A fine duelling pistol by one of the best makers, in good condition, Robert Wogdon was apprenticed to Edward Newton of Grantham, Lincolnshire in 1748. Click here for more information. Wogdon retired in 1803 and died in 1813. (14.2 g); case (g): H. 2 5/8 in. 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. In some duels, the pistols were carefully and identically loaded, and each duellist was offered his choice of the indistinguishable loaded pistols. 15"". This could certainly be a risky proposition if you didnt get to shoot first. Wogdons guns were designed to be aimed quickly, reliably fire, and shoot true. David S. Weaver covered this for the American Society of Arms Collectors,but in short, Wodgons barrels were bent downwards slightly. Tools for metal. Like most of the earlier English dueling pistols, this pair has a lighter build. He was only 19 years old. When facing down a, The birth of the legendary Barrett M82 sniper rifle, is a fascinating American tale of inspiration, dedication, and innovation. [12], It is often stated that duelling pistols came in identical pairs to put each duellist on an equal footing. The Duke had earlier indicated to Colonel Lennox that he wished to desire no protection from his rank. The Mantons, Griffin & Tow, H.W. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. 1.3 oz. Robert Wogdon produced flintlock firearms from the 1760s, and was particularly well known for his high quality duelling pistols. Tools for wood. The barrels are marked Wogdon & Barton London in script on the top flat. Standard flintlock pistols can have a noticeable delay between pulling the trigger and actually firing the bullet unless precisely tuned. The duel took place at exactly the same place where Philips father was to meet Aaron Burr three years later. It is now half-stocked with a silver fore-end and a rounded, chequered butt with spurred trigger-guard. During his lifetime Wogdons pistols were considered to be of unsurpassed quality and reliability, to the point that they were even sold to clients in North America. Wogdon apprenticed to Edward Newton in 1748, according to Howard Blackmore in Gunmakers of London, 1350-1850. After he finished his apprenticeship, he ran his own shop and then partnered with John Barton in 1795 and retired in 1803. Somewhat reluctantly, Mary agreed and four days later Stoney was carried on a stretcher down the aisle of St Jamess Church, Piccadilly, to marry Mary Elizabeth Bowes, Dowager Countess of Strathmore. He was, at his death, described by his long-term friend, surgeon Jesse Foot, who had attended his duelling injuries 33 years earlier, as a villain to the backbone cowardly, insidious, hypocritical, tyrannic, mean, violent, selfish, jealous, revengeful, inhuman and savage without a counterveiling quality. [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". This is a very nice pair of dueling pistols by a well-known maker of quality flintlock pistols. 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. A serious pistol shot would practise with his own pair and would be reluctant to provide one of his pistols to his adversary. 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. When his second wife divorced him in 1834, Alexander Hamilton Jr. served as her lawyer. As the smoke cleared, Alexander Hamilton lay mortally wounded. Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel. Finally, a published letter made reference to a particularly despicable opinion Hamilton had expressed about Burr. "British Flintlock Dueling Pistol by Wogdon (AH6306) . (17.1 cm); Wt. Two discarded Wogdon pistols were discovered. Initially, both men refused to fire. Robert Wogdon and John Barton operated at 14 Haymarket, London, from 1795 to 1803. 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. Surprisingly, Lee was only lightly wounded and the affair ultimately ended without another exchange, in part due to Alexander Hamiltons role as Laurenss second. Gunmakers to Bow St. Police, 1801-3. The 10"" swamped at the muzzle octagon 67 caliber smooth bore barrels have good bores with light roughness. Very good with more than half of the period refurbished brown, distinct Damascus patterns, and bright gold vent on the barrel; mix of brown and mottled silver-gray patina on the lock, gray and brown patina on the iron furniture, dark aged patina on the silver, mild oxidation/pitting, and generally mild wear overall. 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. .36 in (9.3 mm); Wt. Robert Wogdon (British, 17341813), Gunsmith: 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. There's a lot going on in this escutcheon! The breech plug tangs, butt caps, and trigger guards have decorative engraving. An Irish duelling pistol, dated 1774, a collectors term for a gun where the barrel is longer than 10in, with a short, straight butt. "Loan Exhibition of European Arms and Armor," August 3September 27, 1931, no. For this reason, very few duels can now be confidently identified as those in which Wogdon pistols were used. [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. This is an edited extract from Robert Wogdon, Wogdon & Barton, John Barton, London Gunmakers 1764-1819, price 75, published by Bonhams. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/29592. As the challenged party, Hamilton selected Churchs pistols as the weapons. More Info. Robert Wogdon, a gunmaker most famous for his dueling pistols, partnered with John Barton late in his career. Haymarket, 1774-1802. (10.5 cm); Wt. 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. One Theophilus Swift was to write a pamphlet on the affair, taking the Dukes side. (41 cm); L. of barrel 11 15/16 in. They have small blade front and fixed notch rear sights. [18] For an eye-witness account of such a duel, see Reynolds (1839).[14]. 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. 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. [7] The bullets loaded in them could weigh 214 grains (0.49 ounces; 13.9 grams) in .52 caliber, or more in larger calibers. A Very Fine Cased Pair of 28-Bore Duelling Pistols. 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. Upon the signal, they could advance towards one another and choose when to fire. 14.75"". The brown damascus style finish is . Graceful yet practical and perfectly balanced in the hand, they privilege overall formal quality and flawless mechanical work over applied adornments. Stoney demanded Bate reveal the author of these articles; Bate refused and Stoney challenged him to a duel as the Countess of Strathmores champion. 0.8 oz. Compounds and Solutions for Metals. The barrels were given a blued or browned finish to reduce glare. Stoneys dying wish was that Mary would marry him. They, and the cocks, have raised decorative edges. [3][4] Wogdon formed a partnership in 1794 with John Barton, after which their pistols were signed Wogdon and Barton. Fate or divine intervention was a key aspect of the origins of dueling. As you can see, hitting a man-sized target with a muzzleloading pistol wouldnt have been particularly difficult. The name Robert Wogdon is one that appears frequently in tales of the most infamous duels. The butt cap and trigger guard are polished bright. The lock, which is bright along with the cock, is marked in script ""Wogdon"". More Info. 344. 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). The 9 5/8"" octagon 64 caliber swamped smooth bore barrel has a fair bore with pitting. 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. Much to everyones surprise, following the wedding Stoney made a rapid and complete recovery. Lot 231: Cased pair of H. Bales flintlock dueling pistols. We offer a wide selection of firearms, including: handguns, shotguns, rifles, ammunition, rifle scopes and optics, as well as collectible machine guns and other NFA/Class 3 guns. The bow and butt cap also show engraving. Guns International #: 102054289 Seller's Inventory #: AH6306. Guns International #: 102053710 Seller's Inventory #: AH6322. (22.7 g); glass bottle (f): H. 1 1/2 in. Read British gunmakers of the 21st century for more about the companies continuing a long tradition. 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. 1834); Theodore Offerman, New York (until d. 1937; his estate sale, American Art Association-Anderson Galleries, Inc., New York, November 1113, 1937, no. Duelling pistols have long and heavy barrels - the added weight helped steady aim and reduce recoil. 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. 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.