Lewis "Lew" Alley
Gunmaker
Dublin
A very fine and rare 16 bore sporting gun by Lewis Alley
Image courtesy of Bonhams.
Bonhams full description from "Fine Antique Firearms from the W.Keith Neal Collection.
Thursday 10th November 2005. Knightsbridge:
A fine and very rare 16 bore Irish silver mounted Flintlock Sporting Gun by Lewis Alley, Dublin. Silver hallmarks c.1774.
With swamped rebrowned two- stage twist barrel ( some minor surface pitting) with silver spider fore-sight and turned and beaded girdle, the octagonal breech section with two gold-lined stamps "Alley" under an Irish harp. and "Dublin" in a rectangle( gold incomplete), the touch-hole with large gold lining (replaced), shaped tang grooved for sighting and finely engraved with rococo flowers and foliage framing a bird, flat lock signed in cursive script (scattered minor surface pitting), retained from the right side by a single screw and with moulded border, engraved stepped tail , engraved safety- catch, unusual anti friction link between the steel-spring and the tail of the pan-cover, and broad shallow gold- lined pan, slender figured walnut full stock (minor bruising) with take down fore-end, chequered grip with with a dimple and two dots in the centre od each diamond, finely pierced and engraved silver mounts of highly unusual design decorated with strapwork,flowers, foliage, birds and architectural details, the butt-plate with a sportsman loading his gun in a landscape accompanied by his dog, the side-plate with dummy side-nails and involving a sportsman shooting a bird, again with his dog in a landscape, silver trigger-plate, the finial formed as a trophy of hanging game, padded leather-covered cheek-piece(worn), three silver ramrod-pipes, and silver- bound horn ramrod (shortened) with worm. Tower private proof marks, barrel forger's mark of Joseph Griffin.
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Image courtesy of Bonhams.
It is well recorded that Lewis Alley travelled extensively in order to improve his skills as a gunmaker. The two gunmakers linked to Alley are the Gray family of gunmakers in Edinburgh and the other as described here namely Joseph Griffin (barrel mark). It is highly probable that he worked with these makers. Lewis Alley was later to employ John Gray, a well documented Dublin gunmaker, who was in fact Scottish and no doubt from the aforementioned family of Edinburgh gunmakers.
Our appreciation to Bonhams for photography and description.
Please refer to our older posts with respect to this gunmaker dated,
3/1/2016, 24/2/2018, 27/2/2018, 28/2/2018 & 1/3/2018
Dave Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk
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