A North African Flintlock Pistol . (36.9 g); bullet mould (d): L. 4 13/16 (12.2 cm); Cal. Forging damascus steel barrels the rarest of skills, The Fields bucket list for a sporting year, Seasons greetings a love letter to postage stamps. 15"". 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. [3], Duelling pistols had long barrels - typically around 10in (250mm) and fired large, heavy bullets. Wogdon made the pistols used in the infamous BurrHamilton duel, which were later claimed to have concealed "hair triggers" (also known as set triggers). Robert Wogdon (British, 17341813), Gunsmith: The Duke had earlier indicated to Colonel Lennox that he wished to desire no protection from his rank. One of a pair of silver-mounted duelling pistols, hallmarked 1776, with the first recorded use of the helmet and falchion side-plate. The victor is presumed to be the just party in the case because the divine would have chosen the winner. The events that culminated in the duel were the result of several years of simmering political differences and antagonism. 7 oz. With John Barton traded as Wogdon & Barton, from 1795, succeeded by Barton, 1803. By 1780, Wogdon had settled on the final form for his duelling pistols and saw no reason for any . This is a very nice pair of dueling pistols by a well-known maker of quality flintlock pistols. 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. 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. (10.5 cm); Wt. Compounds and Solutions for Metals. Burr was charged with murder but the case never reached trial. See "A." (17.1 cm); Wt. Initially, both men refused to fire. Tools for metal. In some duels, the pistols were carefully and identically loaded, and each duellist was offered his choice of the indistinguishable loaded pistols. The overall length of this pair of flintlock dueling pistols is approx. By 1780, Wogdon had settled on the final form for his duelling pistols and saw no reason for any major changes over the next 23 years. The Duke did not return fire. Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded. 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. This nice single dueling flintlock pistol by a very well known maker is ready for your English flintlock pistol collection. The answer to the question frequently asked of the owners of Wogdon duelling pistols, Were these pistols ever used in a duel? must unfortunately therefore be, We just dont know.. Flintlock Target Pistol of Prince William Frederick, Second Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh (17761834), with Case and Accessories, Wogdon & Barton (British, London 17951803), John Barton (British, recorded 17951819), Pistol: wood (walnut), steel, gold, brass, horn; ramrod: wood (walnut), brass, steel; case: wood (mahogany), velvet, brass; powder flask: brass, steel, leather; bullet mold: steel; screwdriver: wood (walnut), brass, steel; cleaning rod: wood (walnut), brass, steel; bottle: glass, Pistol (a): L. 16 1/8 in. 0.5 oz. The best hunting horse. 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. Description The barrels are 10 octagonal, sighted, browned twist with bore size of .476 and scratch rifled. Colonel Lennox fired and the ball grazed one of his Royal Highness curls. It also breaks from the longstanding tradition of decorative opulence in fine Continental European firearms.London gunmakers favored subtle embellishments that complemented the firearms deliberate and meticulous assemblies. 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. 1.5 oz. The poem alludes to fate but suggests a duelists destiny lay in Wogdons hand. Flintlock Target Pistol of Prince William Frederick, Second Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh (17761834), with Case and Accessories, Gunsmith: Duelling pistols are often single-shot flintlock or percussion black-powder pistols which fire a lead ball. Spring Steel. The Met Collection API is where all makers, creators, researchers, and dreamers can now connect to the most up-to-date data and images for more than 470,000 artworks in The Met collection. SOLD. Pair of Wogdon & Barton Flintlock Dueling Pistols (AH6322), 7626 Westheimer @ Voss, Houston, Texas 77063. 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. Cobra Firearms is a firearm and accessory manufacturer located in Salt Lake City, UT specializing in American made derringers and handguns that are unique. As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes. [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". Such alterations would have taken place at some time after it left Wogdons shop. 0.5 oz. 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. 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. (22.7 g); glass bottle (f): H. 1 1/2 in. Starting in 1795 to 1803, he operated with a partner, John Barton, as Wogdon & Barton so this pistol is 1795 or earlier. They have small blade front and fixed notch rear sights. The 9 5/8"" octagon 64 caliber swamped smooth bore barrel has a fair bore with pitting. Chase Manhattan Bank acquired the pistols in 1930, and they now reside at the National Postal Museum. 4.8 oz. .36 in (9.3 mm); Wt. Very good with more than half of the period refurbished brown, distinct Damascus patterns, and bright gold vent on the barrel; mottled silver-gray patina on the lock, gray and brown patina on the iron furniture, dark aged patina on the silver, replaced ramrod shaft, minor oxidation/pitting, and general mild wear. ANTIQUE Engraved WOGDON FLINTLOCK Dueling Pistol Pistol Maker of the Pistols Used in the BURR-HAMILTON Duel! However, there is rarely any information as to the type, ownership or maker of the pistols used. Stoney Bowes, not one to give up easily, appealed against Marys divorce suit but Mary eventually gained her freedom. Mary had already filed for divorce, unheard of in 18th-century England, and this only added to her notoriety. (9.6 mm); Wt. One of the most common varieties was having a set number of paces walked off and the positions marked in advance. [12], It is often stated that duelling pistols came in identical pairs to put each duellist on an equal footing. Although their purpose was combat or self-defense, holster pistols were used on occasion to fight duels. Hamilton received a .54-caliber wound to the abdomen from an English-made Wogdon & Barton flintlock smoothbore dueling pistol. They, and the cocks, have raised decorative edges. 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. Holster pistols, or horse pistols were used on horseback and carried in pairs in a leather holster slung across a horse's saddle. The Burr-Hamilton duel pistols were originally in a very similar configuration to this pair. Like most of the earlier English dueling pistols, this pair has a lighter build. There is an oval escutcheon at the wrist that has the initials GL and, in very small letters at the top of the arc, ""FOR RIGHT AND REASON"". Hosted and Maintained by TwoPointZero IT. Both parties presented and fired in succession. With John Barton, traded Wogdon & Barton from 1795, succeeded by Barton, 1803. By candlelight it was obvious that Stoney had been seriously injured with three stab wounds to the chest. (17.1 cm); Wt. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Design [ edit] 0.00. 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. 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 locks are signed "Wogdon/&/Barton" and have frizzen rollers, sliding half-cock safeties, and stepped tails. More Info. But you had never gained so great a name, In England had your pistols killed as few." Not all fine, antique pairs of pistols are duelling pistols, though they may be called so. Contrary to popular belief, duelling pistols were made as a cased pair, not to provide a weapon for each adversary but rather so each adversary could have a second pistol if a second shot was required. (30.3 cm); Cal. His pistols had now reached a level of perfect proportions and balance, and had a simple elegance that could hardly be improved. [7] The bullets loaded in them could weigh 214 grains (0.49 ounces; 13.9 grams) in .52 caliber, or more in larger calibers. RM W570AE - Case with Dueling Pistols A Cased Pair of Pistols, Reputedly Owned by Napoleon Pair of pistols Cassette with couple of pistols and accessories belonging to Napoleon I, Casket in which a couple of pistols together with all supplies. Ref: 582. He was dead within thirty-six hours. Famous for duelling pistols. The refinished stock is also very good and has some dings and worn spots in the otherwise distinct checkering, some faint hairline cracks and repairs in the forend, hammering marks on the butt, and general dings and scratches throughout. Lock plates engraved Wogdon & Barton, having push-on half-cock safeties, semi-rain proof pans, and roller frizzen springs (one spring repaired). Hamilton, Burr, their seconds, and a doctor met at Heights of Weehawken in New Jersey, a popular but secluded dueling ground, on that fateful July morning. Research suggests the attribution is spurious, though the quality is superb. Robert Wogdon & John Barton Gunmakers, 14 Haymarket, 1795-1803. There's a lot going on in this escutcheon! Burrs shot had struck him in the ribs and caused serious damage to his organs and left him paralyzed. Given the large number of cased pairs of his duelling pistols that have survived to this day, his production was significant. [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. While other well-known English gunmakers such as Joseph Manton manufactured fine dueling pistols, Wogdon specialized in them. Nonetheless, smoothbore dueling pistols, generally around 28 bore (.54 caliber), were the weapons of choice by the late 18th century. In London, the first recorded pistol duel was in 1711[Note 1] but the use of pistols was unusual until the 1760s. The breech plug tangs, butt caps, and trigger guards have decorative engraving. Patron of that Leaden death!" [15] The rules of the "French method" of duelling required the duellists to begin back-to-back, walk a set number of paces before turning and firing. More has been written about this duel than any other in American history. The 10" swamped at the muzzle octagon 67 caliber smooth bore barrels have good bores with light roughness. A Continental Pin Fire Revolver. Died aged 79. SCHEELS The name Wogdon or, as it was sometimes recorded, Wogden or Wegden, suggests its origin might have been in some long-forgotten ancient craft or trade, or the name of one of the more than 3,000 lost medieval villages, the names of which have long since disappeared from the map. 20002023 The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is also only the second pair of Wogdons known with 16-sided barrels. 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. [11] A pair of rifled pistols often included a small hammer or mallet as an accessory; they used slightly oversized bullets and a hammer was needed to drive the bullet down the barrel when loading. SOLD. The Duke of York had publicly insulted him and had virtually accused him of cowardice. The barrels were given a blued or browned finish to reduce glare. 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. When it came down to staring down an opponent, many men put their trust in gunmakers like Robert Wogdon rather than divine intervention. "British Flintlock Dueling Pistol by Wogdon (AH6306) . The Burr and Hamilton Duel at Weehawken, New Jersey, July 11, 1804 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. In 1797, Alexander Hamilton's brother-in-law, John Baker Church, had obtained an exquisite pair of custom-made dueling pistols made by Wogdon. [11] The short range most duels took place at, combined with the accuracy of rifled pistols meant their use substantially increased the chances of a fatality during a duel. Instead, the duelists should fire quickly. Hamilton was morally and religiously opposed to dueling and is widely believed to have intended to delope (throw away his shot) rather than aim at Burr. The surviving Lennox pistol used in a duel with the Duke of York. 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. They resulted in the deaths of two men from an illustrious American family just a few years apart. Robert Wogdon manufactured the pistols used in the Hamilton-Burr duel, the most famous duel in American history. For this reason, very few duels can now be confidently identified as those in which Wogdon pistols were used. 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. (41 cm); L. of barrel 11 15/16 in. The custom fitted case has a later three-compartment powder flasks, balls, and an original section from the ramrod of gun "A." The sliding-safety locks are marked in script "Wogdon" over "&" over "Barton". An eagle is engraved on the headband. An Irish duelling pistol, dated 1774, a collectors term for a gun where the barrel is longer than 10in, with a short, straight butt. 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. He is recorded as 'Gunmaker, at Mr. Maw's Haberdasher, Cockspur St., Charing Cross' in 1764. 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. Only one of the pair of pistols made by Robert Wogdon that were used in this duel has survived, and is on permanent exhibition at the Museum of London; it presumably belonged to Colonel Lennox. The hard part would have been shooting both accurately and quickly with your life on the line. [Note 3], Most English pistols had smooth bores, though some had scratch rifling, a subtle form of rifling which was difficult to see with the naked eye. Church himself had fought a bloodless duel with Burr a few years earlier. 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. [3][4] Wogdon formed a partnership in 1794 with John Barton, after which their pistols were signed Wogdon and Barton. Hamiltons pistol went off and struck the ground. The wedge and wrist escutcheons are silver, and the latter have a monogram that appears to be the initials "LD." He died on September 14, 1836, a poor and broken man, on the same day that the divorce was finalized. 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. 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. Taking deliberate aim, was considered vicious and discouraged. Wogdon & Barton was an 18th-century firm of gunsmiths based in London, England. From 9mm to 45 ACP, find the best pistol for you. The name Robert Wogdon is one that appears frequently in tales of the most infamous duels. 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. Copyright 2023 All rights reserved. That may have been one option, but it doesnt appear to have been common. This resulted in a further duel between Colonel Lennox and Swift, which resulted in the unfortunate Swift being shot in the abdomen. One particularly deadly option for a serious dispute was to have both men stand a set number of paces apart, cock and raise their pistols upon command, take aim at another command, and then fire simultaneously upon the final command. Wogdon & Barton (founded by Robert Wogdon) was an 18th-century firm of gunsmiths based in London, England. Burr was unharmed but stood in shock before being rushed away from the scene as was customary. More Info. (14.2 g); case (g): H. 2 5/8 in. Colonel Lennox and the Duke, accompanied by their seconds, met on Wimbledon Common on the morning of 26 May. [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. A Rifled Pocket Pistol by Smith. As part of, Samuel Brunn (English, London, recorded 17951820), Louis Perrin (French, Paris, active 182365), James Purdey the Elder (British, London 17841863 Margate), J. C. A. Brun (French, Paris, active 184972), Louis Nicolas Auguste Flobert (French, Paris, 18191894). It has a dovetailed blade front sight, "Wogdon & Barton London" in script on top of the barrel, a gold vent liner, notch rear sight on top of the breech, "Wogdon & Barton" on the . He formally called upon the Duke either to give up the name of his false informant or afford him satisfaction. The plain stepped locks are simply engraved Wogdon, with a plain narrow safety catch. Lennox grazed the Dukes curls, and the Duke held his fire. In Britain, the favoured type was for the duellists to stand still at an agreed distance and shoot when given the signal. The brown damascus style finish is visible in several areas along with scattered dents and manufacturing defects. (6.7 cm); W. 17 1/2 in. 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!
