Clare County: 1843 Registration Act.

The Irish Registration Act of 1843

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

                                          County Clare.

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 Clare between 1843-1846.
Listed are the county prefix, licence number, description of weapon/s and where possible the maker/retailer.

CL 28	Flk Brass Barrelled Blunderbuss.	Mrs Mills
CL 318/319	Flk Brass Barrelled Blunderbuss Pistols with Bayonet.	Nicholson
CL 718	Flk Officers Pistol. C 1810. W&W auction 19/03/2013.
CL 897	Flk Overcoat Pistol. French Cocks	Turner
CL 1052	Flk E.I.C. Brownbess	Henshaw
CL 1198	Perc' All Steel Pocket Pistol	W&J Rigby
CL 1444	Flk Overcoat Pistol.	Wogdon
CL 1663	12 bore Percussion Holster Pistol. Conversion.	Carter
CL 1871	Baker Rifle
CL2090/2091	Pair Flk Duelling Pistols	T. Fowler
CL 2094/2095	Perc' Side Hammer Pocket Pistols. In the Irish Style.	Boyd
CL 2660	Flk Carbine	W&J Rigby
CL 3283	Perc' 28 bore Travelling Pistol.

Flintlock blunderbuss by Mills Limerick. Registered in County Clare , CL 28. 

Photography courtesy Mr Rex Pope.

We are always pleased to receive information relating to arms registered in County Clare or any of the other 39 areas covered by the 1843 Registration Act.

Dave Stroud.ramrodantiques.co.uk

Wm & Jas Kavanagh.Gun & Pistol Man'

William & James Kavanagh
Gun & Pistol Manufacturers

12 Dame Street

Dublin

                               Wm & Jas Kavanagh trade label for the period 1864-1870.

                   Please refer to previous blogs relating to the Kavanagh family of gunmakers:
                                                                       4/12/2015
                                                                     20/11/2015
                                                                     17/10/2015
                                                                       16/9/2015 

William & James Kavanagh originally listed by M.S. Dudley Westropp, MRIA. 

Journal Arms & Armour Society, 1957.

Vol.11. No 1.

                                                   Dave Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk

John Gray: Gun & Jack Maker.

John Gray

Gun & Jack Maker.

Dublin

                      Pair of Flintlock Officer/Duelling Pistols by John Gray.c.1800 
                     Trade label of John Alley. Please refer to our blog of 3/11/2015.

Trades directory entries for John Gray.

1782/1783	21 Blind Quay
1784-1792	21 Lower Exchange Street
1793-1795	13 Lower Exchange Street
1796-1798	2 Bride Quay
1799-1800	Darby Square
1801-1804	1 Bride Quay
1814-1830	46 Moore Street

We believe the entry for 1814-1830, 46 Moore Street is either the son or nephew of John Gray? Research ongoing.

Trades directory entry for 1795

Devereux	Michael		3 Blackall Row
Divine	Thomas		194 Abbey St
Eames	James		1 Duke St
Edwards	William		1 Palace St
Flinn	Edward		27 Nassua St
Gray	John		13 Lower Exchange St.    Patent Gunmaker
Guinness	Richard		107 James's St
Hutchinson	Michael		8 Dame St
Kinder	Matthew		81 Camden St
Marshal	Thomas		4 Barrack St
Meredith	Charles		45 Fishamble St
Morton	William		28 Castle St
Muley	Daniel		28 Parliament St
Phillips	Thomas		2 gt ship street
Rigby	John		19 Suffolk St
Tomlinson	Robert		123 Capel St
Truelock	Thomas		26 Barrack St
Wallace	Samuel		22 Eustace St

The reference to Patent Gunmaker relates to various superimposed weapons produced by Gray. refer to Irish Gunmakers by Richard J. Garrett. Published 2008*

Dudley Westropp** notes: "Made a gun which discharged two shots separately out of one barrel with one trigger - Royal Dublin Society Proceedings 1786".

* NB: The Booklet " Irish Gunmakers by Richard J.Garrett" is available from ramrodantiques.co.uk..

John Gray ** originally listed by M.S. Dudley Westropp, MRIA. 

Journal Arms & Armour Society, 1957.

Vol.11. No 1.

                                             Dave Stroud ramrodantiques.co.uk

McDermott. Dublin

Mc Dermott

Gunmaker

Dublin

                                         McDermott Flintlock Overcoat Pistol c.1800 
                                          Photography courtesy of Stephen Collward.

                                              Reverse side. Single brass cupped screw.

                                                       Lockplate with McDermott. 
                                      Roller to frizzen spring and semi rainproof pan.

                                                 Top flat engraving "McDermott Dublin" 
                                                and stamped DU 7714. ( Dublin County).
 
The dilemma faced when finding pistols or guns marked McDermott is the fact that
M.S. Dudley Westropp M.R.I.A., lists both Farrell McDermott and Henry McDermott.
Throughout our independent research the trades directories in Dublin make no reference to
Henry McDermott? However, both the trading dates and addresses are very clear regarding
Farrell McDermott for the period 1795-1827.

The trade label below covers the address ( 1 Abbey Street ) which is clearly Farrell Mc Dermott's
listed address. The one small piece of relevant information within the label is the fact that the plural "McDermott's" is used. It could be the case that Henry was in the employ of Farrell Mc Dermott?
Research ongoing.

                             Farrell Mc Dermott trade label used for the period 1811-1827.
                                                  Labels states " McDermott's " plural. 
                                  Trade label Photography courtesy of Michael F. Carrick.

                       We would be pleased to know of any weapons engraved "Henry Mc Dermott".

Farrell McDermott & Henry McDermott 

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

Journal Arms & Armour Society, 1957.

Vol.11. No 1.

                                                 
                                                     Dave Stroud ramrodantiques.co.uk

Robert McCormick: Gun & Pistol Maker.

Robert Mc Cormick
Gunmaker

Belfast

       Pair of duelling pistols produced by Robert McCormick in 1793. Serial numbered No 69.
              Our sincere thanks to the owner for photography and permission to publish.

           
   

                           McCormick lockplate with"McCormick" in gold poincoin.
                                      Gold plug,breech band. Ramped frizzen spring. 

                    The above trade card was sold within a cased pair of McCormick 
                    pistols through a London auction house. It has not been possible
                                            to confirm if this label is original.


                 Please refer to our earlier blogs related to Robert McCormick. 3/9/2015
                                                                                                           9/9/2015
                                                                                                          15/10/2015

             

Robert McCormick originally listed by M.S. Dudley Westropp, MRIA. 

Journal Arms & Armour Society, 1957.

Vol.11. No 1.

                    We are always pleased to know of other serial numbered weapons produced
                by Robert McCormick and in addition eager to find any relevant trade cards/labels.

Nicholas Clarke: Gun Maker.

Nicholas Clarke
Gun Maker
Dublin

                                 Trade label of Nicholas Clarke for the period 1796-d.1811
                                                          Private Collection.

The above form of trade label being very popular detailing Nocks patent breech. Thomas Fowler and John Silk also using this style of label.

The above trade label however, does vary from the label in our earlier blog for Nicholas Clarke dated 27/11/2015.

Nicholas Clarke's final entry in the Dublin trades directory for 1811.

Calderwood	Thomas		22 Little Mary Street
Clarke	Nicholas		35 Capel Street
Edwards	Thomas		13 Abbey Street
Fowler	Thomas		18 Capel Street
Hutchinson	Michael		8 Dame street
Meredith	Charles		5 Smock Alley
Muley	Daniel		28 Parliament Street
Murphy	John		190 Gt Britain Street. Gun Barrel Manufacturer.
Pattison	Thomas		154 Capel Street
Rigby	John		13 Suffolk Street
Trulock	Thomas		53 Barrack Street
Turner	George		137 Capel Street

Nicholas Clarke trading dates:-

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

                Our thanks to the above noted researchers and special thanks to N.W English.

                                     Nicholas Clarke flintlock duelling pistol with 12" barrel. c.1790
                                                        Photography courtesy Rex Pope.

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

Journal Arms & Armour Society, 1957.

Vol.11. No 1.

                                                                             Dave Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk

Duelling Pistols. The 1843 Registration Act Survey.

                                       Duelling Pistols  

                                             Survey

                        The Irish Registration Act of 1843

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

                                  Licence to Keep Arms.

Cased pair of Nicholas Clarke duelling pistols. c.1790

These pistols registered under the 1843 Act in Wexford.

WX 5122&5123

Photography courtesy Alan S. Cook.

As previously stated it has been possible with assistance of many collectors,dealers and students to collate over 1100 weapons registered under this Act. Although this is a very small sample of the 300.000 weapons believed to be in private hands at this time, the findings relating to duelling pistol production are interesting and here detailed.

Of the 40 areas covered under this Act. 32 areas have duelling pistols listed. 

Counties/Boroughs with nil returns for duelling pistols are:-

Fermanagh, Kerry, Kilkenny Borough, Londonderry, South Tipperary,Waterford and Westmeath.

In total 89 pairs/single duelling pistols are listed. Of these 57 (64%) are of Irish manufacture. 30 (33.7%) English and 2 (2.3%) unknown.

75 are Flintlock. 9 Percussion and 5 Converted from Flintlock to percussion during their working life.

NB: Some of those listed under Flintlock may have been "professionally" reconverted from percussion in recent times due to market values.

Most Prolific Gunmakers;

Irish Gunmakers                 Pairs/singles      English Gunmakers   Pairs/singles

                                                             

John Rigby & W&J Rigby         13            .               Wogdon                            9

Mc Dermott. Farrell/Henry?         7            .        Wogdon & Barton                     1

George Turner                            5                     H.W. Mortimer. / & Son  4+1 =  5                       

Nicholas Clarke                          4                     Manton/Manton & Son               3
                                 
                                  Total      29                                                       Total     18

The above gunmakers contributing 52% percent of the total duelling pistols listed in this survey.

Of the 32 areas with registered duelling pistols, Dublin City (DC) has the largest return with 18 Pairs. Of these, 13 pairs were manufactured by Irish gunmakers. The balance of 5 were of English manufacture. Therefore, we can clearly see the output of the Irish gunmakers far exceeded the imported English dueller in Dublin City.viz; 72% to 28%.

All figures based on existing data.

We are always pleased to receive information related to any weapons registered under the
1843 Registration Act.

                                             Dave Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk