interesting & expensive

JDP

JDP

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May 31, 2003
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A very interesting and unique kukri that recently sold at auction for about $1750. It is named "From the Maharani of Balrampur". "Norman Doncaster. Noble 1885". A pretty bizarre shaped 12.5" blade, but what beautiful workmanship.
kukri467.jpg
 
Must be an interesting story. HH Maharani Indra Kunwar ruled the Talaqdar of Balrampur in the Indian princely state of Oudh, Uttar Pradesh, from her husband’s death in 1882 until the accession of her adopted son in 1896. Scottish cricketeer Norman Doncaster Noble was born in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India in 1881. He would thus have been only about four years old at the time of the presentation. Possible the presentation was to his father, who could have had the same name, although the cricketeer is not listed as Jr. The Maharani’s adoptive son was born in 1879, so he could have been a playmate of young Norman’s in 1885.
 
The Noble and Doncaster clans were both from families who had a long history of Indian "service" as company men (EICo) or merchants. I was told the recipient was born in India as the families were of both Anglo and Indian blood which could make for interesting speculation about who were the young recipient's parents if that is the case. This came from the people who sold the knife, so who knows how accurate it is.

Quick draw? I didn't personally handle this kukri unfortunately so I don't know how the system worked, but it was described as the clasp pinned firmly in place by its closure and the belt it's strapped to.
 
I'm inferring the 'quick-draw' from the fact that the belly of the khuk obviously won't fit into the throat of the sheath, so the sheath must be open on the back. Sort of like Terry's quick-draw.
 
You're right Aardvark, this does have that style scabbard. The earliest kukri I have ever seen with the split back is an agrarian piece with a great pig-sticker by-knife. It is probably from the early 19thc and was made in India. The most well known version is the Maharajah of Jodphur piece made for his own battalion of Gurkhas that he personally paid for to fight in WW I and to guard his palaces and properties in India.
 
Originally posted by JDP
The Noble and Doncaster clans were both from families who had a long history of Indian "service" as company men (EICo) or merchants. I was told the recipient was born in India as the families were of both Anglo and Indian blood which could make for interesting speculation about who were the young recipient's parents if that is the case. This came from the people who sold the knife, so who knows how accurate it is.....
Click to expand...

It's somewhat ambiguous. Sometimes Anglo-Indian means/meant English born in India, or domiciled in India. But later, 'Anglo-Indian' came to be a euphemism replacing 'Eurasian', to describe persons of mixed English and Indian blood. For whatever reason, initially persons of mixed blood were well accepted in the British Indian community - there were a number of famous 'British' soldiers of mixed blood--back in the days before many English women lived in India, and the Englishmen who lived there often took Indian wives. But later on, 'Eurasian' were looked down upon, often by both English & Indian communities.
 
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