A Scarce Early Royal Mail Coach Flintlock Blunderbuss by H.W. Mortimer.
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29 ½” overall, 14" brass swamped barrel engraved ‘Mortimer, Gun Maker to His Majesty, London. No.40’, with proof marks and Mortimer barrel smith stamp to l/h side. Stepped flat lock plate with bolted safety engraved 'H. W. Mortimer’ with flat swan necked cock. Walnut full stock with brass furniture comprising butt plate, scroll shaped side plate, trigger guard and ramrod pipes. Horn tipped ramrod with a worm.
Circa 1790
Blunderbuss in very good condition except muzzle has been filed to remove ‘For His Majesty’s Mail Coaches’ which would have been engraved around the muzzle.
See ‘Those Entrusted with Arms’ by Fred Wilkinson, chapter nine, page 254; and ‘Royal Mail Coaches an Illustrated History’ by F Wilkinson chapters 3, 5 and 10
Harvey Walklate Mortimer, son of Samuel Mortimer, born 1753. Apprenticed to father, 1772; free of Farriers Co., 1782; elected Assistant, 1807. Gunmaker, at Mr Greens ironmonger, 6 Kings Street., Lincolns Inn Fields, 1779; 89 Fleet Street., 1782-99. Appointed Gunmaker to George III, 1783. Contractor to East India Co., 1796-1806. Specialised in repeating pistols and gold mounted guns for the Eastern market. Advertised ‘For the Inspection of the Curious, just finished, Three pair of Elegant Pistols, mounted in solid gold value 547 intended as a present to a foreign Prince’, 1784 (Morning Herald, 20 August). Registered mark as small worker at Goldsmiths Hall, 1798. Made gold-mounted firearms set with diamonds for the U.S. Government as present for Bey of Tunis, 1801-2. Member of Law Association Volunteers, provided their muskets, 1803. His own musket in Inns of Court Museum, London. Became H. W. Mortimer, Son & T. Mortimer. Retired, 1811. Died 1819.