The Folk Art Cane of Michael Corbett, Dated 1837

The folk art cane of Michael Corbett, dated 1837, with scratchwork engraving over the entire surface of the cane showing myriad images including mermaids, crocodiles, the sun and moon, castles, houses, water falls, fishes and ‘Michael Corbett 1837’ in large decorated lettering, the later silver top engraved ‘Ralph Smith Lenchurch’. The silver marks for Birmingham, 1870. English. Footnote: It may simply be coincidental, but the scratch engraved date of June 21st 1837 may mean this cane was made to mark the succession of Queen Victoria, William IV having died the day before. At the end of 1836 there is recorded the assignment of a lease, by way of a mortgage, from Michael Corbett to Ralph Smith of Clifford Chambers, miller, and Richard Ashwin Corbett of Quinton, yeoman. Lenchurch, Worcestershire, is to be found in various records from the 19th century but seems no longer to exist.