'CH' Mystery Button by Charles Jennens..?

[Roy]

Hi Chaps,

So here is an interesting recent find, an early button by Charles Jennens and a bit of a mystery button to me. Purchased more out of curiosity than anything else.

I have found one reference that it is to 'Customs House Volunteers' but (if it is) I can't find anything on this unit.

Any thoughts ?

Cheers, Roy.

[manchesters]

Cheshire Hunt???

[Roy]

As good a guess as any Simon.

Here is a screen shot of the one reference I was able to find.

Cheers, Roy.

[Cribyn]

Hello Roy

The website the screenshot came from is usually pretty good. The backmark is an early one and that would fit with the date they gave for the button. I think the proper title was 'Custom House Volunteer Infantry' but I can't find any other reference to the unit.

Roger

[Roy]

Hi Roger,

Thank you for that. Yes the website is quite useful and one I check often. I don't know where they get their information from regards this button but I can't argue with it. As you say the name is early, also the style, design is very reminiscent of other known volunteer units. This one one of the reason I grabbed it, well that and curiosity..

A nice button though, I suspect quite scarce but of course don't really know.

Cheers, Roy.

[btns]

Originally Posted by Roy

Hi Roger,

... I don't know where they get their information from regards this button but I can't argue with it. ...

Cheers, Roy.

Let me guess the answer to your remark:
Their information is a combination of the location where the button was found, a good library, many years of solid research and the excellent pattern recognition skills of a very private person.

[A140_Artefacts]

Isn't this the button that sold on eBay last week, week before that was listed as Customs House Volunteers?

[Roy]

Hi,

Yes that's the one!

I contacted the seller for a reference and they directed me to the website (screen shot) already mentioned earlier but they didn't know more than that.

I liked the look of the button and thought it interesting enough to grab. I quite like a bit of a mystery and it seems there is little known about this unit - assuming of course it is the correct identification.

Cheers, Roy.

P.s. Update pics for interest.

[GTB]

Continuing to stir the soup, the 'H' could just as well refer to 'Horse', as in Cavalry/Yeomanry.

GTB

[REMEVMBEA1]

Originally Posted by GTB

Continuing to stir the soup, the 'H' could just as well refer to 'Horse', as in Cavalry/Yeomanry.

GTB

Or even Hussars or Highlanders.

[Cribyn]

Originally Posted by REMEVMBEA1

Or even Hussars or Highlanders.

Yes, that's one of the fascinating things about these early buttons relating to little known units - the initials could be for almost anything! A lot of patient detective work is needed before an educated guess can be made as to the identity of the unit.

The 'H' on the button could be for Hussars, Highlanders, Horse , Hunt (as Simon said) or even a place such as 'Chiltern Hundreds' but I think btns was right when he said about that website -

"Their information is a combination of the location where the button was found, a good library, many years of solid research and the excellent pattern recognition skills of a very private person".

Whatever it may be it is a very nice button that I would be very glad to have in my collection!

Roger

[Roy]

Hi Chaps,

Thanks for all your comments and suggestions regarding this button.

As mentioned earlier, I'm rather partial to a mystery and this one is not disappointing thus far. As it stands the 'Customs House Infantry Volunteers' appears to be the strongest candidate but of course I will keep an open mind moving forward. The construction and design of this button certainly seems consistent with early volunteer units of the period.

I suppose it is the nature of our studies that such as yet unconfirmed early buttons surface once in a while. I for one am very happy to have this example and a little corner of my collection dedicated to unreconciled mysteries is something I'm quite happy to accommodate.

I do think that it is forums like this and such discussions that we have had here are what will eventually solve these mysteries, so again thank you for all your input thus far.

Cheers, Roy.