Michael Rainsford. Gunsmith.

Michael Rainsford

Gunsmith

Dublin

Michael Rainsford gunmaker mark

Dublin trade directory entries for this gunmaker.

1738
	Rainsford	Michael		Dame St.
1752
	Rainsford	Michael		Dame st
1753
	Rainsford	Michael		Dame St.

Trade directories followed on from the early almanacs in which less than a handful of
Smiths (Gun) appear. This is surprising as throughout the 17th century Dublin had a
very healthy supply of gunsmiths as can be seen from the attached link*.

Extract:Copyright Dublin City Council: reproduced by permission.
Source: Ancient Freemen of Dublin Database.

*Link.   Ancient Freemen of Dublin Database

When on this site scroll down "occupation" and click on "gunsmith".

Interestingly, Michael Rainsford is noted as having had both Thomas Truelock
 (Freeman 1753) and Pat' Boyd (Freeman 1762),  in his service.

In future blogs we will look at this gunmaker's work.

Special thanks to:

Dublin City Library & Archive, 138-144 Pearse Street, Dublin 2.

Brian Godwin for bringing this 'Ancient Freemen of Dublin Database' 
to our attention.

Dave Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk

Thomas Fowler: Gunmaker.

Thomas Fowler
Gunmaker
14 Capel Street
Dublin

                           Trade label for Thomas Fowler, 14 Capel Street, Dublin. 
                                                  (Period 1801-1805)

                                               Henry Nock Patent Breech.
" The Advantage arising from this New Constructed Breeching is that the Powder taking Fire in A., Throws the shot in a more perfect Direction & with greater Velocity they do not Kick & after Firing Twenty or Thirty Shots loose (sic) very little of their Force in comparison with Guns of the Old plan. - Duelling Pistols Engaged to hit Point Blank at a proper Distance" 

This format of trade label was used by at least two other Dublin gunmaker's namely, Nicholas Clarke and John Silk. Henry Nock having put in place a very good marketing strategy whereby
he may well have supplied the copperplates with the section and elevation already engraved and then the individual gunmaker's employed their own engraver to add the text. It is unlikely
that the text was already added as on one other sample the word "loose" is corrected to "lose"
However, the wording may well have been drafted by the inventor and supplied with the copperplate. A very good marketing tool for the period.

Known trading dates and addresses.

1795-1800	121 Capel Street
1801-1805	14 Capel Street
1806-1811	18 Capel Street
1812-1824	29 Capel Street
1825	33 Capel Street

Trades Directory entry for 1801 Alley  William 6 Abbey Street Blackall Eliza 46 Fishamble Street Clarke Nicholas 35 Capel Street Devereux Michael 3 Blackall Row Divine Thomas 194 Abbey Street Dobson James 32 Skinner Row Eames Elizabeth 1 Duke Street Edwards Thomas 60 Abbey Street Fowler Thomas 14 Capel Street Gray John 1 Bride Street Haskey Thomas Upper Ormond Quay Hutchinson Michael 8 Dame Street Mc Dermott Farrell 2 Abbey Street Meredith Charles 16 Fishamble Street Morton William 28 Castle Street Muley Daniel 28 Parliament Street Pattison Thomas 1 Clarence Street. Nth Strand. Quinlan Daniel Werburgh Street Rigby John 19 Suffolk Street Tomlinson Robert 123 Capel Street Truelock Thomas 50 Barrack Street Wheeler Oliver 5 Gt Ship Street Willett Robert 23 Eustace Street

            For further details relating to this gunmaker refer to our blog of 22/11/2015

Thomas Fowler originally listed by M.S. Dudley Westropp, MRIA. 

Journal Arms & Armour Society, 1957.

Vol.11. No 1.

We are always pleased to know of any guns/pistols produced by this gunmaker and in particular
other Irish gunmakers using this format of trade card/label.

Dave Stroud ramrodantiques.co.uk

1843 Registration Act Survey

Irish Registration Act

                       1843                        
   Schedule B., 6 &7 Vic., Cap. 74, Sec 3.

                                    Licence to Keep Arms.

A Survey of the above.

This survey of the above Act has been conducted over a period of thirty years. It has only been possible due to the kindness and support given by a raft of friends, collectors and dealers to
whom are owed a great debt of gratitude.

For those not totally au fait with this law please refer to our earlier blogs of:
 10/9/2015
 21/10/2015
 18/11/2015.

The author has written a number of articles relating to the 1843 Act and further findings will be published through these blogs. However, should you have any specific points you wish to raise you can contact us either through the ramrodantique.co.uk website or by telephone.

The data below firstly details the prefixes for each county or borough and then adds the highest licence number found for the given county. For example if we consider the first entry for Antrim we can see the prefix for this county being "AN". Then we have recorded the highest licence number found in that county i.e., 9007. This meaning that this licence was the nine thousand and seventh licence issued in this county. It must be remembered that other higher numbers will exist. The last figure "39" is the total number of licences this survey has found for this county or borough.

Highest licence numbers found per county/borough and total number of samples found
per area.
                        Highest 

Area               Licence No.                  Total found            

Antrim             AN 9007                           43

Armagh            AR 9161                           47                                  

Carlow             CW 3724                          22         

Cavan               CN 8620                           14                                   

Clare                CL 3283                           16  

Drogheda         DR 205                               3                 

East Cork         EC 3675                            65                    

West Cork        WC 3052                          21                                    

Cork Borough   CB 3087                           24                                 

Donegal            DL 7573                           21                             

Down               DN 15074                         75                

Dublin County  DU 10712                         122                             

Dublin City      DC 8801                           131

Fermanagh        F 8417                               31                                      

Galway             G 3576                              18

Kerry                KE 951                              4

Kildare              KD 4436                           22 

Kilkenny            KK 2484                            9

Kilkenny Boro'   KB 420                             3

Kings County     KS 1724                            23

Leitrim               LE 1559                            5

Limerick            LK 3846                            17

Limerick Boro'   LB 665                              4

Londonderry       LY 10127                          50

Longford            LD 1578                            6

Louth                 LH 1746                            46

Mayo                  MA 2108                          15

Meath                 ME 5503                          31

Monaghan           MN 6923                          25

Queens               Q 4565                              10

Roscommon         R 2345                             20

Sligo                    S 7284                              7

North Tipperary    NT 3373                           11

South Tipperary    ST 3779                            23

Tyrone                 TY 12284                         59               

Waterford             WA 1339                         5

Waterford Boro'    WB 445                           13

Westmeath            WM 3413                        17

Wexford               WX 7543                          45

Wicklow              WI 2658                            34 

40 Areas                190.860 licences             1157        Average per County/Boro' 4771.

The above indicates a total of 190.860 licences having been issued between 1843-1845.
This number is not a finite figure as many others will exist with higher numbers.
Certain weapons registered would have been worn out, broken or destroyed.

Interestingly the six counties; Antrim, Armagh, Down, Tyrone, Londonderry and Fermanagh
contribute over a quarter of the licences found in this survey (26.4%)  This being an average of 10,678 licences issued per county. Whereas the other 34 areas would muster only an average of 3729 licences.

Future blogs will look at other interesting facts and figures such as the number of blunderbusses
and duelling pistols registered.

Dave Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk

Nicholas Clarke. Gunmaker.

Nicholas Clarke

Gunmaker

Dublin

Nicholas Clarke trade card/label 35 Capel Street.Dublin
Photography courtesy of the late Huw Williams

                                      Photography courtesy of the late Huw Williams.

                                                Henry Nock Patent Breech.
" The Advantage arising from this New Constructed Breeching is that the Powder taking Fire in A., Throws the shot in a more perfect Direction & with greater Velocity they do not Kick & after Firing Twenty or Thirty Shots loose (sic) very little of their Force in comparison with Guns of the Old plan. - Duelling Pistols Engaged to hit Point Blank at a proper Distance" 

This format of trade label was used by at least two other Dublin gunmaker's namely, Thomas Fowler and John Silk. Henry Nock having put in place a very good marketing strategy whereby
he may well have supplied the copper plates with the section and elevation already engraved and then the individual gunmaker's employed their own engraver to add the text. It is unlikely
that the text was already added as on one other sample the word "loose" is corrected to "lose"
However, the wording may well have been drafted by the inventor and supplied with the copperplate. If so, a very good marketing tool for the period.

The engraver of this label being "Dawson" and added in Latin is "Sculpsits" (Engravers)

Nicholas Clarke
known trading dates and addresses:

1787-1788	9  Swifts Row
1789-1795	43 Capel Street
1796-d.1811	35 Capel Street

Nicholas Clarke first Trades Directory Listing.

1788
	Alley	George		17 Gt Ship St
	Blackwell	William		2 GT Ship St
	Clarke	Nicholas		9 Swifts Row
	Devine	Thomas		194 Abbey St
	Dixon	Thomas		32 Upp Kevin St
	Eames	James		57 S.King St
	Edwards	William		24 Castle St
	Gray	John		21 Lower Exchange st
	Hutchinson	Michael		8 Dame St
	Marshal	Thomas		4 Barrack St
	Morton	William		31 Skinner Row
	Muley	Daniel		44 Gt Ship St
	Rainsford	James		102 Grafton St
	Rigby	John		19 Suffolk st
	Tomlinson	Robert		123 Capel St
	Wallace	Samuel		2 William st

Nicholas Clarke originally listed by M.S. Dudley Westropp, MRIA. 

Journal Arms & Armour Society, 1957.

Vol.11. No 1.

                                  In future blogs we will look at this gunmakers work.

                                                 Dave Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk

Lawrence Goeghegan, Galway.

   Lawrence Geoghegan

Gunmaker

High Street

Galway

                     Lawrence/Laurence Geoghegan.

 Lawrence  Geoghan         Gunmaker. High St.. 52.28. 1845.

 Lawrence  Geoghegan     Gun manufactory, High St, site unknown. Laurence Geoghegan                                            1846 (Slater).

 Lawrence Geoghegan      Gun & Pistol Manufactory & Gunpowder Establishment. 

                                           High St. 1851.

 Laurence Geoghegan       Gun Manufactory (& gunpowder & seed warehouse) High St..                                                 1856 & Slater's 1861.

The above data supplied via:

Jacinta Prunty and Paul Walsh, ‘Irish Historic Towns Atlas, Galway, draft of gazetteer of topographical information’, www.ria.ie/research/ihta/online-resources/galway-gazetter-online. Page 150.

Special thanks to the above publication and authors.

The research on Geoghegan is relatively new and future blogs will hopefully layout a more detailed
history of this gunmaker. Should you have any material relating to Geoghegan we would be pleased to 
hear from you.

Dave Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk

Matthew Goggin: General Postmaster Accounts.

Matthew Goggin

Gunsmith
&

Contractor to the General Postmaster of Ireland.
Dublin

                       Early 19th c. Advertisement Cork and Limerick Royal Mail Coach.

                         

                                              Matthew Goggin  Trading Dates:


                                                              c.1811-1822.
                      
Matthew Goggin was contracted by the General Postmaster of Ireland and various payments are listed through "The Sixth Report of the Commissioners for Auditing Public Accounts in Ireland". This document can be found via the link below*.

                    

            Brass Pistol Barrel Marked "Post Rider No1" and also marked for County Wicklow                                                                      WI 572.

   
General Postmaster of Ireland Payments:

page 165.  M.Goggin. Armourer, for cleaning          5th Oct 1813                         £12-10-00
page 174,  M.Goggin. Armourer, for cleaning.         5th Oct 1814                         £50-00-00
page 176   M.Goggin. Armourer, for New Arms & Repairs. March 1813              £58-1-9.1/2  
page 184.  M.Goggin.  Armourer ditto                    5th Oct 1815                          £100-00-00
page 185   M.Goggin. Armourer, for arms            27thAugust 1815                      £27-4-8  
page 198   M.Goggin  Armourer for one year            5th October.1816                  £100-0-0
page 199   M.Goggin   Armourer.                             29th July 1816                      £33-8-3                 

Link: * Commissioners CALEDONIAN CANAL HIGHLAND ROAD COURTS OF JUSTICE 1818
Thanks to the above link.

In addition, various payments are made to John Willins ,Joseph Ferguson and Thomas Fowler for a variety of services i.e., Ammunition,Arms Supply,Cleaning and supply of ammunition.

Special thanks to Leslie Martin for bringing the above link to our attention.

For further details regarding Matthew Goggin please refer to our blog dated 14/9/2015.

Dave Stroud.ramrodantiques.co.uk

David Biggar Merchant.

David Biggar
Merchant
High Street
Belfast

                                           Advertisement of June 1785. 


A Few Casks and Half Casks of Gun-Powder "VERY BEST QUALITY" for "ready money only".

                                           Dave Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk

Michael Hutchinson, Gunmaker.

Michael Hutchinson

Gunmaker

Dame Street

Dublin

A pair of silver mounted holster pistols by Michael Hutchinson.

Photography courtesy of Ed Gwilliam.

Michael Hutchinson became a Freeman in 1771, and thereafter he joined his

father-in law, Francis Lord in business. They traded as Lord & Hutchinson until 

Francis Lords death in 1774. 

Michael Hutchinson married Jane Lord 19/9/1771.

Hutchinson is listed by F. Carroll** as having succeeded Matthew Collins in 1770 following

Collins death. This implies that Hutchinson was trained by Collins although in 1771 he was soon in partnership with his father-in-law. Francis Lord.

Hutchinson trading dates and addresses:

1771-1774 as Lord & Hutchinson.  Dame Street

Michael Hutchinson

1774-1784  40 Dame Street

1785-1811  8 Dame Street.

Silver butt caps and silversmiths makers mark "TJ" for Thomas Jones on trigger guard tang.

Photography courtesy of Ed Gwilliam.

Dublin trades directory for 1775.

Alley Lewis         17 Gt Ship Street

Dalton Edward College Green

Devine Thomas 3 Abbey Street

Lord & Hutchinson 40 Dame Street Lord   d.1774

Morton William 31 Skinner Row

Rainsford James 29 Dame Street ?

Thorp Thomas Darby Square

Wheeler Oliver Lower Castle Yard

We are always pleased to know of other weapons produced by any of the aforementioned  gunmaker's.

Michael Hutchinson originally listed by M.S. Dudley Westropp, M.R.I.A.. 

Journal Arms & Armour Society, 1957.

Vol.11. No 1.

**Additional data re: Matthew Collins link with Michael Hutchinson supplied 

by F. Carroll, Irish Gunsmiths and Sword Cutlers. The Irish Sword Vol 3, No10, 1957.

Dave Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk

Thomas Fowler: Gunsmith & Contractor to...

Thomas Fowler

Gunsmith
&

Contractor to the General Postmaster of Ireland.
Dublin

                         The Cork & Dublin Day Coach as advertised. 10th October 1808.

Thomas Fowler was contracted by the General Postmaster of Ireland and various payments are listed through "The Sixth Report of the Commissioners for Auditing Public Accounts in Ireland".  This document can be found via the link below*.

General Postmaster of Ireland Payments 1811-1813.

p.148 Thomas Fowler, Gunsmith, for Mail Guards Arms. 5th October 1811.        £41-15-9/.1/2.

p.157 Thomas Fowler, Gunsmith.                                   5th October 1812.        £57.7.3

p.166 Thomas Fowler, Gunsmith. for cleaning and repairing Mail Guards' Arms
          half a year to   5th April 1813.                                                                £ 163-16-0

p166. Thomas Fowler. for Thirty-two Double barrelled Guns for Mail Guards at
eleven guineas each.   5th April 1813.                                                                                                                                                                                                                    £400-8-0

* Link: Commissioners CALEDONIAN CANAL HIGHLAND ROAD COURTS OF JUSTICE 1818
Thanks to the above link.

Also included in this document are payments made to Matthew Goggin, John Willins and Joseph Ferguson for various services and products i.e., Arms,Arms Cleaning and Ammunition.

Special thanks to Leslie Martin for bringing the above link to our attention.

Additional blogs relating to Thomas Fowler will be published in due course.

Dave Stroud. R.A.

Colgan. Gunmakers, Limerick

Colgan

Gunmakers

Limerick

                    A Pair of Percussion Target/Duelling Pistols by Colgan, Limerick. c.1840

                                                                 Colgan
                                      Approximate Trading dates & addresses:

Colgan & Son   Limerick	1840-1846	110 George Street
William Colgan  Limerick	1856	19 Patrick Street

                                A Classic Percussion Back-Action, Fish-Tailed Stock 

                                             Pocket Pistol by Colgan, Limerick.                      

       We are always pleased to know of any weapons produced or retailed by this gunmaker.

                                            Dave Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk

W & J Kavanagh.12 Dame St..

W & J.  Kavanagh

Gunmakers

12 Dame Street

Dublin

                               W&J. Kavanagh Percussion Cap Tin. (Authors Photography!)

The Kavanagh name was associated with the Dublin guntrade for over 100 years.
(C.1817-1923).

The above tin can be dated quite accurately as the company traded as  W & J Kavanagh for a very short period. (1864-1870). This tin being part of the accoutrements associated with a cased air cane. We apologise for the poor quality photograph (authors).

Previously written material related to Kavanagh's can be found on the attached link:

http://www.mlagb.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/201201_cavanagh.pdf

Our appreciation to the mlagb..

We are always pleased to purchase early percussion cap tins especially those with Irish connections.

Dave Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk

John Neill Gunmaker

John Neill
Gunmaker
 High Street
Belfast

                                             John Neill advertisement from 1852.


Trading addresses alter wildly. No doubt a few door number changes could apply here?

John Neill Trading Dates and Addresses:

1831	4 Rosemary Street
1835	44 High Street
1839	42 High Street
1843-1854	78 High Street
1856-1865	82 High Street
1868	80 High Street
1870	62 High Street
1877/1880	62 High Street

The period 1877/1880 the company traded as E. Neill, possibly John Neill's widow. This
practice being very common in the guntrade at this time.

                                   A Backaction lock percussion pistol by John Neill. 
                                  Photography the courtesy of Thomas Del Mar Ltd..

The above pistol being of Overcoat/ Travelling size yet having the provision to be converted by the
addition of a longer barrel to a Target pistol. The spur to the trigger guard eliminating it as a pocket pistol. In addition, the stock can also be extended by sliding an additional forend which is retained by a second cross bolt which is located through the underside of the added longer target barrel.

              We are always pleased to know of any pistols/guns produced by this gunmaker.

                                                 John Neill  originally listed by
                       A.Merwyn Carey. English,Irish and Scottish Firearms Makers. 1954.

                                           Dave Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk

Irish Registration Act 1843.

 The Irish Registration Act of 1843

                          Schedule B.,6&7 Vic.,Cap.74,Sec 3.
                                    Licence to Keep Arms.

                                       Engraving courtesy of Illustrated London News.

         Brass Barrelled Blunderbuss by William Westerman, Cork. Registered in East Cork                  (EC-1272).

  

This piece of legislation ran for three years although only effective for two. The law being
repealed in 1846. In the main, due to its ineffectiveness. However, the Government did in
the process achieve a very good idea of the weapons in circulation during this period and
more importantly where they were and who owned them!

The Petty Sessions being required to issue the licence and the Police Barracks having
the duty of "branding" the arms with the appropriate county prefix and licence number.

Although the above machine was issued in order to mark the weapons it was found of no
use on certain hardened and etched barrel surfaces and therefore today we encounter acid
etched, stamped and engraved registration marks.  The machine operated in much the
same manner to a pantograph.  In total forty four of these "presses" were allocated
across the thirty nine defined areas under this act.

The author has, with the assistance of fellow collectors and enthusiasts, traced eleven
hundred samples of branded weapons. In future blogs we shall look at the framework
of this legislation in greater detail and moreover look at some of the interesting facts
and figures with respect to the types of weaponry licensed and the gunmaker's who
produced them.

Should you require any specific information about any weapon marked under this act we
would be pleased to hear from you.


Dave Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk

Garnetts & Keegan's, Dublin

Garnetts & Keegan's

31 Parliament Street

Dublin

   A Cartridge Box showing the shopfront of Garnetts and Keegan's. Photography courtesy of      Mark O'Brien. 

 George Burrows wrote a very interesting piece on the history of this company in "Irish Fieldsports & Angling Handbook  compiled by Albert Titterington, B.Sc., M.B.A.. The Appletree Press Ltd., for Professional  Promotions Ltd.. Published 1984". 

In future blogs we will add some additional details to this eminent company history.

Dave Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk

Thomas Haskey: Gunmaker.

Thomas Haskey

Gunmaker

Dublin

Thomas Haskey. Full Rainproof Pan. Roller to Spring. The engraver altering the name to "H.ASKEY" (sic).

Thomas Haskey                                Known Trading Dates and Addresses.                  1800-1804             16 Upper Ormond Quay                                  1805-1808              29 Upper Ormond Quay

Photography courtesy of John Symington

Dublin Trades Directory 1801.

	Alley	William		6 Abbey Street
	Blackall	Eliza		46 Fishamble Street
	Clarke	Nicholas		35 Capel Street
	Devereux	Michael		3 Blackall Row
	Divine	Thomas		194 Abbey Street
	Dobson	James		32 Skinner Row
	Eames	Elizabeth		1 Duke Street
	Edwards	Thomas		60 Abbey Street
	Fowler	Thomas		14 Capel Street
	Gray	John		1 Bride Street
	Haskey	Thomas		Upper Ormond Quay
	Hutchinson	Michael		8 Dame Street
	Mc Dermott	Farrell		2 Abbey Street
	Meredith	Charles		16 Fishamble Street
	Morton	William		28 Castle Street
	Muley	Daniel		28 Parliament Street
	Pattison	Thomas		1 Clarence Street. Nth Strand.
	Quinlan	Daniel		Werburgh Street
	Rigby	John		19 Suffolk Street
	Tomlinson	Robert		123 Capel Street
	Truelock	Thomas		50 Barrack Street
	Wheeler	Oliver		5 Gt Ship Street
	Willett	Robert		23 Eustace Street

Thomas Haskey Officers/Duelling Pistol.

Photography courtesy of John Symington. 

Thomas Haskey is also detailed by the author in Irish Countrysports and Country Life Magazine. Winter 2012. See link below. 

http://issuu.com/bluegator/docs/winter2012/137

Thomas Haskey originally listed by M.S. Dudley Westropp, MRIA. 

Journal Arms & Armour Society, 1957.

Vol.11. No 1.

Dave Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk