Sport item, archery belt

Archer's belt of green leather supporting a green leather quiver, a green wool tassel for cleaning arrow tips, an ivory bell-shaped grease pot and a green leather notebook tooled with gold. The first page of the book is inscribed '53 Albermarle Street / Fanny - my - Book / July 25 1854'.

The belt was owned by Fanny de Neufville Giveen, nee Lucas. Fanny was born in the City of London in 1833, the daughter of Robert de Neufville Lucas (1806-1871), a solicitor, and Elizabeth Johnson (1804-1874). On 27 December 1851 she married Butler Mildmay Giveen (1823-1891) in Tannah, now Thane, on the west coast of India.

In April 1846, Giveen had become a cornet in the 10th (The Prince of Wales's Own) Royal Regiment of (Light) Draggoons (Hussars), which embarked for Bombay the following month. In 1847 Giveen rose to the rank of Lieutenant and in 1854 to Captain. The couple apparently returned to Britain in 1854, which is born out by the address and date written in the memorandum book. In 1859 Giveen was listed as magistrate in Coleraine Borough, Londonderry county.

Fanny gave birth to her first child in October 1852, and had another seven children before she died in January 1863, aged only 29.

See also archery brace 54.111/4 and archery jacket 54.111/9.