Cook. Gunmaker

Cook

Gunmaker

Dublin

                                           The classic composite "Rebellion" Pistol.
                                          Early lockplate with unbridled pan. c. 1770             

  

                                          Cook private proofs. Triple crowned sceptres

                                                      40 Bore Octagonal Barrel.

                                           

                         3.75" Octagonal swamped brass barrel with "Cook, Dublin".
                            This very rare pistol is 8"overall with a cut-down stock.

Like so many of the Irish gunmakers very little is recorded of Cook.  A.M Carey*, merely notes:
" Cook {about 1800} Made cased flintlock duelling pistols with loading equipment at Dublin, Ireland".

With this type of composite pistol made up from what parts could be  mustered it is not surprising that the lock dates possibly earlier than the barrel. In fact the only item on this pistol we can tie to Cook with any modicum of certainty is the barrel! Always makes the detective work on this subject difficult.

                              
                                     Cook originally listed by A.M Carey.
                               English, Irish & Scottish Firearms Makers. 
                                                        1954.
                                    Dave Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk

Alexander Armstrong.Belfast.

Alexander Armstrong
Merchant

High Street

Belfast

Advertisement dated 16th December 1773 highlighting the competition 

that existed between the Belfast and Dublin guntrades. 

This advertisement also implying that Belfast weapons being more expensive.

Please refer to our earlier post, 24/10/2016.

Dave Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk

Thomas Pattison & Co..Dublin

Thomas Pattison & Co..
Gun Makers
Dublin

                                        Thomas Pattison & Co trade card/label c. 1805
                                               
Transcript:

"Thomas Pattison & Co. Gunmakers. No 143 Capel Street, Dublin and their manufactory No1 Clarence Street, North Strand the only established one in Ireland. Manufacturing in the most perfect manner all kinds of Guns, Pistols, & C. which they sell on the most reasonable Terms.

To they have spared neither expense nor trouble to bring the business to a high degree of Perfection,
they flatter themselves that their Work on inspection will be found equal to any & superior to most others."

Trading dates and addresses:

Pattison, Thomas & Co	1799-1807	143 Capel Street.
Pattison, Thomas	1799-1807	1 Clarence Street,North Strand
Pattison, Thomas	1807-1808	153 Capel Street
Pattison, Thomas	1809	143 Capel Street.
Pattison, Thomas	1810-1811	154 Capel Street

As we have experienced before throughout this research the expansion of Dublin at this period in history led to door numbers alterations and we suspect this to be the case with the above entries. In addition the "Co" being omitted from directory entries.

Thomas Pattison trades directory entry for 1800

Alley	William		6 Abbey St
Blackwell	Eliza		46 Fishamble St
Clarke	Nicholas		35 Capel St
Devereux	Michael		3 Blackall Row
Divine	Thomas		194 Abbey St
Dobson	James		32 Skinner Row
Eames	Elizabeth		1 Duke St
Edwards	Thomas		190 Abbey St
Fowler	Thomas		121 Capel St
Gray	John		Darby Sq
Hutchinson	Michael		8 Dame St
Kinder	Matthew		81 Camden St
Mc Dermott	Farrell		2 Abbey St
Meredith	Charles		16 Fishamble St
Morton	William		28 Castle St
Muley	Daniel		28 Parliament St
Pattison	Thomas		1 Clarence St.N. and 143 Capel Street.
Quinlan	Daniel		10 Werburgh St
Rigby	John		19 Suffolk St
Rumbold	William		31 Lower Ormond Quay
Tomlinson	Robert		123 Capel St
Truelock	Thomas		50 Barrack St
Wheeler	Oliver		5 Gt Ship St
Willett	Robert		23 Eustace St

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

Journal Arms & Armour Society, 1957.

Vol.11. No 1.

                                                  Dave Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk

Kerry. The Irish Registration Act of 1843

The Irish Registration Act of 1843

  Schedule B.,6&7 Vic.,Cap.74,Sec 3.

                                   Licence to Keep Arms.

                                         County Kerry

The following entries have been collected over a number years by myself, fellow collectors and dealers. In total over 1100 registrations from the 40 areas have been collated which is a very small sample of the 300.000 weapons the authorities had calculated were in circulation in private hands

at this time.

The list below gives all those weapons found registered in County Kerry between 1843-1846.

Listed are the county prefix, licence number, description of weapon/s and where possible the maker/retailer.

KERRY
KE 233	Pair Flk Brass Barrelled Blunderbuss Pistols. "R.J.E."	Ransford
KE 492	Silver Mounted Repeater	Lorenzoni
KE 519	Perc' O/U Pistol	Hamburger & Co
KE 951	Percussion Rifle. 18 Bore. Bailey Pat: Rob't Bailey.Castle St.,Tralee.	Rigby

Kerry is the least recorded county in this survey with only 951 licences having been issued (Current data).  Three boroughs have lower recording i.e., Kilkenny borough (420); Waterford borough (445) and Limerick borough (665).

Official House of Commons Returns 8th May 1846.

Total returns Qty 1386

Please refer to our earlier blogs related to this Act.

We are always interested to know of other weapons recorded for the above areas.

Dave Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk

William Clarke . Gun Maker

William Clarke

Gun Maker

Dublin

William Clarke appears to have succeeded William Dempsey

 in 1840 at 192 Great Britain Street. 

William Dempsey trade label, 192 Great Britain Street. c.1825

Photography courtesy of Holt's Auctioneers.

Please refer to our blog dates 18/3/2016

1840 Trades directory entry for William Clarke. 

Aston	John		96 Gt Brunswick Street
Anglin	Joseph		1 Sandwith Place
Bassett	William		2 D' Olier Street
Calderwood	Thomas		14 Earl Street. N.
Clarke	William		192 Gt Britain Street
Dowling	Henry		78 Dame Street
Flanagan	John		28 Wellington Street
Gallagher	Henry		203.1/2 Gt Britain street
Hall	John		14 Aungier Street
Herbert	John		38 Montgomery Street.
Holland	William		3 Abbey Street.
Kavanagh	William		4 Upper Ormond Quay.
Kavanagh	William.Jun.		11 Dame Street
Mc Loughlin	Edward		6 Gloucester Street Middle.
Parkinson	John		19 Arran Quay
Pattison	Mark & John		17 Crampton Court
Pattison	James		14 Aughrim Street
Pattison	John		54 Mary Street
Reed	Joseph		48 Henry Street
Rigby	Wm & Jn		24 Suffolk Street/Wicklow
Truelock	Wm& Son		9 Dawson Street
Walsh	John		45 Montgomery Street.
Wilson	Jas		43 NewRow,Thomas St.
Wilson	John		10 John Street.W.

We are always interested in any information related to either of the above gunmakers.

Dave Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk

The Dublin Guntrade.1916

1916. Trades directory entries.			The Dublin Guntrade  1916
	Flint, J.	& Co		17 Essex Quay.
	Kavanagh	William & Son		12 Dame St
	Keegan	L		3 Kings Inns Quay
	Parkinson	John		17 Arran Quay
	Trulock Bros			13 Parliament Street.

One hundred years ago the The Rising was to change the face of the British Empire both politically and geographically. Although,the struggle would continue for a further 6 years, the die had been cast and this action was instrumental in gaining for Ireland its independence.   

Extreme pressure was laid upon the guntrade leading up to and after the Rising when arms dealers were hounded by the authorities and when the Irish Republican Brotherhood were active in illegally procuring arms for their struggle to free Ireland. In addition, ammunition was restricted this being bonded in Phoenix Park under armed guard. All the above listed gunmakers in 1916 would draw their allocation of ammunition and every round would be noted and signed for.

These conditions would ultimately stifle the guntrade throughout Ireland and most evidently in Dublin where the Rising was most potent. Although, like the Rebellion of 1798 they were both seen as failures the seismic shift in political thinking and the realization by the British Government that total control its first colony was untenable led to Royal intervention,political conciliation both bolstered by ballot box evidence expressed by the majority of the Irish people.

Dublin gunmakers, William Kavanagh and Son were the only company to remain advertising for business following partition in 1922 and were to finally close their doors in 1923. It was not until the close of World War Two that the guntrade re-established some semblance of normality.

We are always interested in any aspect related to the early guntrade throughout the whole Ireland.


                                  Dave Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk








  

Fitzpatrick's Gun Makers.

Fitzpatrick
Gun Smiths
Dublin

                                   
      This holster pistol marked to Fitzpatrick. This being from John Fitzpatrick c.1730
                                         Photography courtesy of Wallis & Wallis.                    

This fully stocked holster pistol being 15" overall and of 18 bore. 8.5" three stage brass barrel.Flat banana shaped lock with angular pan.  Full brass furniture with long spur butt caps. Pierced foliate sideplate.


                           John Fitzpatrick is listed as having been murdered in 1737**

                       Thomas Fitzpatrick dates listed for c.1690/1700 St Michan's Register. **

     A late 17th century pocket pistol by Thomas Fitzpatrick. Unbridled pan. Open trigger. Early                                                   sliding button safety. Cannon barrel.

                     

                                          Step from frame to barrel allowing for the barrel 
                                        key to locate between the barrel and frizzen spring.
                       
                            Thomas Fitzpatrick was made a freeman of the city of Dublin in 1677*

                       

                      The link if any between these two gunmakers has yet to be confirmed but 

                                   father and son is a distinct possibility. Research ongoing.

           

                       *Libraries and Archive: Ancient Freemen of Dublin

Courtesy of 

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

                      **Thomas & John Fitzpatrick originally listed by M.S. Dudley Westropp, MRIA. 

Journal Arms & Armour Society, 1957.

Vol.11. No 1.

Dave Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk

Establishing the Established. Messrs Rigby.

                                         

                                           Messrs Rigby

                    Established 1735,1760,1770 and 1783?                                          They can't all be right!

The following advertisements explain why there is so much confusion regarding the starting date of this illustrious company. However, the most conclusive evidence can be found in the 1784 Dublin trades directory where John Rigby (founder) first appears *.

                       Firstly, it is common knowledge that many companies used a certain amount of                                                    "Licence " when stating their established dates.

As can be seen here from the three separate advertisements the foundation date was gradually brought in line with reality, 1770 being the date John Rigby probably entered the gun trade, 1783 being the date he set-up in his own name following a lengthy traineeship with possibly more than one of the great masters of his trade i.e., Edward Dalton, Thomas Trulock, Lewis Alley to mention just a few taken from the 1770 Dublin trades directory.

Advertisement stating 1735. 

Another stating 1760.

  

                                                        And yet another stating 1770.

Below is *John Rigby's first trades directory entry for 1784

while he traded at 14 College Green, Dublin.

 Blackwell William Gt Ship St

Devine Thomas               194  Abbey St

  Dixon Thomas                   32 Upp Kevin St

Edwards William           24 Castle St

Gray John                                             21 Lwr Exchange Street

Hall Joseph                           149 Gt Britain St

Hutchinson Michael 40 Dame st

Marshal Thomas             4 Barrack st

Morton William                31 Skinner Row

Rainsford James            102 Grafton St

Rigby, John                   14 College Green

Tomlinson Robert 123 Capel St

Trulock Thomas              28 Dame Street

          Never a more apt expression as "being difficult to hit a moving target"!!... but we got there.

The Rigby family traded c.1783-1898.

For additional detailed history including the company registers please refer to;-

Great British Gunmakers Messrs Rigby 1760-1869 by D.H.L.Back.

also; 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Rigby_%26_Company. 

Our sincere thanks to the above link.

Please refer to our earlier posts related to the Rigby's

Dave Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk

W.K.Vail, Military Tailor.

W.K.Vail
Military Tailors
Belfast.

                                                      Advertisement c.1860 Belfast

                            We are always interested in any early Irish shooting related advertising.

                                                Dave Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk

Thomas McQuoid. Newtownards. Gunsmith.

Thomas McQuoid

Gunsmith

Newtownards

County Down.
c.1770

McQuoid converted fowling piece.
.730 Bore. (12 bore).
40" Barrel with London Proof Marks.

Thomas McQuoid to sideplate.

                        Lockplate showing the conversion from flintlock to percussion.
                                                                   c.1820

Decoratively engraved buttplate with County Londonderry registration number.

                                                                                 (L-Y 6132)


Interestingly the buttplate is engraved with banners and trophies (Cannon). This indicating that the weapon may have been attached to a militia or volunteer force. Possibly to provide for the "pot". 

This fowling piece being very light to handle. Fully stocked. Shell engraving around barrel tang. Silver teardrop foresight. "V" sighting notch to the breech. Unusually early in having three flat cross bolts retaining the barrel which also has a hooked breech.  

Hook Breech. NB: We have been unable to locate a patent for the hook breech but it is believed to be a french invention c.1745. 

Percussion System/Detonator
Wildfowlers were the first of the shooting fraternity to take the "detonator" seriously and it is stated that the Shalmalier Men, those hardy souls, who shot under the waterline around Wexford Harbour who were quick to offer up their guns to be converted from flint.

                     The reference to "Water-Shooting"  also of interest to the wildfowler.

Thomas McQuoid , Gunsmith is noted here as a contact with respect to the return of a left handed lock fowling piece made by John McCormick, Belfast.

               We are always interested in any weapons produced by the above gunmakers.

                                                   Dave Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk

Galway. The Irish Registration Act of 1843

The Irish Registration Act of 1843

  Schedule B.,6&7 Vic.,Cap.74,Sec 3.

                                   Licence to Keep Arms.

                                     County Galway

                             

         

                                           

The following entries have been collected over a number years by myself, fellow collectors and dealers. In total over 1100 registrations from the 40 areas have been collated which is a very small sample of the 300.000 weapons the authorities had calculated were in circulation in private hands

at this time.

The list below gives all those weapons found registered in County Galway between 1843-1846.

Listed are the county prefix, licence number, description of weapon/s and where possible the maker/retailer.

Barrett converted duelling pistol.12.5"octagonal barrel of 20 bore registered (G2045) Note private proofs struck three times. G 352 Flk Light Dragoon Pistol Cox G 433 Eprouvette. Blood/Bloor? G 926 Cased Transitional Revolver J.W Laird G 1257 Flk D/B Travelling Pistol G 1604 Flk Brass Barrelled Blunderbuss P Bond G 2045 20 bore Flk Duelling Pistol Barrett G 2782 Flk Brownbess. Kerry M. (militia) G 2793 Flk Rifle. 55" 0verall. Brass mounts. G 2793 India Pattern Brownbess. G 2799 India Pattern Brownbess. G 2859 India Pattern Brownbess Tower GR "RW" after registration. G2863 India pattern Throathole cock G 2884 India Pattern Brownbess. G 2890 India Pattern Brownbess. Throathole Cock. G 2916 Flk S/B.Long Barrelled Sporting Gun Fowler G 3330 Details withheld. G 3575/3576 Pair Flk Duelling Pistols. No10129.1827. John Manton & Son

The gun of note in this batch of registrations is the transitional revolver. (G 926 ). This being very early for a transitional c.1845.

Official House of Commons Returns 8th May 1846.

Total returns Qty 4071

We are always pleased to hear of other weapons registered in this county.

Dave Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk