HMS 'Prince', on the 1st February 1806, the ship being commanded by a kinsman. After serving in HMS 'Acasta', 'Scipion', 'Nisus' he was for a few months of 1814 in the 'Rodney', the flagship of Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Martin (1764-1847) off Lisbon. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on the 3rd February 1815, and he served in HMS 'Spartan' until the following year and then was on half-pay until 1828-1829 when he was for a few months a supernumerary Lieutenant in the 'Ramillies', stationed in the Downs. He died on the 30th January 1841.