(41 cm); L. of barrel 11 15/16 in. It was requested that the Duke say he considered Colonel Lennox a man of honour and courage. This resulted in the death of a Member of Parliament, An account of an 1825 duel in Paris between two Irishmen states that one brought his pair of English, "Pair of Flintlock Duelling Pistols ca. Mortimer, and many other talented English gunmakers certainly manufactured incredibly fine dueling pistols and helped create new innovations in their designs over time, but Wogdon truly specialized in them. 2023 Rock Island Auction Company. Swords or dueling pistols were standard, but rifles and other firearms were also used in rarer instances, and, in theory, duels could be fought with any agreed upon weapons under just about any terms, even in hot air balloons with blunderbusses over Paris. The 9 5/8"" octagon 64 caliber swamped smooth bore barrel has a fair bore with pitting. Stoney was to make Marys life a nightmare, subjecting her and her children to eight years of continuing physical and mental abuse, including threats of rape and murder. Great Britain and Ireland, 1600-1800 A.D. In 1801, young Philip Hamilton, son of founding father Alexander Hamilton, and his friend and theater manager Stephen Price challenged New York City attorney George Eacker to a duel after confronting Eacker about a Independence Day speech he had given critical of Alexander Hamilton. 20002023 The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The overall length of this pair of flintlock dueling pistols is approx. Pistol dueling was an associate (non-medal) event at the 1906 and 1908 Olympic games (see Olympic dueling). Holster pistols, or horse pistols were used on horseback and carried in pairs in a leather holster slung across a horse's saddle. Standard flintlock pistols can have a noticeable delay between pulling the trigger and actually firing the bullet unless precisely tuned. They resulted in the deaths of two men from an illustrious American family just a few years apart. Starting in 1795 to 1803, he operated with a partner, John Barton, as Wogdon & Barton so this pistol is 1795 or earlier. WOGDON & BARTON. Threading and drilling tooling. 1834); Theodore Offerman, New York (until d. 1937; his estate sale, American Art Association-Anderson Galleries, Inc., New York, November 1113, 1937, no. From 9mm to 45 ACP, find the best pistol for you. Like most of the earlier English dueling pistols, this pair has a lighter build. Given the large number of cased pairs of his duelling pistols that have survived to this day, his production was significant. The usual duelling distance of 12 paces was measured out and it was agreed that both parties would fire at the given signal. Guns International #: 102054289
Seller's Inventory #: AH6306. He formally called upon the Duke either to give up the name of his false informant or afford him satisfaction. Literature: For similar examples see Robert Wogdon, Wogdon & Barton, John Barton by John OSullivan & De Witt Bailey pp 180 185. This is an edited extract from Robert Wogdon, Wogdon & Barton, John Barton, London Gunmakers 1764-1819, price 75, published by Bonhams. (6.7 cm); W. 17 1/2 in. Hamilton had opposed Burrs political campaigns since the 1790s, and letters were published indicating Hamilton at a dinner expressed his opposition to Burr politically, called him a dangerous man, and held a still more despicable opinion of Burr. Colonel Burr arrived first. With John Barton, traded Wogdon & Barton from 1795, succeeded by Barton, 1803. ANTIQUE Engraved WOGDON FLINTLOCK Dueling Pistol Pistol Maker of the Pistols Used in the BURR-HAMILTON Duel! 14.75"". This supremely elegant target pistol is among their most accomplished work. Design [ edit] Generally, if both duelists fired without effect, the challenger could declare himself satisfied or demand another exchange. The various component parts of these firearms were individually produced under the direction of a master gunmaker by highly specialized craftsmen, including a lock smith, barrel forger, stocker, and engraver. Lennox replied that he could not consider His Royal Highness as any other than the son of his King. 0.00. The original dueling pistols used by Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr in the 1804 duel that killed Hamilton were on exhibit from May 25 - September 16, 2018. Tools for wood. SCHEELS (42.5 g); screwdriver (e): L. 3 15/16 in. By the time duelling with pistols had superseded duelling with swords in the early 1770s, the purpose had shifted from wounding or killing your opponent to demonstrating that, as a man of honour, you were prepared to risk your life to defend your reputation, or that of your family or your regiment. Exactly what happened next has been debated and veiled in mystery ever since. We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. A Duelling Pistol by Edwards of Dublin. With John Barton traded as Wogdon & Barton, from 1795, succeeded by Barton, 1803. Burr, with his political prospects already fading, demanded an explanation of what Hamilton had said about him, and a series of notes were exchanged. Desirable Cased Pair of Engraved Wogdon & Barton Flintlock Dueling Pistols Auction Date: August 28, 2022 Estimated Price: $ 6,500 - $ 9,500 Price Realized: Details A) Wogdon & Barton Dueling Pistol Manufacturer: English Model: Flintlock Pistol Type: Pistol Gauge: 54 Barrel: 10 inch octagon Finish: brown/casehardened/blue Grip: Stock: walnut The guns had several special features, including heavy brass forends for steadier aim and both front and rear sights for a more accurate shot. Robert Wogdon and John Barton operated at 14 Haymarket, London, from 1795 to 1803. He returned shortly before the War of 1812. Flints. This could certainly be a risky proposition if you didnt get to shoot first. (22.7 g); glass bottle (f): H. 1 1/2 in. This resulted in a further duel between Colonel Lennox and Swift, which resulted in the unfortunate Swift being shot in the abdomen. One of the most common varieties was having a set number of paces walked off and the positions marked in advance. John OSullivan and De Witt Bailey chart the life and work of the gunmaker known for his duelling pistols in their new book, Robert Wogdon, Wogdon & Barton, John Barton, London Gunmakers 1764-1819. He went perilously close to putting a ball through the dukes head, grazing one of the royal curls an action which would not have improved his military career prospects. 12.9 oz. From about 1770 onwards, gunsmiths were producing pistols expressly made for duelling.[2]. [2] Its long barrel, measuring nearly twelve inches in length, indicates its intended use for targets. (41 cm); L. of barrel 11 15/16 in. The Critical Review; or, Annals of Literature, hot air balloons with blunderbusses over Paris, Duke of York was challenged by his nephew Charles Lennox. (9.6 mm); Wt. At some stage after they left Wogdons shop their original elegant full stocks were replaced with rather ugly heavy bronze fore-ends, perhaps to add muzzle weight to shift the centre of balance and reduce barrel flip. Wogdons guns were designed to be aimed quickly, reliably fire, and shoot true. Travelling pistols, also known as overcoat pistols, were intended for use by travellers to protect themselves from highwaymen and footpads; unlike duelling pistols, they were commonly rifled. (42.5 g); screwdriver (e): L. 3 15/16 in. (30.3 cm); Cal. To order, please call 01666 502200 or email: subscriptions@bonhams.com, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, Luxury stationery: a wonderfully sensuous experience. Robert Wogdon (1734-1813) is arguably the best known and most respected maker of flintlock dueling pistols. Her promiscuous behaviour was well known and a series of anonymous, scurrilous articles with barely veiled references to her appeared in Reverend Bates Morning Post. While that is the origin, people clearly had misgivings about whether God would come to their aid in a duel both back in the Middle Ages and in the early modern era. Read British gunmakers of the 21st century for more about the companies continuing a long tradition. However, it was acceptable for duels to be fought with different pistols and for each duellist to use their own pair, so they could use weapons they were familiar with. That may have been one option, but it doesnt appear to have been common. For example, if God was sure to choose the innocent, then he could guide a ball to the proper target no matter how inaccurate the pistol, but duelists sought out pistols by gunmakers known for reliability and accuracy, and some practiced shooting at targets to ensure their aim was true. No details as to the pistol used by the Duke of York have so far been found. [16][17] The famous fictional duel between Pierre and Dolokhov in the novel War and Peace was of this kind. Robert Wogdon made many and varied firearms - pocket and livery pistols, double-barrelled pistols, sporting guns and rifles, carbines and blunderbusses - but he was most renowned for his duelling pistols. Robert Wogdon made many and varied firearms pocket and livery pistols, double-barrelled pistols, sporting guns and rifles, carbines and blunderbusses but he was most renowned for his duelling pistols. After one man had fired, the other could fire within the remaining allotted time. Mechanically fine. Graceful, understated, and built with fine attention to detail, it belonged to a cousin of George IV, Prince William Frederick, second Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh, whose arms are engraved on the grips gold escutcheon. Prince William Frederick, Second Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh (1803d. A PAIR OF ENGLISH FLINTLOCK DUELING PISTOLS by Wogdon & Barton, London The sighted browned octagonal twist steel barrels engraved Wogdon & Barton London, the touch-holes lined in gold with hooked breeches and engraved tangs.Set triggers. Although best suited for military use, they were often owned by civilians. This dueling flintlock pistol is by Robert Wogdon (1733-1813), a well-known London gunsmith from Lincolnshire who operated at Haymarket, London, from 1774 to 1802. The breech plug tangs, butt caps, and trigger guards have decorative engraving. Stoneys dying wish was that Mary would marry him. Price and Eacker exchanged shots multiple times the following day without injury and considered their affair settled. (10.5 cm); Wt. Whatever its origin, the name Wogdon certainly has a funereal ring to it, and very appropriate for the gunmaker whose duelling pistols were to send many men to their premature deaths. Mary Eleanor Bowes was the richest heiress in England at that time. [12], Pairs of duelling pistols can be easily confused with holster pistols and travelling pistols. He completed his term as Vice-President but his political career was effectively over. Colonel Lennox would have faced a real dilemma over this incident. 4.8 oz. Deloping was technically against most dueling codes as it implied the matter was not actually serious enough for an exchange of gunfire, but it wasnt uncommon. Until the mid-18th century, duels were typically fought with swords. As the challenged party, Hamilton selected Churchs pistols as the weapons. 0.8 oz. Hamiltons pistol went off and struck the ground. They, and the cocks, have raised decorative edges. (17.1 cm); Wt. The Colt Single Action Army revolver and the Winchester Model. Wogdon made the pistols used in the infamous BurrHamilton duel, which were later claimed to have concealed "hair triggers" (also known as set triggers). Pistol (a): L. 16 1/8 in. The doctors concluded that Stoneys injuries might well prove fatal. Poem, Stanzas on Duelling, by an Irish Volunteer, 1783, began Hail Wogden! It has an iron blade front sight and standing notch rear sight (these were often used as target pistols) at the breech tang and a gold lined vert. Both sets of pistols have single set triggers. He left no records and never used serial numbers on his guns. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. More has been written about this duel than any other in American history. 1.3 oz. (1726.5 g), Classification:
15". Patron of that Leaden death. Gunmaker John Rigby indicated this was done by Wogdon to try to remedy the fact that duelists often fired high and missed their mark, but in reality bending the bore down would not have helped, and shooting high could have been more easily remedied by different height sights. [3] Other features were saw handles, platinum-lined touch-holes and hair triggers. SUBSCRIBE today for our lowest ever deal, SIX ISSUES for JUST 6 by clicking on THIS link. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. They, and the cocks, have raised decorative edges. Although sometimes the duellists would use their own pistols so the weapons would be different. Special care was taken when moulding the lead bullets to ensure that there were no voids which would affect accuracy. His father told him to fire to miss, known as deloping, rather than take a mans life. Look at any Wogdon duelling pistol, be it one from his early production years in the mid-1770s or one made towards the end of his career when in partnership with John Barton in the early 1800s, and they all have that unmistakable Wogdon style. One Theophilus Swift was to write a pamphlet on the affair, taking the Dukes side. 15"". It is now half-stocked with a silver fore-end and a rounded, chequered butt with spurred trigger-guard. The Duke had earlier indicated to Colonel Lennox that he wished to desire no protection from his rank. Cobra Firearms is a firearm and accessory manufacturer located in Salt Lake City, UT specializing in American made derringers and handguns that are unique. The overall length of the pistols is 16in and the smooth-bore octagonal barrels are 29-bore. SOLD. The overall length is approx. 19th September 2018. Description The barrels are 10 octagonal, sighted, browned twist with bore size of .476 and scratch rifled. Wogdon had apprenticed to the Irish gunmaker Edward Norton in Lincolnshire. Robert Wogdon (January 1734 - 28 March 1813) died aged 79 and was buried with his wife Jane (died 15 February 1805, aged 69) in the chancel of St Bartholomew's Church, located on the outskirts of Buntingford, Hertfordshire.[6]. Lot 1278: Cased pair of Walter Adams percussion dueling pistols. The poem alludes to fate but suggests a duelists destiny lay in Wogdons hand. Wogdon & Barton was an 18th-century firm of gunsmiths based in London, England. Fate or divine intervention was a key aspect of the origins of dueling. Hosted and Maintained by TwoPointZero IT. The pistols are quite unique with their saw handled butts and spurred trigger guards the design of which would have been specified by the owner.