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. The bow and butt cap also show engraving. 2023 Rock Island Auction Company. SCHEELS 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]. 283, sold to MMA). In some instances multiple rounds were fired without injury. It has an inoperative hammer safety. Died aged 79. Pair of Wogdon & Barton Flintlock Dueling Pistols (AH6322), 7626 Westheimer @ Voss, Houston, Texas 77063. A duelling pistol is a type of pistol that was manufactured in matching pairs to be used in a duel, when duels were customary. 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. 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. During the late 19th and the early 20th centuries, duelling became a sport in which shooters fired at each other using non-lethal rounds. 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. John Barton (British, recorded 17951819), Culture: In the late 18th century and early 19th century in Europe as well as America, if a gentleman, or in rare cases a lady, or someone close to them faced an insult, they were expected to demand a proper apology or satisfaction., To refuse or decline a challenge risked their reputation and being posted as a poltroon (an utter coward). 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"". Great Britain and Ireland, 1600-1800 A.D. 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. Both parties presented and fired in succession. Robert Wogdon produced flintlock firearms from the 1760s, and was particularly well known for his high quality duelling pistols. Impact Guns is the gun shop for all your shooting needs. 7 oz. Exactly what happened next has been debated and veiled in mystery ever since. One of the most common varieties was having a set number of paces walked off and the positions marked in advance. The 9 5/8"" octagon 64 caliber swamped smooth bore barrel has a fair bore with pitting. He went on to become one of the most infamous traitors in American history for conspiring to steal by force territory acquired for the United States by Thomas Jefferson as well as land in Mexico to create his own western empire. RIAC believes that this website is accessible to the widest possible audience pursuant to the guidelines of the Americans with Disability Act. [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. A North African Flintlock Pistol . Finally, a published letter made reference to a particularly despicable opinion Hamilton had expressed about Burr. 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. The Mantons, Griffin & Tow, H.W. As the smoke cleared, Alexander Hamilton lay mortally wounded. The surviving Lennox pistol used in a duel with the Duke of York. Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded. Hosted and Maintained by TwoPointZero IT. Not all fine, antique pairs of pistols are duelling pistols, though they may be called so. His father told him to fire to miss, known as deloping, rather than take a mans life. Mary Eleanor Bowes was the richest heiress in England at that time. From about 1770 onwards, gunsmiths were producing pistols expressly made for duelling.[2]. The Burr and Hamilton Duel at Weehawken, New Jersey, July 11, 1804 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! Two loud bangs followed by the unmistakable sound of clashing swords were heard and, with the help of waiters, the door was forced open. 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. His pistols had now reached a level of perfect proportions and balance, and had a simple elegance that could hardly be improved. 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. 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. 15". 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. Not all fine, antique pairs of pistols are duelling pistols, though they may be called so. 19th September 2018. [15], A further type of duel, known as a barrier duel or a duel volont (at pleasure) had the duellists walk towards each other. Starting in 1795 to 1803, he operated with a partner, John Barton, as Wogdon & Barton so this pistol is 1795 or earlier. Robert Wogdon, a gunmaker most famous for his dueling pistols, partnered with John Barton late in his career. There are currently no customer product questions on this lot. A Rifled Pocket Pistol by Smith. Carried to his Manhattan home, Hamilton lingered in agony, the pistol ball lodged next to his spine. Robert Wogden was one of the preeminent gunsmiths of his era. [3][4] Wogdon formed a partnership in 1794 with John Barton, after which their pistols were signed Wogdon and Barton. 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. Mechanically fine. The relined case has moderate age and storage related wear. 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. With dueling pistols, Hollywood loves to show to adversaries starting back to back and walking off a set number of paces before turning to fire. Like most of the earlier English dueling pistols, this pair has a lighter build. Although their purpose was combat or self-defense, holster pistols were used on occasion to fight duels. It was requested that the Duke say he considered Colonel Lennox a man of honour and courage. 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. All the metal has a smooth gray-brown patina. 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. Hamilton did not elaborate but indicated his remarks were political, not personal, which would imply that Burrs honor had not been drawn into question. Its the story of a, In 1873, two of America's greatest gunmakers would unveil the defining arms of the era. Hamilton received a .54-caliber wound to the abdomen from an English-made Wogdon & Barton flintlock smoothbore dueling pistol. The duel took place at exactly the same place where Philips father was to meet Aaron Burr three years later. 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. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The wedge and wrist escutcheons are silver, and the latter have a monogram that appears to be the initials "LD." The guns had several special features, including heavy brass forends for steadier aim and both front and rear sights for a more accurate shot. Other Materials. 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. This is a very nice pair of dueling pistols by a well-known maker of quality flintlock pistols. Again, the affair began with politics. But you had never gained so great a name, In England had your pistols killed as few." Some say Hamilton threw away his shot on purpose as he had declared he intended to do privately and then Burr fired, while others suggest Hamilton fired reflexively after being shot. Steel and Brass Section, Rod and Sheet. As the distance closed they could fire at will. Nonetheless, smoothbore dueling pistols, generally around 28 bore (.54 caliber), were the weapons of choice by the late 18th century. This emphasis on the purity of form references the Neoclassical style then in vogue. [3], Duelling pistols had long barrels - typically around 10in (250mm) and fired large, heavy bullets. We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. See "A." (17.1 cm); Wt. When General Hamilton arrived, the seconds measured out the distance, 10 full paces, and cast lots for the choice of position. Although sometimes the duellists would use their own pistols so the weapons would be different. 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. A serious pistol shot would practise with his own pair and would be reluctant to provide one of his pistols to his adversary. 0.5 oz. Wogdon & Barton was an 18th-century firm of gunsmiths based in London, England. SOLD. With John Barton traded as Wogdon & Barton, from 1795, succeeded by Barton, 1803. This article about a company of the UK is a stub. It is also only the second pair of Wogdons known with 16-sided barrels. Estimated at $7,500-$12,000, these dueling pistols are beautiful, rare, and historically significant. More Info. The engraving on the escutcheon merits further research. [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. They resulted in the deaths of two men from an illustrious American family just a few years apart. 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. [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. 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. The stock on gun 2 is fine with no cracks or chips and the dents and dings expected of light to moderate use. More has been written about this duel than any other in American history. [6], Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh. Robert Wogdon (1734-1813) is arguably the best known and most respected maker of flintlock dueling pistols. Remarkable design and engineering continues to mark out the British gun trade. [3], In continental Europe, the use of smooth-bored pistols was considered cowardly, and rifled pistols were the norm. In some duels, the pistols were carefully and identically loaded, and each duellist was offered his choice of the indistinguishable loaded pistols. 1.3 oz. 4.8 oz. Dueling as a way to protect one's reputation has long faded from acceptable behavior, but these paired and cased dueling pistols for sale in Rock Island Auction Company's Aug. 26-28 Premier Auction are a fascinating way to recall a different time and a different way of personal conduct. (9.6 mm); Wt. Gunmaker at Mr. Maws haberdashers, Cockspur St., Charing Cross, 1764. Initially, both men refused to fire. Robert Wogdon produced flintlock firearms from the 1760s, and was particularly well known for his high quality duelling pistols. 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 . Wogdon & Barton (founded by Robert Wogdon) was an 18th-century firm of gunsmiths based in London, England. (10.5 cm); Wt. In 1797, Alexander Hamilton's brother-in-law, John Baker Church, had obtained an exquisite pair of custom-made dueling pistols made by Wogdon. (14.2 g); case (g): H. 2 5/8 in. Philip was mortally wounded, and died in agony the following day. The usual duelling distance of 12 paces was measured out and it was agreed that both parties would fire at the given signal. The crest and monogram strongly suggest they may have belonged to Wogdons son-in-law, William Butt Jnr. [2] They go back centuries to trial by combat, also known as the judicial duel. Pair of Four-Barreled Turnover Percussion Pistols of Henry Pelham Fiennes Pelham-Clinton, 4th Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne (17851851), with Pair of Box-Lock Turn-Off Pocket Pistols, Case, and Accessories, Double-Barrel Breech-Loading Pinfire Shotgun, Breech-Loading Rimfire Cartridge Pistol with Case and Accessories. 1 lb. The brown damascus style finish is . This time by his father and Vice President Aaron Burr. The 10"" swamped at the muzzle octagon 67 caliber smooth bore barrels have good bores with light roughness. 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. Flintlock Target Pistol of Prince William Frederick, Second Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh (17761834), with Case and Accessories, Gunsmith: Cobra Firearms is a firearm and accessory manufacturer located in Salt Lake City, UT specializing in American made derringers and handguns that are unique.