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. Wogdons guns were designed to be aimed quickly, reliably fire, and shoot true. More Info. (30.3 cm); Cal. Patron of that Leaden death!" Tools for wood. The barrels have a decorative band around the breech end. The Most Famous Set of Dueling Pistols - Wogdon & Barton Until the building's demolition in 2019, you could view the most famous set of dueling pistols in history on display at the former JPMorgan Chase Tower, at 270 Park Avenue, NY, New York. Pistols - garthvincent.com This is a very nice pair of dueling pistols by a well-known maker of quality flintlock pistols. "Pair of Wogdon & Barton Flintlock Dueling Pistols (AH6322)" for sale Click here for more information. Robert Wogdon and John Barton operated at 14 Haymarket, London, from 1795 to 1803. Pistol (a): L. 16 1/8 in. When General Hamilton arrived, the seconds measured out the distance, 10 full paces, and cast lots for the choice of position. This emphasis on the purity of form references the Neoclassical style then in vogue. Wogdon & Barton - Wikipedia A Very Fine Cased Pair of 28-Bore Duelling Pistols. [3], In continental Europe, the use of smooth-bored pistols was considered cowardly, and rifled pistols were the norm. Ref: 582. This supremely elegant target pistol is among their most accomplished work. Hamiltons pistol went off and struck the ground. [3][4] Wogdon formed a partnership in 1794 with John Barton, after which their pistols were signed Wogdon and Barton. 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. The doctors concluded that Stoneys injuries might well prove fatal. 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. SOLD. A 28-Bore Flintlock Duelling PistolBy Wogdon & Barton, London, Circa 1800. Lot 1278: Cased pair of Walter Adams percussion dueling pistols. A Continental Pin Fire Revolver. (1219 g); powder flask (b): H. 4 1/8 in. 0.8 oz. After one man had fired, the other could fire within the remaining allotted time. 12.9 oz. Upon the signal, they could advance towards one another and choose when to fire. Colonel Lennox fired and the ball grazed one of his Royal Highness curls. The engraving on the escutcheon merits further research. The plot was foiled, but he was acquitted. Spring Steel. Other Materials. Not surprisingly, the few duels in which Wogdons pistols were known to have been used took place between opponents who were well-known public figures. Since the 1800s, explorers and dangerous game hunters navigating the African bush have trusted their lives to the double rifle. An Irish duelling pistol, dated 1774, a collectors term for a gun where the barrel is longer than 10in, with a short, straight butt. [Note 3], Most English pistols had smooth bores, though some had scratch rifling, a subtle form of rifling which was difficult to see with the naked eye. 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]. 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. 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. From about 1770 onwards, gunsmiths were producing pistols expressly made for duelling.[2]. The only recorded Wogdon pistol with a brass barrel, hallmarked 1791. Wogdon & Barton was an 18th-century firm of gunsmiths based in London, England. 14.75"". Click here for more information. The overall length is approx. 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 . In some instances multiple rounds were fired without injury. A Duelling Pistol by Edwards of Dublin. A Fine Duelling Pistol by Wogdon & Barton - Garth Vincent Engraved in gold on the barrel: ARGer DE L'EMPEREUR. [2] The name Wogdon became synonymous with dueling, to the extent that duels in England were sometimes referred to as "a Wogdon affair". Carried to his Manhattan home, Hamilton lingered in agony, the pistol ball lodged next to his spine. Cased Pair of John Blissett & Son Percussion Dueling Pistols: Lot 332 Four British Prime Ministers have engaged in duels throughout history. But if the first to fire missed, he was required to stand still and wait for his opponent's shot. 15". These consisted of wax bullets in a cartridge without any powder charge; the bullet was propelled only by the explosion of the cartridge's primer. Robert Wogdon produced flintlock firearms from the 1760s, and was particularly well known for his high quality duelling pistols. 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. Fate or divine intervention was a key aspect of the origins of dueling. Though disputed, this duel most likely took place on 26 May 1789. The Duke had earlier indicated to Colonel Lennox that he wished to desire no protection from his rank. 14.75"". (6.7 cm); W. 17 1/2 in. If either party was injured at all, the seconds were generally expected to work to declare the duel was over. A cased pair of half-stocked duelling pistols dated 1793. "Pair of Wogdon & Barton Flintlock Dueling Pistols (AH6322)" for sale online. Robert Wogdon, London | The Flintlock Collection 37.154.3ag. 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. Despite duelling being always regarded as illegal, in practice it was widely tolerated by both the juries and the sentencing judges. More Info. Pair of Wogdon & Barton Flintlock Dueling Pistols (AH6322), 7626 Westheimer @ Voss, Houston, Texas 77063. The overall length of the pistols is 16in and the smooth-bore octagonal barrels are 29-bore. Although sometimes the duellists would use their own pistols so the weapons would be different. Wogdon had apprenticed to the Irish gunmaker Edward Norton in Lincolnshire. One of the most common varieties was having a set number of paces walked off and the positions marked in advance. When his second wife divorced him in 1834, Alexander Hamilton Jr. served as her lawyer. As a result, duelling pistols with rifled barrels were considered unsporting by many, although there was no unfairness so long as the pistols were identical. The plain stepped locks are simply engraved Wogdon, with a plain narrow safety catch. 0.5 oz. [12], Pairs of duelling pistols can be easily confused with holster pistols and travelling pistols. Two loud bangs followed by the unmistakable sound of clashing swords were heard and, with the help of waiters, the door was forced open. 181520", "THE TAMING OF THE DUEL: MASCULINITY, HONOUR AND RITUAL VIOLENCE IN LONDON, 16601800", "www.exetermemories.co.uk/EM/_events/last_duel.php", "Material Culture and Military History: Test-Firing Early Modern Small Arms", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Duelling_pistol&oldid=1132214902, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 7 January 2023, at 20:30. Colonel Lennox and the Duke, accompanied by their seconds, met on Wimbledon Common on the morning of 26 May. 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. 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. [16][17] The famous fictional duel between Pierre and Dolokhov in the novel War and Peace was of this kind. The bow and butt cap also show engraving. The crest and monogram strongly suggest they may have belonged to Wogdons son-in-law, William Butt Jnr. (30.3 cm); Cal. 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. Church himself had fought a bloodless duel with Burr a few years earlier. [19] Participants wore heavy, protective clothing and a metal helmet, similar to a fencing mask but with an eye-screen of thick glass. [4], All component parts were manufactured, hand-finished and then adjusted with great care and precision, which made duelling pistols much more costly than standard firearms of the period. The Mantons, Griffin & Tow, H.W. 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. 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. Duelling pistols are often single-shot flintlock or percussion black-powder pistols which fire a lead ball. The 9 5/8"" octagon 64 caliber swamped smooth bore barrel has a fair bore with pitting. Tools and Accesories. Patron of that Leaden death!" Both pistols have their original iron-tipped ramrods with an attached worm at the end. Not all fine, antique pairs of pistols are duelling pistols, though they may be called so. [7], The most famous and innovative manufacturers were London-based companies such as Wogdon & Barton, Durs Egg, Manton, Mortimer, Nock, and Purdey. This supremely elegant target pistol is among their most accomplished work. 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 4.8 oz. (42.5 g); screwdriver (e): L. 3 15/16 in. The pistols used in the Hamilton=Burr duel, which belonged to Hamiltons brother-in-law. They are immediately recognizable by their elegant proportions, restrained ornament, and technical refinement. The barrels were given a blued or browned finish to reduce glare. 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. 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. David S. Weaver covered this for the American Society of Arms Collectors,but in short, Wodgons barrels were bent downwards slightly. Threading and drilling tooling. Lennox grazed the Dukes curls, and the Duke held his fire. Dueling pistol makers continued to innovate through the end of the flintlock era and into the percussion era. Stoney was to make Marys life a nightmare, subjecting her and her children to eight years of continuing physical and mental abuse, including threats of rape and murder. "British Flintlock Dueling Pistol by Wogdon (AH6306)" for sale All rights reserved. A serious pistol shot would practise with his own pair and would be reluctant to provide one of his pistols to his adversary. The ultimate pocket pistol, derringer handguns are lightweight, compact, and can easily be tucked away in a pocket or purse. Finally, a published letter made reference to a particularly despicable opinion Hamilton had expressed about Burr. British Flintlock Dueling Pistol by Wogdon for sale. - Collectors Firearms 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 Best Damn Gunshop in the World" 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"". As the smoke cleared, Alexander Hamilton lay mortally wounded. (10.5 cm); Wt. Burr appears to have had no such qualms and had been practicing his marksmanship. 15". During the late 19th and the early 20th centuries, duelling became a sport in which shooters fired at each other using non-lethal rounds. 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. Starting in 1795 to 1803, he operated with a partner, John Barton, as Wogdon & Barton so this pistol is 1795 or earlier. Robert Wogdon produced flintlock firearms from the 1760s, and was particularly well known for his high quality duelling pistols. He was dead within thirty-six hours. The hooks or spurs on the trigger guard can be used with your middle finger to help steady the pistol. He is recorded as 'Gunmaker, at Mr. Maw's Haberdasher, Cockspur St., Charing Cross' in 1764. If Hamilton were to admit to Burrs charge, which was substantially true, he would lose his honour. For this reason, very few duels can now be confidently identified as those in which Wogdon pistols were used. 1.5 oz. However, there is rarely any information as to the type, ownership or maker of the pistols used. The Faur Le Page company of France made special pistols for sport duelling. A Rifled Pocket Pistol by Smith. Price and Eacker exchanged shots multiple times the following day without injury and considered their affair settled. 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. 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. Guns International #: 102053710 Seller's Inventory #: AH6322. The 10" swamped at the muzzle octagon 67 caliber smooth bore barrels have good bores with light roughness. [3] Other features were saw handles, platinum-lined touch-holes and hair triggers. This nice single dueling flintlock pistol by a very well known maker is ready for your English flintlock pistol collection. 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, Dimensions: 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. More has been written about this duel than any other in American history. Wogdon made the pistols used in the infamous BurrHamilton duel, which were later claimed to have concealed "hair triggers" (also known as set triggers). Wogdon & Barton | Flintlock Target Pistol of Prince William Frederick 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. When Charles Lee and John Laurens dueled during the American Revolution, they each brought a pair. 3 lb. 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. 20002023 The Metropolitan Museum of Art. (1726.5 g). The best hunting horse. A duelling pistol is a type of pistol that was manufactured in matching pairs to be used in a duel, when duels were customary. In Britain, the favoured type was for the duellists to stand still at an agreed distance and shoot when given the signal. Although best suited for military use, they were often owned by civilians. 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. 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. [5], As duels were generally fought at short distances which were paced out, typically 35 to 45 feet (11 to 14m),[6] between stationary opponents, extreme accuracy was not required. [1] The name Wogdon became synonymous with dueling, to the extent that duels in England were sometimes referred to as "a Wogdon affair". He went perilously close to putting a ball through the dukes head, grazing one of the royal curls an action which would not have improved his military career prospects. 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. 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. 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. 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. Hamilton was morally and religiously opposed to dueling and is widely believed to have intended to delope (throw away his shot) rather than aim at Burr. "Loan Exhibition of European Arms and Armor," August 3September 27, 1931, no. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments. [3] Spurs on the trigger guards began appearing after around 1805 to provide a rest for the middle finger to improve the shooter's grip. British, London, Medium: In 1801, young Philip Hamilton, son of founding father Alexander Hamilton, and his friend and theater manager Stephen Price challenged New York City attorney George Eacker to a duel after confronting Eacker about a Independence Day speech he had given critical of Alexander Hamilton. 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. He left no records and never used serial numbers on his guns. 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. 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. A North African Flintlock Pistol . The barrels are marked Wogdon & Barton London in script on the top flat. .38 in. The 9 5/8"" octagon 64 caliber swamped smooth bore barrel has a fair bore with pitting. Impact also services the needs of law enforcement and military with our wide variety of tactical weapons and . Wogdon retired in 1803 and died in 1813. (10 cm); Wt. 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. Committed to designing and building . [18] For an eye-witness account of such a duel, see Reynolds (1839).[14]. This could certainly be a risky proposition if you didnt get to shoot first. Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel. 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.