Derringer collection at Uniacke House Museum

fat tony

fat tony

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This is going back quite a few years, but does anyone know the story on the derringer collection at the Uniacke House nearby in Mount Uniacke?

http://museum.gov.ns.ca/uemp/

I laid eyes on this collection when I was about 6 or 7 years old during a tour there with my parents. I have heard from one of the tour guides it was stolen at some point. Where did they come from to begin with? My guess is that the Privateers confiscated/stole them from the ships they confiscated/stole. Mr. Uniacke made his $ from the Admiralty Court (prize $)? Although I could be out of line there, I would imagine that at that point in history guns were as common as bicycles in Nova Scotia.
 
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>>> > 4/2/2007 1:10 PM >>>
Hi, I am doing some research on the Uniacke House Museum, I am specifically interested in the derringer collection that used to reside in that house, Somewhere this collection must have been catalogued, I also understand that the collection went missing at some point, I would also like to have any details that may be available on this incident. Regards,


Hello Fat Tony,

Thank you for your message. As Uniacke Estate Museum Park is a part of the Nova Soctia Museum family of 27 sites, your message has been sent to Scott Robson, Curator, Nova Scotia Museum History Collection, for response.

Sincerely,
Heather
NSM Webmaster

Hello Fat Tony,

Thank you for your message. As Uniacke Estate Museum Park is a part of the Nova Scotia Museum family of 27 sites, your message has been sent to Scott Robson, Curator, Nova Scotia Museum History Collection, for response.

Sincerely,
Heather
NSM Webmaster


Fat Tony,

Your enquiry was forwarded to me for response. To my knowledge, there is/ was no collection of derringers at Mount Uniacke since it was acquired by the Province in 1949. When the house became a public museum, an assortment of weapons was displayed in the entrance hall, but they attracted attention from thieves. The house was broken into and several items were stolen. Subsequently, some remaining weapons were removed from display and from the house.

The only Uniacke family derringer to which I can find reference is a model that bore the mark of Southerner, of Massachusetts, and the date 1867. Although Derringer's designs originated in the 1820s, the Uniacke derringer did not belong to the builder of the house, Richard John Uniacke (who died in 1830), but to a descendant.

Upon what source do you base your comment that there was a collection rather than a single piece? Perhaps I am overlooking some aspect.

Scott Robson
Curator, History Collection
Nova Scotia Museum

Gotta go on lunch!:runaway:
 
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Interesting. On the one hand, I vividly 'remember' a collection as opposed to one piece, when I recently asked one of the tour guides, I made a point to mention: 'what happened to the derringer collection'? You have to take this into consideration, when I was there when I was 6 or 7 years old, that would have made the year the early summer of 1970 or the early summer of 1971. More digging is in order!
 
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