L.Keegan,Dublin

Larry "Old Pops" Keegan 

Gunmaker

Dublin

                                  Larry Keegan leatherette and gilt trade label. c.1935.
                                          Photography courtesy of Mark O'Brien

Other blogs related to this company please refer to: 9/12/2015, 
                                                                          6/12/2015 
                                                                         17/11/2015.

1916 trades directory listing:

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.

The Rising of 1916 saw almost the total demise of the guntrade within Dublin.
None of the above companies were listed as trading in the 1917 directory. If they were in operation they were under the control of the authorities and not in a position to advertise.
Between 1918 and 1923 only one company was listed.This being William Kavanagh & Son of 12 Dame Street.

Kavanagh's finally closed their doors in 1923 leaving the market open for Larry Keegan, who appears in the 1925 directory.

We are always pleased to receive any information related to any of the above listed gunmakers.

Dave Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk

Thomas Devine: Gunmaker.

Thomas Devine/Divine.

Gunsmith

Dublin

1768 trades directory entry for Thomas Divine. 

Trading dates and addresses.

1767-1783	3 Abbey Street.
1784-1803	194 Abbey Street.

Thomas Divine sideplate showing bridled pan and frizzen pivot activating directly on 
spring. c.1785

Proof marks consisting of Crowned "P", "Harp" and "P" 

c.1785

1803 trades directory final entry for Thomas Devine.

Clarke	Nicholas		35 Capel Street
Devine	Thomas		194 Abbey Street
Devereux	Michael		3 Blackall Row
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		16 Upper Ormond Quay
Hutchinson	Michael		8 Dame Street
Mc Dermott	Farrell		2 Abbey Street
Meredith	Charles		16 Fishamble Street
Muley	Daniel		28 Parliament Street
Pattison	Thomas		1 Clarence Street. Nth Strand
Quinlan	Daniel		10 Werburgh Street
Rigby	John		19 Suffolk Street
Rumbold	William		17 Lwr Ormond Quay
Silk	John		195 Abbey Street
Tomlinson	Robert		123 Capel Street
Trulock	Thomas		50 Barrack Street
Wheeler	Oliver		5 Gt Ship Street
Willett	Robert		23  Eustace Street

Thomas Divine/Devine traded for the period C.1767-1803.

His name is listed with both spellings throughout the directory entries. 

He married Miss Sally Wainwright in 1766 and is noted in the Freeman Journal.

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

Journal Arms & Armour Society, 1957.

Vol.11. No 1.

Our sincere thanks to the owner of the above pistol for photography and permission to publish.

Dave Stroud ramrodantiques.co.uk

James Stanfield Merchant

James Standfield

Merchant

No 2 High Street

Belfast

                                        Advertisement from 2nd September 1818.

The Cheap Gunpowder Shop always dealing in "Ready Money only". More evidence of the control
the merchants held over the Belfast commodity market.

                                              Dave Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk

Charles Meredith. Gunmaker.

Charles Meredith Gunmaker Dublin Charles Meredith is first mentioned in our blog of 31/10/2015 relating to his partnership with  Walter "Watty" Cox at 45 Fishamble Street, Dublin.                             Advertisement placed announcing the termination of the                   "Firm" or "Partnership" between Charles Meredith and Walter Cox,                                          Gunmakers. Dated 25th September 1793. Although this partnership was desolved.. the 1794 trades directory still listed them as in business in error. 1794 Clarke Nicholas 43 Capel St Devereux Michael 3 Blackall Row Devine  Thomas 194 Abbey St Dobson John 66 Grafton St Eames James 1 Duke st Edwards William 1 Palace St Flinn Edward 27 Nassua St Guinness Richard 107 James's St Hutchinson Michael 8 Dame St Kinder Matthew 81 Camden St Marshal Thomas 4 Barrack st Meredith & Cox 45 Fishamble st Muley Daniel 28 Parliament St Phillips Thomas 2 Gt Ship St Powell Benjamin 159 Abbey St Rigby John 19 Suffolk st Tomlinson Robert 123 Capel st Truelock Thomas 22 Suffolk St Truelock Thomas 26 Barrack St Wallace Samuel 22 Eustace St Charles Meredith trading dates and addresses: M&C - 1793* 1794/1796. 45 Fishamble Street* Desolved. 45 Fishamble Street 1800-1806 16 Fishamble Street 1810-1814 5 Smock Alley Charles Meredith originally listed by M.S. Dudley Westropp, M.R.I.A..  Journal Arms & Armour Society, 1957. Vol.11. No 1. We are always pleased to know of pistols/guns by either Charles Meredith or Walter "Watty" Cox. Our sincere thanks to the owner of the above pistol for permission to use photography.                                                  Dave Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk

Larry "Old Pops" Keegan.

Larry "Old Pops" Keegan
Gun & Rifle Maker
3 Inns Quay
Dublin

      An interesting and decorative sales letter offering a Charles Weekes & Co., 8 Bore Duck            Gun at £4.0.0.

L. Keegan first appears in the Dublin trade directory of 1906. Therefore, we can assume he commenced trading in circa 1905. He is listed at 35 Upper Ormond Quay until just after the outbreak of the First World War. The trades directories list no gunmakers/dealers for the period 1916-1924. This in part due to the First World War, The Rising and the Partition issue. There must have been a total clamp down on the movement and sale of arms at this very sensitive time in Ireland's turbulent history.

Ammunition and Gunpowder during this period were held under guard in Phoenix Park. Gunmaker's, such as Larry Keegan would be allocated a ration that would be collected and signed for. No doubt the authorities checked Keegan's registers and receipts to ensure these items were being sold only to bona fide clients.
                      ..................................................................................................

Trades directory entries for 1906. Kavanagh	William & Son		12 Dame St
Keegan	L		35 Ormond Quay.Up'
Parkinson	John		17 Arran Quay
Trulock Harriss&Richardson Ltd			9 Dawson St
Trulock	Richard		13 Parliament St

                               ....................................................................

For the period 1935-1945 the Dublin directories quote "B.Keegan". 35 Ormond Quay, Dublin.

 George Burrows wrote a very interesting piece on the history of Garnetts and Keegan's 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 cover the history of Keegan's until their amalgamation with Garnetts in 1949.

Our thanks to the above author and the supplier of the Keegan letterheading.

Dave Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk

Antrim County 1843 Registration Numbers.

The Irish Registration Act of 1843

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

                                         County Antrim

     

                           



The following entries have been collected over a number years by myself, fellow collectors
and dealers. In total 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 Antrim between 1843-1846.
Listed are the county prefix, licence number, description of weapon/s and where possible the maker/retailer.


AN 172 Pair Double Barrelled Flk Pistols. Cased. W.Parker
AN 325 India Pattern Brownbess.
AN 424 Flk Volunteer Musket. "GL over 56"  8 Bore.
AN 620 Percussion Pocket Pistol. Captive Ramrod. W & J Rigby
AN 623 14 bore Flk military fusil 37" E.I.C..
AN 630 Flk Blunderbuss                                           Neill
AN 812  Flk Brownbess India.  McLean
AN 919 Converted. India Pattern Brownbess.
AN 920 Pair D/B perc' overcoat pistols J.Braddell
AN 1301 Pair Flk Holster Pistols S.Brunn
AN 1301 Composite Percussion Blunderbuss Ketland/ Fowler
AN 1320 Converted India Pattern Brownbess
AN 1341 Composite Shotgun. Conversion
AN 1633 Converted Holster Pistol. Brass Barrel.
AN 1762 Flk Superimposed cannon Barrelled Pistol. Silver Mounts Waters
AN 2129  Flk Fowling Piece                        Nicholl
AN 2660/2661  Pair Flk Holster Pistols        Trulock
AN 2843 Converted India Pattern Brownbess
AN 3570  Flk Blunderbuss. Brass Barrel.           W.Cole
AN 3875 Pocket Pistol. Converted to Cap Lock.
AN 4174  Flk Blunderbuss                              Mc Dermott
AN 4299 18 bore Holster Pistol Twigg
AN 4376  Flk D/B Shotgun 33" Barrel Gardner & Cole
AN 4900  Flk Holster Pistol. Rigby
AN 5144/5145 Flk Duelling Pistols.                Mc Cormick
AN 5334 Percussion Pocket Pistol Busby & Fox
AN 6296  Volunteer Brownbess                    Memory
AN 6789 Flk Steel barrelled Blunderbuss      Fowler
AN 6905 Flk S/B Shotgun 38" Barrel William Pattison
AN 8084/8085  Pair Flk Duelling Pistols           Rigby
AN 8712  Flk Travelling Pistol. Brass Mounts. Anglin
AN 8890  Perc' S/B Shotgun.16 Bore. Smith
AN 9007 Perc' Back Action Travelling Pistol. 16 bore.4" Oct Barrel. D.Egg

                                  Official House of Commons Returns 8th May 1846. 

In future blogs we will look at the other areas, the next being County Armagh.

Please refer to earlier related blogs: 28/11/2015,
                                                    18/11/2015
                                                    21/10/2015
                                                    10/ 9/ 2015

We are always pleased to know of any weapons registered under this act and
the strictest confidentiality is assured.


Dave Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk

Mrs Garnett.The Angler's Resort.

Mrs Garnett
Crampton Court
Dublin

                                             Memorandum pre 1900.

This company would reappear in the guntrade c.1932 and ultimately amalgamate with Keegan's in 1949.  Mrs Garnett being Paddy Garnetts widow.

Paddy Garnett having known to have traded in Bishop Street in c.1860 ( No directory evidence). He is also noted as having moved to Crampton Court.*


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

The Garnett company, as can be seen, was more involved in the supply of fishing tackle
and gunpowder than firearms. The later link with Keegan's consolidating both these company's positions in the wider fieldsports market.

Garnetts and Keegan's , 31 Parliament Street, Dublin will be covered in various blogs in the future.

Dave Stroud. ramrodantiques.co.uk