Instead of firing into the sky or the ground, aiming for a near miss would show seriousness and would appear to any witnesses to have been a legitimate attempt but avoid taking a life. That may have been one option, but it doesnt appear to have been common. Although their purpose was combat or self-defense, holster pistols were used on occasion to fight duels. This rare public showing marked the first time these pistols have been displayed in Washington, D.C. Wogdon was partnered with John Barton at 14 Haymarket Street in London in 1795-1803. The stock on gun 2 is fine with no cracks or chips and the dents and dings expected of light to moderate use. Burr appears to have had no such qualms and had been practicing his marksmanship. While the design looks a bit odd, the author has found most sawhandle pistols point very naturally. 1.5 oz. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/29592. An aesthetic vocabulary of blued, case-hardened, and browned steel and richly finished walnut, both with tasteful gold and silver accents, defines much of their best work. Colonel Burrs shot struck home and General Hamilton fell almost instantly. One of the most common varieties was having a set number of paces walked off and the positions marked in advance. [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. The poem alludes to fate but suggests a duelists destiny lay in Wogdons hand. Of course if you could hit your opponent first, you might not have to be fired upon at all. But you had never gained so great a name, In England had your pistols killed as few." The overall length is approx. 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. Poem, Stanzas on Duelling, by an Irish Volunteer, 1783, began Hail Wogden, Patron of that Leaden death. (44.5 cm); D. 6 3/4 in. After one man had fired, the other could fire within the remaining allotted time. 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. [1] The name Wogdon became synonymous with dueling, to the extent that duels in England were sometimes referred to as "a Wogdon affair". 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. ANTIQUE Engraved WOGDON FLINTLOCK Dueling Pistol Pistol Maker of the Pistols Used in the BURR-HAMILTON Duel! Wogdon & Barton was an 18th-century firm of gunsmiths based in London, England. Two loud bangs followed by the unmistakable sound of clashing swords were heard and, with the help of waiters, the door was forced open. Taking deliberate aim, was considered vicious and discouraged. "The Best Damn Gunshop in the World" 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. Since the 1800s, explorers and dangerous game hunters navigating the African bush have trusted their lives to the double rifle. The ultimate pocket pistol, derringer handguns are lightweight, compact, and can easily be tucked away in a pocket or purse. (30.3 cm); Cal. 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. .36 in (9.3 mm); Wt. 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 . Wogdon & Barton (British, London 17951803), Gunsmith: The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments. The sliding-safety locks are marked in script ""Wogdon"" over ""&"" over ""Barton"". (9.6 mm); Wt. The stock on gun 2 is fine with no cracks or chips and the dents and dings expected of light to moderate use. Whether Lennox had used his Wogdons in his duel with Swift is not known. Cased Pair of John Blissett & Son Percussion Dueling Pistols: Lot 332 Four British Prime Ministers have engaged in duels throughout history. A Very Fine Cased Pair of 28-Bore Duelling Pistols. Lot 1278: Cased pair of Walter Adams percussion dueling pistols. 14.75"". 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 only recorded Wogdon pistol with a brass barrel, hallmarked 1791. Mechanically fine. All the shooter has to do to set the trigger is press it forward, something readily found in examination by anyone knowledgeable with dueling pistols, and a feature I would expect the seconds to explain if one or both duelists was inexperienced. The doctors concluded that Stoneys injuries might well prove fatal. 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. Died aged 79. Initially standard holster or travelling pistols were mainly used, but by the end of the century special-purpose duelling pistols were being made by craftsmen in England, France, Germany, Austria, and the United States. In Britain, the favoured type was for the duellists to stand still at an agreed distance and shoot when given the signal. The lock, which is bright along with the cock, is marked in script ""Wogdon"". The stock on gun 1, which is lighter than gun 2, is vey good with no cracks, a chip around the rear barrel key, a small chip at the rear trigger guard attachment pin on the right, and scattered usage dents and dings. He died the following day. 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. There were also varieties of barrier duels in which the duelist started a set number of paces apart with a barrier in the center. The seconds turned their backs, so they could deny being credible witnesses to what transpired should they be drawn into court. [13][Note 4], There were various forms of pistol duel. Wogdon made the pistols used in the infamous BurrHamilton duel, which were later claimed to have concealed "hair triggers" (also known as set triggers). 2023 Rock Island Auction Company. All the metal has a smooth gray-brown patina. A duelling pistol is a type of pistol that was manufactured in matching pairs to be used in a duel, when duels were customary. Great Britain and Ireland, 1600-1800 A.D. Until the mid-18th century, duels were typically fought with swords. Famous for duelling pistols. 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. When his second wife divorced him in 1834, Alexander Hamilton Jr. served as her lawyer. [12], It is often stated that duelling pistols came in identical pairs to put each duellist on an equal footing. (136.1 g); cleaning rod (c): L. 15 1/2 in. Design [ edit] Lennox grazed the Dukes curls, and the Duke held his fire. The barrels are marked Wogdon & Barton London in script on the top flat. Holster pistols, or horse pistols were used on horseback and carried in pairs in a leather holster slung across a horse's saddle. Stoney demanded Bate reveal the author of these articles; Bate refused and Stoney challenged him to a duel as the Countess of Strathmores champion. More has been written about this duel than any other in American history. Though disputed, this duel most likely took place on 26 May 1789. Interestingly these pistols look identical to the pistols used in the Burr-Hamilton duel of 1804, including the 'concealed hair triggers' Description The barrels which are gently swamped to the muzzle, are 10.25 octagonal, sighted, browned twist with a smooth bore size of .550. Starting in 1795 to 1803, he operated with a partner, John Barton, as Wogdon & Barton so this pistol is 1795 or earlier. The name Robert Wogdon is one that appears frequently in tales of the most infamous duels. Price: 28,500 Maker: Robert Wogdon Date: circa 1780 Each Pistol with 10 inch browned swamped octagonal barrel signed along the top flat, engraved with a transverse band of beadwork at the rear of the breech and with silver fore sight, case-hardened foliate engraved tang decorated with a band of beadwork in front of the rear sight . The finest London firearms made in the classic British style of the early nineteenth century rank among the most stately and innovative in the history of gunmaking. The barrels on earlier guns were cylindrical, while later ones tended to be octagonal. Robert Wogden was one of the preeminent gunsmiths of his era. At first glance, the surviving pistol is not immediately recognisable as the work of Robert Wogdon. One Theophilus Swift was to write a pamphlet on the affair, taking the Dukes side. There was not just a single form for a proper duel. 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. See "A." 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. Lot 231: Cased pair of H. Bales flintlock dueling pistols. 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! The bow and butt cap also show engraving. Research suggests the attribution is spurious, though the quality is superb. But if the first to fire missed, he was required to stand still and wait for his opponent's shot. Burr, with his political prospects already fading, demanded an explanation of what Hamilton had said about him, and a series of notes were exchanged. Given both men had time to take deliberate aim, neither may walk away unscathed, and the chance of death was high. 7626 Westheimer @ Voss, Houston, Texas 77063. 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. SOLD. The overall length is approx. 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. 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. Robert Wogdon and John Barton operated at 14 Haymarket, London, from 1795 to 1803. 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. 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. In 1797, Alexander Hamilton's brother-in-law, John Baker Church, had obtained an exquisite pair of custom-made dueling pistols made by Wogdon. Patron of that Leaden death!" Mary had already filed for divorce, unheard of in 18th-century England, and this only added to her notoriety. The overall length is approx. Cobra Derringers are beautifully handcrafted with a wide range of calibers and barrel lengths that provides versatile and reliable service for a lifetime. The hooks or spurs on the trigger guard can be used with your middle finger to help steady the pistol. All rights reserved. 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. Flints. Starting in 1795 to 1803, he operated with a partner, John Barton, as Wogdon & Barton so this pistol is 1795 or earlier. We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. Dueling pistol makers continued to innovate through the end of the flintlock era and into the percussion era. Guns International #: 102054289 Seller's Inventory #: AH6306. Gunsmith Wogdon & Barton British His total production of duelling pistols over the 39 years that he was a gunmaker is unknown. Tools for wood. The barrels are marked Wogdon & Barton London in script on the top flat. 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. Prince William Frederick, Second Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh (1803d. The wedge and wrist escutcheons are silver, and the latter have a monogram that appears to be the initials "LD." Four years later, in 1808, Burr met Jeremy Bentham, the noted English philosopher, and Bentham claimed to have been certain of his (Burrs) ability to kill Hamilton. 4.8 oz. [16][17] The famous fictional duel between Pierre and Dolokhov in the novel War and Peace was of this kind. More Info. Click here for more information. For this reason, very few duels can now be confidently identified as those in which Wogdon pistols were used. Nonetheless, Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel to repair his reputation. More Info. The seven days having expired and no club member recollecting to have heard such words, Colonel Lennox felt justified in concluding that they were never uttered. (10.5 cm); Wt. 7 oz. [18] For an eye-witness account of such a duel, see Reynolds (1839).[14]. 0.5 oz. He completed his term as Vice-President but his political career was effectively over. 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). The overall length is approx. The stock on gun 1, which is lighter than gun 2, is vey good with no cracks, a chip around the rear barrel key, a small chip at the rear trigger guard attachment pin on the right, and scattered usage dents and dings. 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. Finally, a published letter made reference to a particularly despicable opinion Hamilton had expressed about Burr. 15"". Lennox replied that he could not consider His Royal Highness as any other than the son of his King. Generally, if both duelists fired without effect, the challenger could declare himself satisfied or demand another exchange. Duelling pistols are often single-shot flintlock or percussion black-powder pistols which fire a lead ball. In London, the first recorded pistol duel was in 1711[Note 1] but the use of pistols was unusual until the 1760s. .38 in. 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. Robert Wogdon produced flintlock firearms from the 1760s, and was particularly well known for his high quality duelling pistols. (6.7 cm); W. 17 1/2 in. A Continental Pin Fire Revolver. Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel. The butt cap and trigger guard are polished bright. Robert Wogdon, a gunmaker most famous for his dueling pistols, partnered with John Barton late in his career. These shots were fired at 25 yards with rapid dueling style aim rather than carefully deliberate aim. 7 oz. Steel and Brass Section, Rod and Sheet. (22.7 g); glass bottle (f): H. 1 1/2 in. Purpose-built duelling pistols have various improvements to make them more reliable and accurate. (41 cm); L. of barrel 11 15/16 in. Please use the print button in the share bar at the top of the page. .36 in (9.3 mm); Wt. To refuse to take part in the duel would have had the same result. Given the large number of cased pairs of his duelling pistols that have survived to this day, his production was significant. This is a very nice pair of dueling pistols by a well-known maker of quality flintlock pistols. This pair is rifled, something forbidden by the 18th century dueling codes but that became more accepted in the 19th century, especially in continental Europe where it became standard. From 9mm to 45 ACP, find the best pistol for you. 1.5 oz. Had Lennox refused to challenge the Duke, his reputation as an officer and a gentleman would have been irrevocably compromised. Both sets of pistols have single set triggers. 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. An Irish duelling pistol, dated 1774, a collectors term for a gun where the barrel is longer than 10in, with a short, straight butt. More Info. Free ground shipping on all US Online Orders over $100! 1 lb. (1219 g); powder flask (b): H. 4 1/8 in. The Burr and Hamilton Duel at Weehawken, New Jersey, July 11, 1804 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. The barrels are marked Wogdon & Barton London in script on the top flat. 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. 14.75"". Wogdon had apprenticed to the Irish gunmaker Edward Norton in Lincolnshire. Two Engraved English Flintlock Pistols -A) Desirable Wogdon & Barton Dueling PistolWogdon dueling pistols are among the most historical and were used in the most famous of all American duels: the Burr-Hamilton affair. 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. 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. There's a lot going on in this escutcheon! A Rifled Pocket Pistol by Smith. If either party was injured at all, the seconds were generally expected to work to declare the duel was over. [3] Other features were saw handles, platinum-lined touch-holes and hair triggers. 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. Although sometimes the duellists would use their own pistols so the weapons would be different. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Copyright 2023 All rights reserved. The actions on both pistols function correctly. The plot was foiled, but he was acquitted. Its the story of a, In 1873, two of America's greatest gunmakers would unveil the defining arms of the era. 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. Robert Wogdon (1734-1813) is arguably the best known and most respected maker of flintlock dueling pistols. A pair of duels in the early 19th century in America have done much to fix Wogdons name in American memory. 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. Click here for more information. "British Flintlock Dueling Pistol by Wogdon (AH6306) . Again, the affair began with politics. 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. 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. 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. Both pistols have their original iron-tipped ramrods with an attached worm at the end. 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. With John Barton traded as Wogdon & Barton, from 1795, succeeded by Barton, 1803. 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. The remaining furniture is iron and includes classic English engraving, including fine pineapple finials on the trigger guards. He left no records and never used serial numbers on his guns. These types are similar to duelling pistols in that they were muzzle-loading weapons that were sometimes expensively made and sold in matched, cased pairs with a set of accessories. Two discarded Wogdon pistols were discovered. Threading and drilling tooling. (1726.5 g), Classification: [19] Participants wore heavy, protective clothing and a metal helmet, similar to a fencing mask but with an eye-screen of thick glass. 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. Many later pistols have heavier barrels and half-stocks while the early pistols are lighter and full-stocked. Starting in 1795 to 1803, he operated with a partner, John Barton, as Wogdon & Barton so this pistol is 1795 or earlier. 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. (1726.5 g). Not all fine, antique pairs of pistols are duelling pistols, though they may be called so. 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. The overall length of this pair of flintlock dueling pistols is approx. 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. The engraving on the escutcheon merits further research. 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. Impact also services the needs of law enforcement and military with our wide variety of tactical weapons and . Mortimer & Son dueling pistols was presented by the Prince Regent to Spanish rebel Francisco Sayus in 1811 and was later owned by Confederate Secretary of the Navy Stephen R. Mallory. All the metal has a smooth gray-brown patina. One of a pair of silver-mounted duelling pistols, hallmarked 1776, with the first recorded use of the helmet and falchion side-plate. When it came down to staring down an opponent, many men put their trust in gunmakers like Robert Wogdon rather than divine intervention.
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