Here is a neat one J.M. Jones Chatham

[kodiakjack]

Hi folks. I’d appreciate any more light you can shed on this one.


I popped by to visit a friend today, and noticed something interesting in his gun cabinet. He didn’t know anything about it (it was left to him by his late father), so I said I’d take some pics and see what the GunNutz could say about it.

It’s a side by side percussion rifle/smooth bore combo. I was able to pick out a few words in the engraving: J. M. Jones” and “Chatham CW (Canada West)” Google provided some interesting results which I’ll post below. The Cole’s notes are: J.M. Jones was a former slave, gunsmith, justice of the peace, and the only black man making guns in Canada at that time. He was considered one of the best, and was even commissioned to make a pair of derringers for the Prince of Wales. He helped plan John Brown’s raid on Harper ferry, and corresponded with Abraham Lincoln.

Aside from what’s googleable, any other insight on the gun? I know he’d never sell it, but it’s always interesting to have some general idea of the value.

And some info from the googles:

https://www.morphyauctions.com/jamesdjulia/item/52705-1-397/


“ James Monroe Jones, or James “Gunsmith” Jones, was an exceptional African American gunmaker. He was the eldest son, born in the Raleigh area of the Carolinas. It has been published that his father bought the family out of slavery, and according to that article, paid twice for their freedom due to a deceptive master. When the family relocated to Ohio, Mr. Jones’ father made sure that his four sons attended Oberlin College; the first college in the country to accept African American students. When J. M. Jones graduated from Oberlin in 1849 with a Bachelor of Science degree, he was the fourth African American to have achieved this high honor.

Mr. Jones later moved to Chatham, Ontario, Canada, a thriving community of well-known African American residents, and abolition sympathizers. It was the hometown of the former runaway slave, Josiah Henson, featured in the famous book by Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. It was also an important Underground Railroad terminal, and home to Harriet Tubman. And it was the town where the very famous abolitionist, John Brown, planned his raid on Harpers Ferry, recruiting local Chatham men to participate in that raid.

One of the few men that participated with John Brown in planning that famous raid was Mr. J. M. Jones, a skilled gunsmith, engraver and Justice of the Peace for his county, whose connection to John Brown is outlined in The Canadian Magazine of Politics, Science, Art and Literature, Vol. 4, November 1894 to April 1895. In this lengthy article, the details of J. M. Jones involvement with the Chatham Convention of May 8th, 1858 are examined. At this convention, Mr. Jones and John Brown among others took an oath of secrecy, adopted and signed a constitution, and put forth their ambitious goal to gain freedom for 4 million slaves. There are sections in this article that offer insight into J. M. Jones, the man; as he narrates a portion of the details contained within the article, and included within are several sketches he penned and a handsome photograph of him.

Another interesting story published about J. M. Jones is the article written by James Gooding, publisher of the Canadian Journal of Arms Collecting, titled “The prince & the pistols: James Gunsmith Jones’ gift was fit for royalty. His patrimony was not.” This article describes an event in September of 1860, when a member of the English royal family, the Prince of Wales, future King Edward VII, was invited to tour the town of Chatham and accept a finely crafted pair of derringer pistols made by a local gunsmith and businessman. But it was only decided at the last minute, after the Prince had already arrived and been kept waiting by the local officials, that it would be unseemly to present these exquisite pistols to a member of the Royal family, simply because they had been crafted by a man of color. Apparently, the account was published in the Chatham Tri-weekly Planet, a local newspaper at the time. It is not known, as of this writing, if the presentation of these pistols was ever actually made.

There also exists a letter dated March 15th, 1861, in the Library of Congress archives, from Mr. J. M. Jones to President Abraham Lincoln giving advice on the reconstruction of the South, and wishing for Mr. Lincoln in the final line of the letter, “…. a bloodless and prosperous administration.”; a rather ironic twist of fate, since President Lincoln was indeed killed with a similar type derringer, not too many years after this letter was delivered.

Mr. J. M. Jones’ work is stunning and extremely rare, seldom coming to auction, though Julia’s has had the pleasure of auctioning most every example known including this one, originally in 2010. Each individual piece is unique, but has recognizable embellishments that distinguish his craftsmanship from other gunsmiths’ work made during the same period. This particular derringer is considered a fantastic representation of his style and in beautiful “as found” condition. PROVENANCE: Copy of the reference The Canadian Magazine of Politics, Science, Art & Literature, 11/94-4/95(Vol 4)which documents Jones’ contribution to the abolition movement. ”

 

[gunsaholic]

Nice gun. Do you know the gauge/caliber combo?

 

[kodiakjack]

Nice gun. Do you know the gauge/caliber combo?

No, but now that I’ve found such an interesting back story, I’m going to pop by again and try to get some better photos and and take some measurements. The right barrel is rifled and correlates to the forward trigger. The left barrel is smooth bore but appears to be the same size bore. I’d hazard a guess at .38 to .45 from the quick look I had at it, but I’ll measure next time.

 

[Willy Tincup]

James M Jones is written about in James Goodings book 'The Canadian Gunsmiths'. He was a bachelor and the only black gunsmith in the entire book. This firearm is an incredible find. Thank you OP for sharing it with us.

 

[Stephen Nash]

Great history, thanks!

 

[kodiakjack]

James M Jones is written about in James Goodings book 'The Canadian Gunsmiths'. He was a bachelor and the only black gunsmith in the entire book. This firearm is an incredible find. Thank you OP for sharing it with us.

Thanks, I’ll have to look up that book.

 

[kodiakjack]

James M Jones is written about in James Goodings book 'The Canadian Gunsmiths'. He was a bachelor and the only black gunsmith in the entire book. This firearm is an incredible find. Thank you OP for sharing it with us.

Thanks, I’ll have to look up that book.

Hmm. Seems to be a tough book to find. Any chance you’d be able to send me a photo of the write up on Jones? If it’s inappropriate of me to ask that, my apologies. I’d just like to glean all I can.

 

[Grantmac]

That is a really neat piece. A rifled/smooth double would be something I'd love to have in the collection.

 

[Willy Tincup]

KJ; Yes, happy to send that info........PM sent,