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Magnificent Historical Cased Pair of Howdah Pistols Belonging to Daniel O'Connell "The Liberator" of

Currency:USD Category:Antiques / Firearms & Armory Start Price:30,000.00 USD Estimated At:60,000.00 - 80,000.00 USD
Magnificent Historical Cased Pair of Howdah Pistols Belonging to Daniel O'Connell  The Liberator  of
Historical cased set of double-barrel percussion pistols manufactured by Joseph Lang of London around 1840. The pistols have full octagon, .65 caliber, smoothbore barrels with sighting grooves between the barrels and brass, pin, front sights. Button-head, swivel ramrods are mounted beneath the barrels. The pistols have double triggers. The breeches are fitted with clean-out screws and have high fenced bolsters. The wedge fastened, stocks are highly figured European Walnut with ebony forend and finely checkered grips. The steel buttcaps have a hinged compartment for percussion caps or pistol balls. Each sighting groove is engraved: "JOSEPH LANG HAYMARKET LONDON" and "JOSEPH LANG" is engraved on the lock plates. The trigger guards have delicate, finials engraved with a pineapple motif. Each stock is inlaid with a rectangular silver escutcheon plate engraved with the O'Connell crest. The barrel tangs, lock plates, hammers, trigger guards, ramrod heads, pipes and buttcaps are decorated with well-executed English scroll engraving. The pistol barrels have a Damascus finish. The chambers, barrel tangs, hammers, lock plates, butt caps and trigger guard finials have a color casehardened finish. The ramrods, trigger guards and ramrod pipes have a high polish blue finish. The mahogany case has a round escutcheon plate engraved with a stag's head crest and banner with Latin motto above the initials "D.O.C". The English style case is lined with green baize and has seven compartments. Two of the compartments have covers with ivory handles. The lid has an elaborate engraved label with the British Coat of Arms above: "Joseph Lang / No. 7 HAYMARKET / London /Gun Manufacturer". The case contains: (1) wooden ramrod with brass tip and jag, (2) bag-shaped powder flask with fixed charger, (3) carved bone container with three percussion nipples, (4) carved wooden container for percussion caps and (5) nipple wrench with wooden handle. Documentation with the pistols states that the crest and motto on the escutcheon plates are those of the O'Connell family of Derrynane in County Kerry, Ireland and the initials are those of Daniel O'Connell. The document further states that Joseph Lang had a shop at 7 Haymarket in London from 1821 to 1874. (Daniel O'Connell, August 6, 1775 - May 15, 1847) was known as "The Liberator" or "The Emancipator". He was born near Cahersiveen, County, Kerry to a once wealthy Roman Catholic family of the O'Connells of Derrynane, which had been dispossessed of its lands. He was an Irish political leader in the first half of the 19th Century. He campaigned for Catholic Emancipation, the right for Catholics to sit in the Westminster Parliament, which was denied for over 100 years, and the repeal of the Act of Union which combined Ireland and Great Britain. Under the patronage of his wealthy bachelor uncle Maurice "Hunting Cap" O'Connell, he studied at Douai in France and was admitted to Lincoln's Inn in 1794, two years later transferring to Dublin's King's Inn. In his early years he became acquainted with the pro-democracy radicals of the time and committed himself to bringing equal rights and religious tolerance to his country. As a law student he was aware of his own talents, but the higher ranks of the Bar were closed to him. On January 3, 1797 he was called to the Irish Bar and became a Barrister. Four days later the United Irishmen staged their rebellion which was quickly put down by the British with great bloodshed. O'Connell did not believe in the rebellion. He went on the Munster circuit and for over a decade he went into a quiet period of private law practice in south Ireland. O'Connell returned to politics and in 1811 he established the Catholic Board, which campaigned for only Catholic Emancipation, the opportunity for Irish Catholics to become Members of Parliament. In 1823 he set up the Catholic Association which acted as a pressure group against the British Government so as to achieve emancipation. The group embraced other aims to better Irish Catholics such as electoral reform, reform of the Catholic Church of Ireland, tenants rights and economic development. The Association was funded by membership dues. Once Catholic Emancipation was achieved, he campaigned for Repeal of the Act of Union, which in 1801 had merged the Parliaments of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland. O'Connell set up the Repeal Association that argued for the recreation of an independent Kingdom of Ireland to govern itself with Queen Victoria as the Queen of Ireland. A series of "Monster Meetings" (so named because they were attended by about 100,000 people) were held throughout Ireland. The rallies concerned the British Government and the then Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel banned the proposed meeting in Clontarf, County Dublin. O'Connell refused to defy the British Government for fear of bloodshed and canceled the meeting. O'Connell was arrested and sentenced to years in prison, but was released by the British House of Lords after only 3 months. Without the monster meeting and his health failing, O'Connell had no future plan of action and dissension broke out in the Repeal Association. O'Connell died on May 15, 1847 at the age of 71 while on a pilgrimage to Rome. O'Connell's philosophy and career have inspired leaders all over the world, including Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King to name only a few. He was told by William Makepeace Thackeray "you have done more for your nation than any man since Washington ever did." O'Connell will always be known as "The Liberator" or "The Great Emancipator" for his success in achieving Catholic Emancipation. The principal street in the center of Dublin was renamed O'Connell Street in his honor in the early 20th Century after the Irish free state came into being. This statue stands at one end of the street. There is a museum commemorating him in Derrynare House, near the Village of Derrynare, County Kerry, which was once owned by his family.
BBL: 6 1/2 Inch octagon
Stock: walnut checkered
Gauge: 65 bore
Finish: Damascus
Grips:
Serial Number: NSN
Condition: Excellent with the barrels retaining nearly 95% of the original Damascus finish. The breech, lock plate, hammer, tang, trigger guard finial and buttcap retain 95% or more the original casehardened finish with vivid case colors. The trigger guard and backstrap have about 80% of the high polish blue and traces of blue remain on the ramrod and ramrod pipe. The stock is in excellent condition with very little wear. The flat top checkering on the grip also shows minimal wear and nearly all of the original high polish varnish remains. Both the case exterior and interior remain in excellent condition. Interior wear is limited to some small compression marks and oil stains; the label has two small tears from contact with the pistol hammers. The accessories are in the same excellent condition as the pistol.

B) English Double Barrel Percussion Pistol
As described in "A".
BBL: 6 1/2 Inch octagon
Stock: walnut checkered
Gauge: 65 bore
Finish: Damascus
Grips:
Serial Number: NSN
Condition: Excellent with the barrels retaining nearly 95% of the original Damascus finish. This pistol has some light flash pitting on the percussion nipples and adjacent portions of the bolster. The breech, lock plate, hammer, tang, trigger guard finial and buttcap retain 95% or more the original casehardened finish with vivid case colors. The trigger guard and backstrap have about 80% of the high polish blue and traces of blue remain on the ramrod and ramrod pipe. The stock is in excellent condition with very little wear. The flat top checkering on the grip also shows minimal wear and nearly all of the original high polish varnish remains. This is a magnificent pair of best quality English double barrel percussion pistols. It would be very difficult to improve upon this excellent cased pair of pistols, which with the history surrounding them belong in a Museum or an avid historians collection.