Coat of arms with links to first American president and British commander-in-chief sells at Shropshire auction
A fascinating piece of family history with links to a British commander-in-chief and the first president of the United States of America has sold at auction in Shropshire.
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The 18th century heraldic coat of arms of General Edward Braddock (1695-1755) was purchased from Halls Fine Art's militaria auction in Shrewsbury for £1,150 by an online bidder from New Jersy in the United States.
The 'sable blazon coat of arms' eclipsed its pre-sale estimate of £220 to £280 at the auction on August 21.
General Braddock was was commander-in-chief of the Thirteen Colonies during the start of the French and Indian War and Seven Years' War. He died on July 13, 1755, after being fatally wounded at the Battle of the Monongohela River in a mission to take Fort Duquesne - now Pittsburgh.
Volunteer officer George Washington, who served as the first president of the United States between 1789 and1797, assumed command and orchestrated a retreat when his commander-in-chief was injured in crossfire. Alongside Colonel Nicholas Meriwether, Washington carried Braddock from the battlefield.
Before his death, Braddock is said to have entrusted Washington with his ceremonial sash and pistols, and Washington officiated at the burial of Braddock near Great Meadows.
"The circumstances surrounding Braddock's demise remain debated," said Halls Fine Art's militaria specialist Caroline Dennard.
"An article in The Roanoke Times from 1951 suggests he was mistakenly shot by an American soldier named Benjamin Bolling, prompting George Washington to assume command and orchestrate a retreat, purportedly sparing American lives caught in the crossfire.
"The coat of arms attracted a lot of interest from America not only because of the link with George Washington, but because General Braddock is buried there and his name lives on with landmarks and place names."
During 1804, human remains believed to be those of Braddock were found buried in a roadway near Great Meadows by a crew of road workers. The remains were exhumed and moved to a nearby site for reburial before a marble monument was erected at the new grave site in 1913 by the Coldstream Guards.
Born in 1695 as the son of Major-General Edward Braddock of the Coldstream Guards, Edward followed in his father's footsteps by embarking on a military career with the British Army. His service included participation in the Siege of Bergen op Zoom in 1747 before he became Colonel of the 14th Regiment of Foot.
