Product Details
* HENRY ALLPORT, CORK
A GOOD CASED PAIR OF 40-BORE PERCUSSION OVER-UNDER BELT-PISTOLS, no visible serial numbers,
circa 1852, with 5in. barrels, the flat sighting planes signed 'H. ALLPORT, CORK', Birmingham proofs, moulded and sculpted nipple bosses with shallow fences and screwed plugs, border and scroll engraved side-hammer boxlock actions with radiused edges and engraved dolphin-headed hammers, the left sides fitted with belt-hooks, finely chequered walnut butts swelling at the pommel and fitted with engraved iron caps with central trapdoors, guarded double triggers and underbarrel ribs with captive iron ramrods, both pistols retaining strong traces of original colour and finish (one pistol cracked and working repaired at wrist and with replaced hammer-spur), complete with their manufacturers walnut case, the lid fitted with a large white metal plate with sunken gilded rectangular folding handle, the interior lined and compartmented in blue baize with scalloped corner 'Henry Allport' parchment label and complete with a powder flask and measure, a nipple key and turn-screw, a scissors mould, case key and notes on the pistols
Provenance: These travelling pistols were purchased from Allports by a William Henry Peard (1833-1913) before he undertook a journey to Melbourne, Australia on the steamship Serampore which arrive on October 13th 1852. He was what was known as an 'Unassisted Migrant', that is a single Irish gentleman of 21 years of age attempting to seek his fortune in a foreign land. It may well have been the lure of the newly discovered gold fields that drew him to Australia but this is not recorded. In 1857 he was working as a station overseer in the vicinity of Broken River. By 1861 he was farming at Oxley Plains where he married in 1865. By 1878 he had moved to Greta where he and his family operated a store, moving again in 1885 to Glenrowan. Throughout this period the Allport pistols were used for self defence and as protection from bush rangers and cattle-thieves. More family history can be found on the web at http://timetravellers.pbworks.com/w/page/108173315/Edith-Peard
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Estimate £5,000-7,000