Northamptonshire's Delapre Abbey pays thousands for rare sword

A rare sword is to return home to a 12th Century abbey after it was bought at auction for £15,000.

Delapre Abbey Preservation Trust had asked the public to help raise funds towards bidding for the sword that belonged to Gen Everard Bouverie.

Gen Bouverie owned the abbey from 1858 to 1871 and had the sword when he was in the Royal Horse Guards and fought in the Battle of Waterloo.

The trust's chief executive said it was "amazing" to have secured the artefact.

Richard Clinton said: "We're really thankful we've been able to secure the Waterloo sword and it's only really thanks to the big generosity of organisations and individuals across Northamptonshire and beyond that's made this possible."

He said through the auction process the trust learned the previous owner, who has since died, was burgled. Some of their collection was taken but this and another sword remained.

"If the burglars had taken this sword, the likelihood of finding it would have been almost impossible," he said.

Gen Bouverie was the eldest the son of Edward and Catherine Bouverie of Delapre Abbey.

A colonel in the 15th Hussars, he was later appointed as an equerry for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and retired when he inherited the abbey aged 69, the trust said.

An online fundraising campaign raised about half the amount used to purchase the sword and the rest was matched by the trust.

The trust said the artefact would be put on display in the abbey later this spring.

It already owns his medal from the Battle of Waterloo and a cartoon of him when he was in the Royal Horse Guards.

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