The Faur Le Page company of France made special pistols for sport duelling. Other Materials. The name of one gunmaker recurs repeatedly in tales of the most infamous duels Robert Wogdon, says John O'Sullivan and De Witt Bailey, in this edited extract from Robert Wogdon, Wogdon & Barton, John Barton, London Gunmkaers 1764-1819. In the Lee-Laurens duel mentioned above, the two men resolved to walk towards one another and fire at will and exchanged shots at just five or six paces. Special care was taken when moulding the lead bullets to ensure that there were no voids which would affect accuracy. With swamped octagonal sighted barrels each signed in script along the top flat and engraved with a band of beadwork at the breech, silver fore-sights, tangs each incorporating the back-sight and finely engraved with foliage, signed flat . Churchs pair supposedly had concealed set triggers, but in reality, set triggers were a standard feature of these pistols rather than a secret designed to give one duelist an advantage over the other, and that pair simply did not have a visible adjustment screw. Hamilton received a .54-caliber wound to the abdomen from an English-made Wogdon & Barton flintlock smoothbore dueling pistol. The poem alludes to fate but suggests a duelists destiny lay in Wogdons hand. 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. He was dead within thirty-six hours. Both sets of pistols have single set triggers. In Britain, the favoured type was for the duellists to stand still at an agreed distance and shoot when given the signal. Gunsmith John Barton British. Spring Steel. [6], Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh. Died aged 79. A Duelling Pistol by Edwards of Dublin. 0.5 oz. Estimated at $7,500-$12,000, these dueling pistols are beautiful, rare, and historically significant. The overall length is approx. Graceful yet practical and perfectly balanced in the hand, they privilege overall formal quality and flawless mechanical work over applied adornments. 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 These consisted of wax bullets in a cartridge without any powder charge; the bullet was propelled only by the explosion of the cartridge's primer. This emphasis on the purity of form references the Neoclassical style then in vogue. Initially, both men refused to fire. 2023 Rock Island Auction Company. At a meeting three days later of officers of the Coldstream Guards to deliberate on whether Colonel Lennox had behaved as became an officer and gentleman, the officers resolved: It is the opinion of the Coldstream Regiment that Colonel Lennox had behaved with courage but from the peculiar difficulty of his case, not with judgement. Soon afterwards Colonel Lennox resigned his commission in the Duke of Yorks regiment. Patron of that Leaden death!" This is a very nice pair of dueling pistols by a well-known maker of quality flintlock pistols. The breech plug tangs, butt caps, and trigger guards have decorative engraving. The barrels were given a blued or browned finish to reduce glare. Alternatively, the duelists might exchange shots in turn instead of firing at the same time as was the case in the Laurens-Grimk duel in 1775. The events leading up to the duel, the newspaper articles, the near fatal injuries Stoney had suffered, had all been a complete sham engineered by Stoney and Bate to trick Bowes into marriage, giving Stoney control over her huge fortune. Like most of the earlier English dueling pistols, this pair has a lighter build. After one man had fired, the other could fire within the remaining allotted time. Lot 3248 in the upcoming August 26-28 Premier Auction: A classic pair of Wogdon dueling pistols from circa 1780. (36.9 g); bullet mould (d): L. 4 13/16 (12.2 cm); Cal. He returned shortly before the War of 1812. Robert Wogdon (1734-1813) is arguably the best known and most respected maker of flintlock dueling pistols. This is a very nice pair of dueling pistols by a well-known maker of quality flintlock pistols. 15"". Cobra Derringers are beautifully handcrafted with a wide range of calibers and barrel lengths that provides versatile and reliable service for a lifetime. 12.9 oz. The duel took place at exactly the same place where Philips father was to meet Aaron Burr three years later. 3 lb. [3][4] Wogdon formed a partnership in 1794 with John Barton, after which their pistols were signed Wogdon and Barton. Read British gunmakers of the 21st century for more about the companies continuing a long tradition. The actions on both pistols function correctly. Two pairs of pistols allowed for a second exchange of shots if both missed and the challenger of the duel was intent on continuing. For example, when the Duke of York was challenged by his nephew Charles Lennox when they were serving in the Coldstream Guards, Lennoxs Wogdon pistols from 12 paces at Wimbledon Common was chosen, and they were to fire upon the signal. [5] These gave the person using them an advantage over their opponent by reducing the amount of finger pressure required to fire the pistol, which greatly increased accuracy of the shot. Given both men had time to take deliberate aim, neither may walk away unscathed, and the chance of death was high. The 9 5/8"" octagon 64 caliber swamped smooth bore barrel has a fair bore with pitting. Until the mid-18th century, duels were typically fought with swords. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. A cased pair of half-stocked duelling pistols dated 1793. 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. The ultimate pocket pistol, derringer handguns are lightweight, compact, and can easily be tucked away in a pocket or purse. (9.6 mm); Wt. The emotional trauma that Alexander Hamilton must have suffered three years later, facing Aaron Burr on the same spot where his son had been killed, and with perhaps the same pistol that he himself was now holding, can hardly be imagined. Stoneys dying wish was that Mary would marry him. John Barton (British, recorded 17951819), Culture: To this day, debate still rages as to whether Alexander Hamilton deliberately fired high over Burrs head to demonstrate he had no intention of shooting Burr, or whether his pistol prematurely discharged due to the set trigger before he could properly bring his pistol to bear. More Info. "Pair of Wogdon & Barton Flintlock Dueling Pistols (AH6322)" for sale online. The only recorded Wogdon pistol with a brass barrel, hallmarked 1791. His pistols were so well known that "Stanzas on Duelling Inscribed to Wogdon, the Celebrated Pistol-Maker" from 1782 starts with the lines "Hail Wogdon! An eagle is engraved on the headband. These were break action, single-shot weapons that were fitted with a shield in front of the trigger, to protect the hand holding the pistol. Reliability was important because if a duellist's pistol failed to fire, he was considered to have taken his shot and was not permitted to re-cock the pistol and try shooting again. At the time, the Duke of York, second son of the reigning King George III, was Colonel of the Coldstream Guards, and one Charles Lennox, nephew and heir to the Duke of Richmond, was Lieutenant-Colonel of the same regiment. Burrs intention seems quite clear. With John Barton traded as Wogdon & Barton, from 1795, succeeded by Barton, 1803. The 10"" swamped at the muzzle octagon 67 caliber smooth bore barrels have good bores with light roughness. When it came down to staring down an opponent, many men put their trust in gunmakers like Robert Wogdon rather than divine intervention. .36 in (9.3 mm); Wt. (22.7 g); glass bottle (f): H. 1 1/2 in. Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel. His pistols were so well known that "Stanzas on Duelling Inscribed to Wogdon, the Celebrated Pistol-Maker" from 1782 starts with the lines "Hail Wogdon! SOLD. Often the duelists would each select one pistol from a cased pair, but in some duels they would each use one of their own, and if a second round of fire was demanded they could use the other. Mary had already filed for divorce, unheard of in 18th-century England, and this only added to her notoriety. Pistols with rifled barrels spin-stabilize the shot when it is fired, resulting in much improved accuracy. The Field is the oldest and ultimate sporting journal, covering everything rural types care about since 1853. The poem later references him again and notes, "This death we lay not, Wogdon to thy blame; Cullum must have his fame as well as you. Both pistols have their original iron-tipped ramrods with an attached worm at the end. When facing down a, The birth of the legendary Barrett M82 sniper rifle, is a fascinating American tale of inspiration, dedication, and innovation. A Rifled Pocket Pistol by Smith. Though disputed, this duel most likely took place on 26 May 1789. [7] The name Wogden in particular became associated with duelling pistols, to the extent that a duel was sometimes referred to by lawyers as a "Wogden Case". 0.00. A major source of income for Robert Wogdon was the production of duelling pistols, though perhaps significantly he never referred in his invoices to his pistols as being duelling pistols, but were rather a neat pair or brace. The overall length of this pair of flintlock dueling pistols is approx. The stock is very good with the typical flat sided Wogdon style grips, two fastening wedges, no cracks or chips (except a small chip at the forward lock screw), and the wear expected of a 225 plus year old flintlock pistol. [19] Participants wore heavy, protective clothing and a metal helmet, similar to a fencing mask but with an eye-screen of thick glass. Colonel Lennox would have faced a real dilemma over this incident. Gunsmith Robert Wogdon British 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. (6.7 cm); W. 17 1/2 in. Holster pistols, or horse pistols were used on horseback and carried in pairs in a leather holster slung across a horse's saddle. Churchs dueling pistols were originally similar to the Wogdon & Barton pair in our next auction but at some point had brass forends fitted to them. Undoubtedly the most famous duel with Wogdon pistols, and certainly the most famous pistol duel in the United States, took place on 11 July 1804 at Weehawken, New Jersey, between the former Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, and the sitting Vice-President of the United States, Aaron Burr. More Info. It is also only the second pair of Wogdons known with 16-sided barrels. Its long barrel, measuring nearly twelve inches in length, indicates its intended use for targets. Provenance: The Collection of Joe M. Wanenmacher Jr. SOLD. With re-browned swamped octagonal sighted barrel (bore pitted) with crudely refreshed signature along the top flat and line of beadwork at the rear, silver fore-sight, border engraved tang with back-sight and decorated with a shell and foliage, signed detented flat . 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. A Continental Pin Fire Revolver. In some instances multiple rounds were fired without injury. Although best suited for military use, they were often owned by civilians. The crest and monogram strongly suggest they may have belonged to Wogdons son-in-law, William Butt Jnr. There are currently no customer product questions on this lot. Eacker had called the two young men damned rascals.. Great Britain and Ireland, 1600-1800 A.D. The pistols used in this duel are believed to have been the Wogdon & Barton pistols owned by John Barker Church, Alexander Hamiltons brother-in-law. More Info. This was a legal proceeding in which a persons guilt or innocence was determined by the outcome of a fight. The pistols have smoothbore Damascus barrels with gold vent liners, dovetailed silver blade front sights, "Wogdon & Barton London" signed on top, registration markings for County Down in Ireland, engraved borders at the breech, and casehardened standing breeches with fixed notch rear sights and engraving. In 1797, Alexander Hamilton's brother-in-law, John Baker Church, had obtained an exquisite pair of custom-made dueling pistols made by Wogdon. 1.5 oz. Wogdon & Barton (founded by Robert Wogdon) was an 18th-century firm of gunsmiths based in London, England. [7], The most famous and innovative manufacturers were London-based companies such as Wogdon & Barton, Durs Egg, Manton, Mortimer, Nock, and Purdey. Robert Wogdon (1734-1813) is arguably the best known and most respected maker of flintlock dueling pistols. In addition to the renown quality of his pistols in his own time, Wogdon is arguably the most recognized maker of dueling pistols known today because of the pair used in the famous duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr that ended with Hamilton fatally wounded. The Duke had earlier indicated to Colonel Lennox that he wished to desire no protection from his rank. Starting in 1795 to 1803, he operated with a partner, John Barton, as Wogdon & Barton so this pistol is 1795 or earlier. The circumstances of the duel began when the Duke of York let it be known, that Colonel Lennox had heard words spoken to him at Daubignys [a gentlemans club] to which no gentleman ought to have submitted. He then fled to Europe where he continued to conspire to steal land in the West. The barrels are marked Wogdon & Barton London in script on the top flat. They have small blade front and fixed notch rear sights. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/29592. An Irish duelling pistol, dated 1774, a collectors term for a gun where the barrel is longer than 10in, with a short, straight butt. The locks are signed "Wogdon/&/Barton" and have frizzen rollers, sliding half-cock safeties, and stepped tails. Collectors Firearms, LLC. [13][Note 4], There were various forms of pistol duel. A discussion of the poem in The Critical Review; or, Annals of Literature from 1782 notes, "The artist to whom these stanzas are inscribed is famous for his skill in making pistols, whose aim is remarkably true" and notes the lines, "No one can tell how short he shall remain, If honour calls and Wogdon bids him die" as among the best in the poem. The events that culminated in the duel were the result of several years of simmering political differences and antagonism. Each pistol with 10 inch rebrowned sighted octagonal barrel inscribed Wogdon & Barton London on the top flat, gold lined touch hole, foliate engraved tang incorporating the rear sight, flat bevel edged signed lock with stepped tail and sliding safety, set trigger, figured walnut full stock, swelling flat sided butt, engraved iron furniture including trigger guard with pineapple finial, horn tipped ramrod; contained in their original baize lined mahogany case with accessories including a leather bodied flask, flint wallet and cleaning rod, the exterior with recessed brass carrying handle. In London, the first recorded pistol duel was in 1711[Note 1] but the use of pistols was unusual until the 1760s. As John Norris writes in Pistols at Dawn: A History of Duelling, Wogdons name has unarguably become more closely associated with dueling pistols than any other gunsmith of the period, and has come to epitomize these specialized firearms. [1] The name Wogdon became synonymous with dueling, to the extent that duels in England were sometimes referred to as "a Wogdon affair". Cased Pair of John Blissett & Son Percussion Dueling Pistols: Lot 332 Four British Prime Ministers have engaged in duels throughout history. You can safely challenge a friend to a duel with muzzleloading pistols today by using modern dueling targets that leave only bragging rights on the line. Use your arrow keys to navigate the tabs below, and your tab key to choose an item, Title: (42.5 g); screwdriver (e): L. 3 15/16 in. Such alterations would have taken place at some time after it left Wogdons shop. All rights reserved. 0.5 oz. Hamilton languished until 2 p.m. on July 12, 1804. The duelists would take their allotted place and then fire upon a signal from one of the seconds such as the dropping of a handkerchief with a set amount of time to fire after the signal had been given. Design [ edit] The brown damascus style finish is . A 28-Bore Flintlock Duelling PistolBy Wogdon & Barton, London, Circa 1800. [18] For an eye-witness account of such a duel, see Reynolds (1839).[14]. Tools for metal. 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. No details as to the pistol used by the Duke of York have so far been found. The engraving on the escutcheon merits further research. As the challenged party, Hamilton selected Churchs pistols as the weapons. However, for at least twenty years before the BurrHamilton duel, English duelling pistols by all the top makers had been customarily fitted with set triggers. A duelling pistol is a type of pistol that was manufactured in matching pairs to be used in a duel, when duels were customary. Hamiltons pistol went off and struck the ground. He died on September 14, 1836, a poor and broken man, on the same day that the divorce was finalized. Much to everyones surprise, following the wedding Stoney made a rapid and complete recovery. Wogdons guns were designed to be aimed quickly, reliably fire, and shoot true. 0.00. From about 1770 onwards, gunsmiths were producing pistols expressly made for duelling.[2]. The doctors concluded that Stoneys injuries might well prove fatal. 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. Perhaps the most bizarre duel in which Wogdon pistols were used took place on 13 January 1777 between the Reverend Henry Bate and Andrew Robinson Stoney. Today, those walnut, brass, and gold pistols are located in the headquarters of J.P. Morgan Chase, on 277 Park Avenue in New York City. Like that pair, these pistols have "concealed" single set triggers, a standard feature of their pistols rather than a secret designed to give one duelist an advantage over the other. On 13 January 1777 at the Adelphi Tavern and Coffeehouse, Bate was accosted by Stoney and the duel proceeded without any witnesses. The surviving Lennox pistol used in a duel with the Duke of York. Lock plates engraved Wogdon & Barton, having push-on half-cock safeties, semi-rain proof pans, and roller frizzen springs (one spring repaired). However, for at least twenty years before the BurrHamilton duel, English duelling pistols by all the top makers had been customarily fitted with set triggers. Carried to his Manhattan home, Hamilton lingered in agony, the pistol ball lodged next to his spine. The barrels are marked Wogdon & Barton London in script on the top flat. It is now half-stocked with a silver fore-end and a rounded, chequered butt with spurred trigger-guard. The overall length of this pair of flintlock dueling pistols is approx. 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. Robert Wogdon (British, 17341813), Gunsmith: Surprisingly, Lee was only lightly wounded and the affair ultimately ended without another exchange, in part due to Alexander Hamiltons role as Laurenss second. Poem, Stanzas on Duelling, by an Irish Volunteer, 1783, began Hail Wogden, Patron of that Leaden death. By 1780, Wogdon had settled on the final form for his duelling pistols and saw no reason for any . 14.75"". He was found guilty of conspiracy to abduct Mary and sentenced to three years in prison, though he managed to spend his prison term in comfort due to his continued access to Marys estate. Once one man fired, he was generally expected to stand at that spot and await his opponents shot within the remaining time and before crossing the barrier. They, and the cocks, have raised decorative edges. [5] These gave the person using them an advantage over their opponent by reducing the amount of finger pressure required to fire the pistol, which greatly increased accuracy of the shot. Often if one duelist had not fired around the same time, they would not even return fire unless they were seriously at odds with their opponent. The hard part would have been shooting both accurately and quickly with your life on the line. Burr was never tried for Hamiltons death, but rather than revive his political career, the duel was its death knell. Tragically, on 21 November 1801, Churchs Wogdon pistols were used in a duel between Hamiltons eldest son, Philip, and George Eaker, a Jefferson supporter who had publicly made insulting remarks about Alexander Hamilton. The Colt Single Action Army revolver and the Winchester Model. See "A." Then Eacker raised his pistol and shot Hamilton above the hip. Geoff Walker trading as The Flintlock Collection - All Rights Reserved This supremely elegant target pistol is among their most accomplished work. 0.00. These shots were fired at 25 yards with rapid dueling style aim rather than carefully deliberate aim. (17.1 cm); Wt. All the metal has a smooth gray-brown patina. However, in some duels where the parties truly despised one another and the insults had been particularly serious, the adversaries agreed to duel until one of them was too injured to go on or killed. Duelling pistols are often single-shot flintlock or percussion black-powder pistols which fire a lead ball. [21], Pairs of duelling pistols were often supplied in compartmentalised wooden cases along with a powder flask, rods for cleaning and loading, spare flints, spanners and other tools, and a bullet mould. (44.5 cm); D. 6 3/4 in. With John Barton, traded Wogdon & Barton from 1795, succeeded by Barton, 1803. Church himself had fought a bloodless duel with Burr a few years earlier. 14.75". The overall length is approx. A North African Flintlock Pistol . 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.