Product Details
A 40-BORE PERCUSSION PARK-RIFLE WITH PRESENTATION PLAQUE, SIGNED 'AGNEW, WELSHPOOL', no visible serial number,
circa 1850, with octagonal 31in. sighted barrel signed 'AGNEW, MAKER WELSHPOOL' (rubbed), small bar-action borderline and scroll engraved lock with further badly rubbed signature, walnut half-stock chequered at the wrist, spurred trigger-guard tang, set-trigger and brass-mounted wood ramrod, the right hand side of butt with large applied silver hallmarked oval plaque stating 'THIS MUZZLE-LOADING RIFLE WAS USED BY THE INVENTOR, ASA WHITNEY FOR SHOOTING A HARPOON. HE MADE THE HARPOON, ATTACHING A LINE TO THE BARBED END OUTSIDE THE MUZZLE, AND USED IT TO SHOOT AT FISH FROM THE DOLPHIN STRIKER ON BOARD THE SAILING SHIP 'PEMBROKE CASTLE' 1880. IT WAS USED ALSO WHILST HE WAS SECOND OFFICER ON THE SAILING SHIP 'ROYAL GEORGE' 1882. THE RIFLE HAS BEEN IN THE FAMILY ALMOST ENTIRELY SINCE THEN AND WAS LATELY SENT FROM NEW ZEALAND FOR CAPTAIN ASA WHITNEY'S 71ST BIRTHDAY.
Provenance: This rifle was almost certainly the property of Asa Norman Whitney, who is listed in the New Zealand patent letters for 1891, entry 4210. The entry reads: ASA NORMAN WHITNEY, 22 HAREWOOD SQUARE, LONDON ENGLAND OR WOODLANDS CLEVELAND AUCKLAND NEW ZEALAND, MASTER MARINER AND MANAGER OF THE COLONIAL CARTRIDGE COMPANY LTD, MELBOURNE - AN INVENTION FOR IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METALLIC CARTRIDGES CALLED ASA WHITNEY'S PATENT CARTRIDGE'
Other Notes: 'PEMBROKE CASTLE' was built in 1863 by Robert Napier & Sons at Glasgow as a three masted ship with a tonnage of 1171grt, a length of 208ft 2in, and a beam of 33ft 10in. She was delivered to Donald & Currie & Co. for the Liverpool to Calcutta service and transferred to the London to Calcutta service in 1865. In 1883 she was sold to Charles Barrie & Co. of Dundee, renamed Glasgow and reduced to a barque rig. On 25th December 1893 she was dismasted and abandoned off the Scilly Isles during a voyage from Carrizal in Chile to Middlesbrough.
All the 'ROYAL GEORGE' vessels appear out of date with Whitney's service, with the possible exception of HMS ROYAL GEORGE, the Royal Yacht which was built in 1817 and broken up in 1905
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Estimate £300-500