Antique Riding Boots Stamped Major S.C Hickman

Rare find. Pair of Mens riding boots with brass plated wood trees stamped Major SC Hickman, Royal Artillery. Boot size possibly Size 8 . The engraving on the brass plate reads "Major S. C. Hickman / Royal Horse Artillery." This identifies the original owner as Major Stopford Cosby Hickman (c. 1853–1916), a British Army officer in the Royal Horse Artillery who later lived at Fenloe in County Clare, Ireland. Who Was Major S. C. Hickman? • Military Career: Stopford Cosby Hickman served as a Major in the Royal Horse Artillery, the mounted elite branch of the British Royal Artillery during the late Victorian era. Historical records show him stationed in British India (including Murree) around 1889. • Irish Connections: Following his military service, he returned to his family seat at Fenloe, Newmarket-on-Fergus, County Clare. He served as a Justice of the Peace (JP), Deputy Lieutenant (DL), and was appointed High Sheriff of Clare in 1909. The boots had been resoled and bear the following marks. Phillips Rubber Soles Ltd was incorporated in 1926 (following Phillips Rubbers Ltd in 1919). Because Major Stopford Cosby Hickman passed away in 1916, this stamp tells an interesting story: the boots themselves date to his Victorian/Edwardian Royal Horse Artillery service, and they were later repaired or resoled—either by a family member at Fenloe, County Clare, or a subsequent owner—using Phillips President rubber soles or heels.