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A Rare 12-Bore Break-Action Breech-Loading Flintlock Sporting Gun For Ball Or Shot

BY HENRY DELANY, LONDON, CIRCA 1721-1725

Details

A Rare 12-Bore Break-Action Breech-Loading Flintlock Sporting Gun For Ball Or Shot
By Henry Delany, London, circa 1721-1725
With swamped three-stage tip-up barrel retaining its original iron cartridge, and with stud fore-sight/bayonet lug at the muzzle, the breech section octagonal changing to sixteen-sided, signed on the top flat, engraved with foliage at the rear, and retaining some blued finish, grooved tang chiselled and engraved with foliage and with a devil's mask at the rear, engraved bevelled back-action lock signed within a cartouche on the stepped tail, the pan with automatic priming magazine fitted with sprung hinged cover, moulded lightly carved finely figured walnut butt (extended, grip repaired) carved in relief with foliage at the barrel tang and inlaid at the rear with silver wire, pierced and chiselled side-plate extended to form a plate matching the form of the front of the lock, engraved sliding iron trigger-guard releasing the barrel, cast and chased silver butt-plate with long foliate tang, and silver escutcheon cast in relief with a satyr-head and foliage and engraved with owner's crest and viscount's coronet (iron parts with some pitting), London proof marks
33in. (83.8cm.) barrel

Literature

W. Keith Neal and D.H.L. Back, Great British Gunmakers 1540-1740, pp. 406-8, plates 170a-e

Special notice

VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price plus buyer's premium.

Lot Essay

Henry Delany, a Huguenot, was admitted freeman of the Gunmakers' Company in 1715. See J.F. Hayward, 'The Huguenot Gunmakers of London', J.A.A.S., vol. VI, no. 4 (December 1968), pp. 124-5

The crest is that of Parker, for George Parker, second Earl of Macclesfield (1697-1764), astronomer, only son of Thomas Parker, first earl, who procured for him in 1719 an appointment for life as one of the tellers of the exchequer. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1722, and was M.P. for Wallingford, 1722-27. At Shirburn Castle he added extensively to the library, and erected an astronomical observatory, perhaps the finest then in existence. Described by Lord Chesterfield as "one of the greatest mathematicians and astronomers in Europe", he was elected President of the Royal Society in 1752, and discharged the duties of the office with great assiduity until his death

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