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Product Details
JAMES MACNAUGHTON
A 12-BORE 1879 PATENT 'THE EDINBURGH' ROUND-ACTION TRIGGERPLATE-ACTION EJECTOR, serial no. 1897,
circa 1898, 30in. nitro reproved barrels (in 1978), rib inscription worn illegible, 2 1/2in. chambers, bored approx. 1/4 and 3/4 choke, MacNaughton 1879 patent action, use number 300, incorporating later 1894 barrel-cocking design with standard length toplever, top-strap with solid inspection plate cover and 1879 patent pivoting automatic safety lever, MacNaughton patent ejectors, patent no. 7759 of 19th May 1890, use No. 104, fine acanthus scrollwork with ropework bordering, the fences with scrolling banners engraved 'MACNAUGHTON' and 'EDINBURGH', brushed finish, 14 3/4in. figured replacement stock, fore-end with grip-catch release lever, weight 6lb. 11oz., in its makers brass-cornered faux crocodile-skin case
Provenance: The vendor has kindly provided us with the following information:
"No. 1897 was a 12-bore Best Ejector Patent "Edinburgh" gun made for one
Robert Elliot Cranston (b. April 16th, 1869, d. June 2nd, 1918).
Cranston was the eldest son to Brigadier General Sir Robert Cranston (b. June
2nd, 1843, d. October 22nd, 1923), a leading light of the Volunteer Rifles, and
Lord Provost of Edinburgh 1903-1906.
Sir Robert, son of leading temperance campaigner Baile Cranston, founded
Cranston & Elliot, a silk merchant, and was managing director of Cranston's
Hotels, owner of the Old Waverley Hotel (the oldest) on Princes Street.
Robert Elliot Cranston was listed as a Lieutenant in the 6th Highland division of
The Queen's Rifle Volunteer Brigade, The Royal Scots, Lothian Regiment (as per
the Post Office Edinburgh and Leith Directory of 1896-1897), while his father
was an Honorary Colonel of the same.
According to the Royal High School, Edinburgh: "CRANSTON, R. E. Many years
in Volunteers. Major, 5th Royal Scots. 1st Canadian Contingent. Adjutant, 15th
Royal Scots. Lieut.-Colonel, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Died of disease,
2nd June 1918."
One can only surmise he died of the Spanish Flu but the heartbreaking part of
the story is that he died on his father's birthday.
One can only guess that Sir Robert could not bear to look at the gun in its case
with REC initials on it.
So the next owner was lawyer James Learmonth (died may 14, 1935), who was
County Clerk of Stirling and who lived at 24 King's Park Road.
He was apparently related to the Michael Learmonth, who went to Russia and
became a poet called Learmontov.
He had two sons and four daughters
Jock killed in ww2 in Sahara, uncle Jimmy was more rugby than shooting
Margaret married Donald Maclean, who was a doctor in Falkirk initially
On his death, the gun was most likely stored by the family until it was eventually
given to James Learmonth's grandson Donald Rogan Maclean (b. 12 May 1935-
d May 22, 2020), as the only family member likely to use the gun.
Educated at Eton, he served in the Rifles (now the Royal Green Jackets) in
Kenya during his national service.
After an unhappy spell in banking, he joined De Beers for the rest of his working
life, rising to a director of its CSO division. The gun was rarely used, potting the
odd rabbit in his garden.
During his last year in which he suffered from pancreatic cancer, he handed the
gun to his son-in-law Sam Andrews (b. 20 December 1961), a scurrilous
journalist and publisher, for safekeeping as no one else in the family had
obtained a shotgun licence"
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Estimate £3,000-5,000
S2 - Sold as a Section 2 Firearm under the 1968 Firearms Act