Estimated at $7,500-$12,000, these dueling pistols are beautiful, rare, and historically significant. More Info. 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. Upon the signal, they could advance towards one another and choose when to fire. Taking deliberate aim, was considered vicious and discouraged. Hamilton languished until 2 p.m. on July 12, 1804. 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. 12.9 oz. 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. Philip was mortally wounded, and died in agony the following day. Two pairs of pistols allowed for a second exchange of shots if both missed and the challenger of the duel was intent on continuing. Though disputed, this duel most likely took place on 26 May 1789. 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. Price and Eacker exchanged shots multiple times the following day without injury and considered their affair settled. For example, if God was sure to choose the innocent, then he could guide a ball to the proper target no matter how inaccurate the pistol, but duelists sought out pistols by gunmakers known for reliability and accuracy, and some practiced shooting at targets to ensure their aim was true. [7], The most famous and innovative manufacturers were London-based companies such as Wogdon & Barton, Durs Egg, Manton, Mortimer, Nock, and Purdey. He was dead within thirty-six hours. 7 oz. Flints. Thus, firing too early might make you more likely to miss and have to risk being shot at from a shorter range. Duelling pistols have long and heavy barrels - the added weight helped steady aim and reduce recoil. 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 . The duel took place at exactly the same place where Philips father was to meet Aaron Burr three years later. From about 1770 onwards, gunsmiths were producing pistols expressly made for duelling.[2]. They resulted in the deaths of two men from an illustrious American family just a few years apart. Rogers Fund, 1937, Accession Number:
Its the story of a, In 1873, two of America's greatest gunmakers would unveil the defining arms of the era. Free ground shipping on all US Online Orders over $100! This is an edited extract from Robert Wogdon, Wogdon & Barton, John Barton, London Gunmakers 1764-1819, price 75, published by Bonhams. SOLD. Eacker had called the two young men damned rascals.. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Hamiltons pistol went off and struck the ground. An eagle is engraved on the headband. Initially, both men refused to fire. To refuse to take part in the duel would have had the same result. It has an iron blade front sight and standing notch rear sight (these were often used as target pistols) at the breech tang and a gold lined vert. Died aged 79. There's a lot going on in this escutcheon! A fine pair of flintlock duelling pistols by the master makers Wogdon and Barton of London, are coming up for auction in the Militaria & Ethnographica Sale at Tennants Auctioneers on 5 th October with an estimate of 14,000 - 18,000 plus buyer's premium. From 9mm to 45 ACP, find the best pistol for you. 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. This nice single dueling flintlock pistol by a very well known maker is ready for your English flintlock pistol collection. SOLD. The custom fitted case has a later three-compartment powder flasks, balls, and an original section from the ramrod of gun "A." Haymarket, 1774-1802. They have small blade front and fixed notch rear sights. Its long barrel, measuring nearly twelve inches in length, indicates its intended use for targets. (1219 g); powder flask (b): H. 4 1/8 in. Lot 81: This historic pair of silver mounted H.W. Committed to designing and building . One could be excused for not recognising the pistols used in the Hamilton-Burr duel as having been made by the famous Wogdon. When it came down to staring down an opponent, many men put their trust in gunmakers like Robert Wogdon rather than divine intervention. (42.5 g); screwdriver (e): L. 3 15/16 in. 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. [12], It is often stated that duelling pistols came in identical pairs to put each duellist on an equal footing. Lot 3247: A very desirable cased pair of Wogdon & Barton flintlock dueling pistols from circa 1795-1803. 1 lb. Use your arrow keys to navigate the tabs below, and your tab key to choose an item, Title:
He then fled to Europe where he continued to conspire to steal land in the West. Given the large number of cased pairs of his duelling pistols that have survived to this day, his production was significant. Much to everyones surprise, following the wedding Stoney made a rapid and complete recovery. New York. If the matter could not be resolved through formal correspondence, the conflict would most commonly be settled with a formal exchange of shots from proper dueling pistols: a Wogdon affair.. Stoney Bowes, not one to give up easily, appealed against Marys divorce suit but Mary eventually gained her freedom. 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. That may have been one option, but it doesnt appear to have been common. Whether it was in this form when used by Colonel Lennox in the 1789 duel, or still in its original full stocked form, is unknown. (41 cm); L. of barrel 11 15/16 in. Wogdon's duelling pistols were fitted with set triggers as a standard feature, so they cannot be regarded as "secret" devices that other duellists of the era would be completely unaware of. (6.7 cm); W. 17 1/2 in. Mary had already filed for divorce, unheard of in 18th-century England, and this only added to her notoriety. As the smoke cleared, Alexander Hamilton lay mortally wounded. The overall length of this pair of flintlock dueling pistols is approx. When his second wife divorced him in 1834, Alexander Hamilton Jr. served as her lawyer. Duelling pistols are often single-shot flintlock or percussion black-powder pistols which fire a lead ball. (30.3 cm); Cal. SOLD. Instead, the duelists should fire quickly. Finally, a published letter made reference to a particularly despicable opinion Hamilton had expressed about Burr. 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. 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. 15". However, it was acceptable for duels to be fought with different pistols and for each duellist to use their own pair, so they could use weapons they were familiar with. 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. Provenance: The Collection of Joe M. Wanenmacher Jr. Mechanically fine. 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. 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. SOLD. The victor is presumed to be the just party in the case because the divine would have chosen the winner. He died in 1813, and by that time hundreds of men are believed to have been injured or killed by his pistols in duels. The 9 5/8"" octagon 64 caliber swamped smooth bore barrel has a fair bore with pitting. 0.8 oz. 14.75"". 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. A serious pistol shot would practise with his own pair and would be reluctant to provide one of his pistols to his adversary. This is famously represented in the book and film The Last Duel. Cobra Firearms is a firearm and accessory manufacturer located in Salt Lake City, UT specializing in American made derringers and handguns that are unique. Robert Wogdon produced flintlock firearms from the 1760s, and was particularly well known for his high quality duelling pistols. These pistols from the National Maritime Museum are engraved Horatio Nelson 1780. 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. Gunmakers to Bow St. Police, 1801-3. 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. Bentham concluded that Burr was little better than a murderer. Hosted and Maintained by TwoPointZero IT. But you had never gained so great a name, In England had your pistols killed as few." The 10"" swamped at the muzzle octagon 67 caliber smooth bore barrels have good bores with light roughness. 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. [2] Two shots are believed to have rung out almost simultaneously. 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 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. Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded. This article about a company of the UK is a stub. The actions on both pistols function correctly. 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. 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. (36.9 g); bullet mould (d): L. 4 13/16 (12.2 cm); Cal. Prince William Frederick, Second Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh (1803d. [16][17] The famous fictional duel between Pierre and Dolokhov in the novel War and Peace was of this kind. 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. If Hamilton were to admit to Burrs charge, which was substantially true, he would lose his honour. (9.6 mm); Wt. Holster pistols, or horse pistols were used on horseback and carried in pairs in a leather holster slung across a horse's saddle. The barrels are marked Wogdon & Barton London in script on the top flat. Click here for more information. [18] For an eye-witness account of such a duel, see Reynolds (1839).[14]. 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. 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.
British, London, Medium:
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. RIAC believes that this website is accessible to the widest possible audience pursuant to the guidelines of the Americans with Disability Act. [3], In continental Europe, the use of smooth-bored pistols was considered cowardly, and rifled pistols were the norm. Where neither principal owned a pistol, then a pair might be produced to be shared. Pistols with rifled barrels spin-stabilize the shot when it is fired, resulting in much improved accuracy. It has an inoperative hammer safety. 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. Burrs intention seems quite clear. His pistols had now reached a level of perfect proportions and balance, and had a simple elegance that could hardly be improved. (44.5 cm); D. 6 3/4 in. 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. This could certainly be a risky proposition if you didnt get to shoot first. 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. 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. This is a very nice pair of dueling pistols by a well-known maker of quality flintlock pistols. The hard part would have been shooting both accurately and quickly with your life on the line. They go back centuries to trial by combat, also known as the judicial duel. Mechanically fine. In 1797, Alexander Hamilton's brother-in-law, John Baker Church, had obtained an exquisite pair of custom-made dueling pistols made by Wogdon. Whether Lennox had used his Wogdons in his duel with Swift is not known. (9.6 mm); Wt. Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel. 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. Burrs shot had struck him in the ribs and caused serious damage to his organs and left him paralyzed. Although best suited for military use, they were often owned by civilians. Famous for duelling pistols. Flintlock Target Pistol of Prince William Frederick, Second Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh (17761834), with Case and Accessories, Gunsmith:
Wogdon retired in 1803 and died in 1813. 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. 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. Patron of that Leaden death!" 7 oz. This emphasis on the purity of form references the Neoclassical style then in vogue. 19th September 2018. A duelling pistol is a type of pistol that was manufactured in matching pairs to be used in a duel, when duels were customary. The lock, which is bright along with the cock, is marked in script ""Wogdon"". The top center of the oval has what appears to be some kind of bird figure and a sword. This rare public showing marked the first time these pistols have been displayed in Washington, D.C. Research suggests the attribution is spurious, though the quality is superb. 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. The hooks or spurs on the trigger guard can be used with your middle finger to help steady the pistol. Wogdon had apprenticed to the Irish gunmaker Edward Norton in Lincolnshire. In some duels, the pistols were carefully and identically loaded, and each duellist was offered his choice of the indistinguishable loaded pistols. Cobra Derringers are beautifully handcrafted with a wide range of calibers and barrel lengths that provides versatile and reliable service for a lifetime. See "A." All rights reserved. Two discarded Wogdon pistols were discovered. 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. This supremely elegant target pistol is among their most accomplished work. On 13 January 1777 at the Adelphi Tavern and Coffeehouse, Bate was accosted by Stoney and the duel proceeded without any witnesses.