A Small Scottish Brass Lobe Flintlock Butt Pistol by T. Murdoch of Doune. 9 ¾” overall, 5 ¼” three stage barrel, swamped at the muzzle. Pistol overall very finely engraved with stylised acanthus and rose on lobed butt. Lock with horizontal sear, swan neck engraved cock signed ‘T. Murdoch’, ‘J.B’ engraved in oval escutcheon & later poorly engraved ‘A White’ on left hand side of the butt, with a ball trigger engraved with a flower head, abbreviated belt hook and baluster tipped iron rammer.
Circa 1770.
In very good condition. Travelling pistol sized Scottish pistols are quite rare.
Thomas Murdoch (1735-1791) was a prolific maker of high quality pistols, & the design of the later lobe butt in Scottish pistols, around 1750, is accredited to him. In about 1774 he emigrated from the Perthshire gunmaking village of Doune, following the English proscription on the Highlanders’ ownership of firearms because of the failed Jacobite rising, and set up his pistol making business in Walkside, Leith, from 1780 to 1790 his name appears in the directories of Edinburgh, as well as those of Leith. He died in poverty 1791 & was succeed by his son William, first recorded in 1793 at Leith Walk.
See Charles E Whitelaw, ‘Scottish Arms Makers, page 43 and Martin Kelvin ‘The Scottish Pistol’ page 120