1881 wine order by Major Graham, 78th Highlanders Fort George Scotland

Letter from Major Oliver Graham of the 78th Highlanders, placing order of Bordeaux wine for Fort George Scotland. Order placed with wine merchant in Bordeaux France. He has good taste in wines!

Nice embossed letterhead of ‘Fort George N.B.' .

Inside page, note from wine merchant: “1881 Oliver Graham Fort George 8 avril 12 3 / 12 3”. Wine merchant is Adet & Seward of Bordeaux France.

4 pages.

Folded horizontally. Rust spot on back.

17.5 x 11 cm 

Oliver Graham

• born Ipswich England Oct. 20 1844, died 1896
• Ensign, 31 March 1863 (purchase)
• Lieutenant, 8 August 1865 (purchase)
• Captain, 2 September 1868 (purchase)
• Halifax Canada: 9 May 1869 to 21 December 1871
• Major, 1 July 1881
• retired receiving the value of his commission, 1882

In a letter to the Military Secretary at the Horse Guards, with regard to his first commission in 1863 Graham referred to his "widowed mother ... and my father's service of 38 years", which probably indicated that his father had been in the army. Despite his English birth, Graham was probably of Scottish origins, as he specifically requested, after he had been selected for a commission in the 22nd Foot, to have his name instead put down for one in the “78th, 79th, or any other Highland Regiment.”

Graham seems to have been the officer of the 78th who usually took charge of the room decorations for gala events such as balls and parties in which the officers for his regiment were involved. Thus he had charge of the decorations for a grand ball given by the 78th officers in Montreal in February 1868.  He also sat on the decorations committee for the ball which was held in conjunction with the Scott 57 Centenary celebrations in Halifax of 15 August 1871. His wife Gwladis, whom he met and married in Halifax, was the daughter of Colonel Gilbert Francklyn of the British army's 38th Foot, and of Sarah, daughter of the Halifax-born shipping magnate, Samuel Cunard. For the remainder of their stay in Halifax the Grahams lived at 23 Victoria Road, next door to Captain Edward Pakenham Stewart and Quartermaster Alexander Weir.

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The 78th (Highlanders) Regiment of Foot was a Highland Infantry Regiment of the Line, raised in 1793. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with 72nd Regiment, Duke of Albany's Own Highlanders to form the Seaforth Highlanders in 1881.

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