Rifled Pocket Flintlock Pistol by Henry Ellis

Object Name/Title

Rifled Pocket Flintlock Pistol by Henry Ellis

Catalog Number

111-0020

Model Designation

Queen Anne Pistol / Turn-Off Flintlock Pistol

Physical Description

This exquisite flintlock pistol features a rifled turn-off barrel with distinctive design elements. The cannon barrel has six grooves in two stages, separated by a molded girdle, with an expanded muzzle ring. The barrel terminates in a flattened top at breech with a leaf ornament. The pistol incorporates a dog safety mechanism that operates between half and full cock positions. The side plate displays pierced floral scrolls, and includes a blank escutcheon with pierced pendant swags. The design notably lacks a trigger guard.

Firearm Type

Pocket Pistol

Maker, Manufacturer, or Workshop

Henry Ellis, Doncaster

Date of Manufacture

circa 1690

Action Type

Flintlock with dog safety mechanism

Loading Method

Turn-off barrel for muzzle loading

Caliber/Gauge

0.36 inches

Measurements

Overall length: 6 3/4 inches
Barrel length: 2 3/16 inches
Weight: 11 1/4 oz
Bore: 0.36 inches

Component Materials

Barrel: Steel
Stock: Walnut
Furniture: Steel
Spring: "Steel"

Stock Details

Walnut construction with ball butt style, featuring figured burl-walnut. Rounded pommel with chased raised edges and volutes.

Rifling Details

Six grooves in two stages, separated by molded girdle

Object History

This pistol predates Queen Anne's reign (which began March 8th 1702) and represents the high-quality work of Henry Ellis, one of the most distinguished provincial English gunmakers of the 17th century. Ellis was active from around 1690 until at least 1712, when he appears as "gunsmith" in the records of the Borough of Doncaster. He was admitted to the freedom of Doncaster on 15 November 1698 and died in 1722 or 1723. The pistol was formerly part of Clay P. Bedford's collection (#1190) and was exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the early 1970s.

Acquisition Source

The pistol was formerly part of Clay P. Bedford's collection (#1190) and was exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the early 1970s.

Temporal and Spatial Coverage

Temporal: Late 17th Century
Spatial: Doncaster, England

Collection Attribution

Frederick Eugene Williams III (known as Jack Williams), Collector

References and Citations

Rifled Pocket Flintlock Pistol, Number 49, Page 59 (Bedford 1190) Early firearms of Great Britain and Ireland from the collection of Clay P. Bedford

Henry Ellis of Doncaster, An English Provincial Gunmaker, by Anthony D. Darling, pages 75-89, Arms Collecting Vol. 10, No. 3 (Aug. 1972), Museum Restoration Service, Bloomfield, Ontario

Henry Ellis, pages 184 and 185 Great British Gunmakers: 1540-1740 by William Keith Neal & D.H.L. Back, Historical Firearms (Oct 1984)

‘Henry Ellis of Doncaster, the Man and His Work’, by D. S. Weaver and B. Godwin, published in David Oliver's Park Lane Arms Fair Catalogue, 2016

Rights Statement

© weaponscollector.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0). Attribution required: "From the F.E. Williams III Collection at weaponscollector.com"