2-995-559 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Presentation of a silver bugle by Lady Duff Gordon to the 6th Surrey (Esher) Volunteer Rifle Corps, 1860. 'The speech of her Ladyship was as follows: "Captain Sir Henry Fletcher, Officers, and Men of the 6th Surrey Rifle Volunteers - the ladies of Esher and the neighbourhood have desired me to present to your corps a silver bugle subscribed for by them. We earnestly hope that it may never sound but for your training in those martial exercises by which you are qualifying yourselves to act as our defenders. But if the day should come when its notes must ring on a field of battle, I assure you, in the name of the subscribers to this bugle, how confident we feel that it will stir up true and gallant hearts ready to shed their blood in defence of our country's freedom and of the Queen who so faithfully serves and truly represents our happy Constitution - that Constitution which has fostered the spirit of unanimity and self-reliance which has once more called out the volunteers of Old England...'Defence, not defiance,' is your watchword! But, should an enemy ever stand on these shores, and defence so become defiance, may this our bugle be the first to sound the advance and the last to sound the retreat!".' From "Illustrated London News", 1860.