Beschrijving

United Kingdom, d.d. 26 November 1866. Vellum charter, 53x47cm (in sofar visible behind the frame). Good condition but text a little lightfaded, calligraphy, with large hand coloured coat-of-arms of Leicester Curzon, herinafter Leicester Smyth. Lieutenant General Hon. Sir Leicester Smyth KCB KCMG (born Curzon-Howe; 25 October 1829 – 27 January 1891) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Gibraltar. Smyth was the seventh son of Richard Curzon-Howe, 1st Earl Howe and Lady Harriet Georgiana Brudenell, daughter of Robert Brudenell, 6th Earl of Cardigan. He was educated at Eton College. Smyth was commissioned into the Rifle Brigade in 1845. He served in the Basuto War in 1852. In 1854 he was appointed aide-de-camp to Lord Raglan and was present at the Battle of Alma, the Battle of Inkerman and the Siege of Sevastopol. He subsequently served as ADC to General Codington. He was made Assistant Military Secretary in the Ionian Islands in 1856, Military Secretary in Ireland in 1865 and Deputy Quartermaster in Ireland in 1872. In 1877 he became General Officer Commanding Western District and in 1880 GOC Cape Colony. He was acting High Commissioner for Southern Africa from 1882 to 1883, GOC Southern District from 1889 to 1890 (in which capacity he hosted a visit by the Shah of Persia) and Governor of Gibraltar from 1890 until his death in 1891, aged 61. On 12 February 1866 in Dublin, he married Alicia Maria Eliza Smyth, daughter and heiress of Robert Smyth of Drumcree, County Westmeath. In November that year, he adopted his wife's maiden name in lieu of his own, and quartered the Smyth arms with the arms of Curzon-Howe as is shown in the handcoloured coat of arms on this grant. This interesting grant of arms is framed with the original wax seal present and visible.