Kilpatrick, Daniel. Dungannon. County Tyrone.

 

 

            Hot on the trail of Irish Gun Making Social History.

 

 

On the hottest recorded day ever in the UK (40.3 degrees) I was working, walking the tables and stalls at the Ardingly International Antique Fair , West Sussex. A very tiring but enjoyable day was had; I didn’t buy anything but found a very unusual gunmaker's trade label in what can be seen as in very poor condition. This label was pasted to the lid of a gun box which I think was original. The pistols were a  pair of side hammer percussion travelling pistols of Birmingham manufacture and engraved on the top flat of the octagonal barrels “Manton”.

The pistols were of no interest to me but the label was an example that I recognised as possibly being of Irish origin. The one misleading piece of information that initially confused me was the engravers name which can be seen at the bottom of the label i.e., “W & A.K Johnston. Edinr ”. This company William & Andrew Keith Johnston was founded 1826 in Edinburgh and they were described as cartographers, printers and globe makers.

The first breakthrough was the fact that I had seen this label style in a different format but used as a letterhead by George Armstrong, gunmaker of Clonmel, County Tipperary.  The second clue was the remnants of the letters “L.P.A.T” to the top of the label just above the “M” which begins the word Manufacturer. The four letters “L.P.A.T” were to lead me to “Kilpatrick”. Moreover, the evidence further fell into place once I had linked Daniel Kilpatrick gunmaker to Dungannon, County Tyrone.

Daniel Kilpatrick traded in Castle Street, Dungannon c.1840 and is listed in the William Lennox Commercial Directory of 1840.  In addition, Kilpatrick was listed in the Lennon and Wylie Belfast and Ulster Street Directory of 1843. Refer to our older posts dated 1/8/2016 & 8/8/2016.

I would like to thank the owner of the Manton pistols for permission to use this photography and thank Daniel Wilkins for his skill in reconstructing the label below.

                       Reconstructed Trade Card/Label. Daniel Kilpatrick, Church Street, Dungannon.

                                                     David Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk

                                                           ramrodantiques.blogspot.com