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GENERAL WOLFES WRITING CASE |
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The writing case featured as this month’s object is
reputed to have belonged to Major-General James Wolfe
and was used by him in Canada before he was mortally
wounded during the British victory over the French at
the Battle of Quebec on 13 September 1759.
The case together with a sash, signet ring and miniature
portrait of Wolfe were donated to the Museum in 1985.
There is, however, some uncertainty about the provenance
of these items, presenting an admirable opportunity for
the inquisitive to research the matter further.
Background
In 1985 a Green Jacket officer serving at the time in
Kenya met a family called Hudson who showed him the
writing case, sash, signet ring and miniature portrait
of Wolfe. They told him that the items had been handed
down through generations of the family since being
recovered, allegedly, by one of General Wolfe’s aides de
camp after the General’s death on 13 September 1759. |
Major General James Wolfe
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The ADC is said to have been named Captain Hudson
of the 60th (Royal American) Regiment, later The King’s
Royal Rifle Corps, an antecedent regiment of The Royal
Green Jackets. (There were two battalions of the 60th
(Royal Americans) present at Quebec – 2nd/60th and
3rd/60th.) After further discussion, the family agreed
to donate the items to The Royal Green Jackets Museum,
much to the delight of the Museum’s Trustees.
General Wolfe is known to have had two ADCs at Quebec,
namely Hervey Smith and Thomas Bell. There is no record
of a third ADC, Captain Hudson, although it is perfectly
possible that Wolfe might have acquired a third ADC in
expectation of needing one during the battle. However,
examination of the Army Lists covering the period
1759-61 do not list an officer named Hudson serving in
either the 60th (Royal Americans) or any of the other
regiments that fought at Quebec. It is conceivable,
though, that, although an ancestor of the Hudson family,
his name may not have been Hudson as this fact was not
verified in 1985.
Wolfe is known to have written many letters in the two
and a half months he spent at Quebec prior to the battle
that claimed his life. He would certainly have had a
writing case. It would be nice to confirm that the case
on display in the Museum is incontrovertibly the one
that he used, and the other items donated to the Museum
in 1985 were also his.
If you are interested in researching this matter on the
Museum’s behalf, please contact the Museum Curator on
01962 828549 or e-mail: museum@royalgreenjackets.co.uk
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