In London, the first recorded pistol duel was in 1711[Note 1] but the use of pistols was unusual until the 1760s. From about 1790 firearms were generally fitted with mahogany cases, whose interiors were lined with green baize (woolen cloth) and subdivided into discrete compartments for the weapon, tools, and accessories. Robert Wogdon manufactured the pistols used in the Hamilton-Burr duel, the most famous duel in American history. Both sets of pistols have single set triggers. Stoney Bowes was to spend the remaining 22 years of his life as a prisoner, his mounting debts still unpaid, and still pursuing yet more legal avenues to regain control of Marys fortune. Robert Wogdon produced flintlock firearms from the 1760s, and was particularly well known for his high quality duelling pistols. The 9 5/8"" octagon 64 caliber swamped smooth bore barrel has a fair bore with pitting. The remaining furniture is iron and includes classic English engraving, including fine pineapple finials on the trigger guards. The pistols are quite unique with their saw handled butts and spurred trigger guards the design of which would have been specified by the owner. His father told him to fire to miss, known as deloping, rather than take a mans life. The Field is the oldest and ultimate sporting journal, covering everything rural types care about since 1853. 0.00. Thereafter they quickly took over and after 1785 it was rare for a sword duel to be fought in London. The plain stepped locks are simply engraved Wogdon, with a plain narrow safety catch. 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. The duel took place at exactly the same place where Philips father was to meet Aaron Burr three years later. 1.5 oz. John Barton (British, recorded 17951819), Culture: At first glance, the surviving pistol is not immediately recognisable as the work of Robert Wogdon. Research suggests the attribution is spurious, though the quality is superb. Robert Wogdon: duelling pistols - The Field Original Tools. He died the following day. Materials. 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. 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. Colonel Lennox and the Duke, accompanied by their seconds, met on Wimbledon Common on the morning of 26 May. [16][17] The famous fictional duel between Pierre and Dolokhov in the novel War and Peace was of this kind. Robert Wogdon (1734-1813) is arguably the best known and most respected maker of flintlock dueling pistols. A cased pair of half-stocked duelling pistols dated 1793. Lennox grazed the Dukes curls, and the Duke held his fire. The overall length is approx. Since the 1800s, explorers and dangerous game hunters navigating the African bush have trusted their lives to the double rifle. Colonel Lennox fired and the ball grazed one of his Royal Highness curls. 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. After he forcibly abducted Mary to the north of England, a warrant was issued for Stoney Bowes arrest. Hamilton received a .54-caliber wound to the abdomen from an English-made Wogdon & Barton flintlock smoothbore dueling pistol. SOLD. (30.3 cm); Cal. When facing down a, The birth of the legendary Barrett M82 sniper rifle, is a fascinating American tale of inspiration, dedication, and innovation. 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. 7 oz. Surprisingly, Lee was only lightly wounded and the affair ultimately ended without another exchange, in part due to Alexander Hamiltons role as Laurenss second. Pistols at Dawn | Tennants Auctioneers (17.1 cm); Wt. Starting in 1795 to 1803, he operated with a partner, John Barton, as Wogdon & Barton so this pistol is 1795 or earlier. Fate or divine intervention was a key aspect of the origins of dueling. We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. 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. Pair of Wogdon & Barton Flintlock Dueling Pistols for sale. 19th September 2018. Robert Wogdon and John Barton operated at 14 Haymarket, London, from 1795 to 1803. In some instances multiple rounds were fired without injury. Tragically, on 21 November 1801, Churchs Wogdon pistols were used in a duel between Hamiltons eldest son, Philip, and George Eaker, a Jefferson supporter who had publicly made insulting remarks about Alexander Hamilton. Until the mid-18th century, duels were typically fought with swords. 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. "British Flintlock Dueling Pistol by Wogdon (AH6306) . (44.5 cm); D. 6 3/4 in. An eagle is engraved on the headband. 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. Despite duelling being always regarded as illegal, in practice it was widely tolerated by both the juries and the sentencing judges. He then fled to Europe where he continued to conspire to steal land in the West. 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. "British Flintlock Dueling Pistol by Wogdon (AH6306)" for sale Although their purpose was combat or self-defense, holster pistols were used on occasion to fight duels. 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. 0.8 oz. Please use the print button in the share bar at the top of the page. A serious pistol shot would practise with his own pair and would be reluctant to provide one of his pistols to his adversary. 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. Wogdon's Dueling Pistols: Patron of that Leaden Death He was only 19 years old. Its long barrel, measuring nearly twelve inches in length, indicates its intended use for targets. Wogdon retired in 1803 and died in 1813. Duelling pistols are often single-shot flintlock or percussion black-powder pistols which fire a lead ball. Cased Pair of John Blissett & Son Percussion Dueling Pistols: Lot 332 Four British Prime Ministers have engaged in duels throughout history. The name Robert Wogdon is one that appears frequently in tales of the most infamous duels. The barrels on earlier guns were cylindrical, while later ones tended to be octagonal. A Very Fine Cased Pair of 28-Bore Duelling Pistols. Compounds and Solutions for Metals. 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. The Faur Le Page company of France made special pistols for sport duelling. A pair of duels in the early 19th century in America have done much to fix Wogdons name in American memory. Burr was never tried for Hamiltons death, but rather than revive his political career, the duel was its death knell. One could be excused for not recognising the pistols used in the Hamilton-Burr duel as having been made by the famous Wogdon. Wogdon & Barton dueling pistols Wogdon & Barton (founded by Robert Wogdon) was an 18th-century firm of gunsmiths based in London, England. Lock plates engraved Wogdon & Barton, having push-on half-cock safeties, semi-rain proof pans, and roller frizzen springs (one spring repaired). 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. The brown damascus style finish is . All the metal has a smooth gray-brown patina. His total production of duelling pistols over the 39 years that he was a gunmaker is unknown. A duelling pistol is a type of pistol that was manufactured in matching pairs to be used in a duel, when duels were customary. A 28-Bore Flintlock Duelling PistolBy Wogdon & Barton, London, Circa 1800. This nice single dueling flintlock pistol by a very well known maker is ready for your English flintlock pistol collection. [3][4] Wogdon formed a partnership in 1794 with John Barton, after which their pistols were signed Wogdon and Barton. He completed his term as Vice-President but his political career was effectively over. 1834); Theodore Offerman, New York (until d. 1937; his estate sale, American Art Association-Anderson Galleries, Inc., New York, November 1113, 1937, no. Wogdon retired in 1803 and died in 1813. The overall length of this pair of flintlock dueling pistols is approx. Mechanically fine. Famous for duelling pistols. Finally, a published letter made reference to a particularly despicable opinion Hamilton had expressed about Burr. 7 oz. 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. This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. 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. Both pistols have their original iron-tipped ramrods with an attached worm at the end. (3.8 cm); Wt. The 9 5/8" octagon 64 caliber swamped smooth bore barrel has a fair bore . A Fine Duelling Pistol by Wogdon & Barton - Garth Vincent No details as to the pistol used by the Duke of York have so far been found. (1219 g); powder flask (b): H. 4 1/8 in. Collectors Firearms, LLC. 1 lb. Pistols with rifled barrels spin-stabilize the shot when it is fired, resulting in much improved accuracy. Stoney Bowes, not one to give up easily, appealed against Marys divorce suit but Mary eventually gained her freedom. Cased Pair of Wogdon & Barton Flintlock Dueling Pistols 20002023 The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The trigger guard finial is an engraved acorn. Patron of that Leaden death. 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. (39.4 cm); Wt. (10.5 cm); Wt. Robert Wogdon (British, 17341813), Gunsmith: Carried to his Manhattan home, Hamilton lingered in agony, the pistol ball lodged next to his spine. 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. The overall length of this pair of flintlock dueling pistols is approx. 1 lb. [15], A further type of duel, known as a barrier duel or a duel volont (at pleasure) had the duellists walk towards each other. 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.