help with this percussion pistol

empriority

New member
Rating - 100%
20   0   0
Location
Calgary
I've looked everywhere and im unable to find any information on this or anything at all similar to it was hoping you guys could offer any input, the pistol is heavily engraved and ive determined that some poor bugger had to do this all by hand, the top of the barrel reads "RS GARDEN 29 PICCADILLY LONDON" meanwhile the sidelock with the hammer has a duck scene engraved with "I Hollis & sons". the handle is also chechered if that helps. its the one that isn't the ashton in the photos thanks

DSC_0096_zpsyleij9ug.jpg.html

http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/brynh1/media/DSC_0096_zpsyleij9ug.jpg.html?sort=3&o=4
DSC_0096_zpsyleij9ug.jpg.html

http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/brynh1/media/DSC_0096_zpsyleij9ug.jpg.html?sort=3&o=4
DSC_0098_zps6muxmufl.jpg.html

http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/brynh1/media/DSC_0098_zps6muxmufl.jpg.html?sort=3&o=2
DSC_0100_zpsvzfxnrvr.jpg.html

http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/brynh1/media/DSC_0100_zpsvzfxnrvr.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0
 
Robert Spring Garden - of 29 Picadilly

I grabbed this here: http://www.victorianwars.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=7774

Hugh Garden was the father, Robert Spring Garden the son. Both were army accoutrement makers/suppliers at 200 Piccadilly (not sure when Robert moved to 29 Piccadilly) - especially to the East India Company (with family connections - see below!).

In ‘British Gunmakers’ (2004), both Hugh and Robert Spring Garden are listed as army accoutrement and gun makers at 200 Piccadilly, the former being listed there between 1826 and 1851, thereafter apparently being in Robert’s name.

- Hugh Garden's brother was Lieutenant-Colonel William Garden CB, of the 36th Bengal Native Infantry, late Quartermaster-General to the Bengal Army (a post he seems to have held from 1837). He was granted various privileges by the Queen and ultimately became Aides-De-Camp to Queen in 1850.
- Hugh’s wife was said to have been a cousin of Lord Byron! (‘Paul Henry', Kennedy, 2007)
- In 1838 Hugh's eldest daughter, Margaret, married W. Irvine Esq.
- In 1855 the Reverend John Mitchell married Hugh’s daughter Jane.

Robert Spring Garden, of Piccadilly, is listed on 5 November 1855, in ‘The Mechanics Magazine’ (1855) as “army accoutrement maker” and has a copyright protection recorded against certain “improvements in the manufacture of hats.” He is also listed as a hat maker again in a patent office publication of 1861.

The Garden family seem to have run an interesting business and they seem to have been making things in their own workshops and innovating (with patents), not just supplying other makers' products with their name stamped on. Hugh Garden seems to have been regarded as wealthy and well-to-do and the fact that his brother was the Deputy-Quartermaster-General to the Bengal Army and then ADC to the Queen may have been very convenient for business!
 
thanks!
it was my understanding that RS GARDEN moved to 29 around 1867

however im still unable to explain why I hollis is on the lock and Rs garden on the barrel

do you have any idea what this could be worth? its the only one i've ever seen and im unable to find even an image or detail of a second
 
Back
Top Bottom