I wondered if anyone has ever come across guns by this Maker. I can find no listing. The gun pictured is a single barrel 8 bore live pigeon trap gun and belongs to a friend. Lagopus.....

No help from here, but a very nice gun!!

Sorry, no help. But that is one high quality, high condition gun! I'm envious!!!

A couple of Bezants from other places in the 1800s, but that doesn't help much. Very nice gun in fine condition.

ARTHUR BEZANT, New Oscott, B'ham 1879 & SIMON BEZANT, Halesworth Suffolk 1843 (this could be your man).

Best Regards, George

Thanks George. Where did you manage to source this info? Were they listed as being in the gun trade or similar? I would think that they were related in some way. An F.S.Bezant does appear in the census rolls as living in Nottingham but no listings as being in the gun trade there. It is such an unusual name that I would think that those you listed will be connected in some way. I agree, it is a superb gun; just wish it was in my collection. Lagopus.....

Lovely gun. Great name for a gunmaker, considering "bazant" is the root-word for pheasant in several Middle European languages. I bet his trademark was a pheasant.
Rs
K.

From the IGC, which you most likely checked already....

Simon Bezant
Halesworth Suffolk
Trade Gunmaker
Dates 1843
Presumably the father of Arthur Bezant of Birmingham.

Arthur Bezant
New Oscott Birmingham
Trade Gunmaker
Dates 1879
Presumably the son of Simon Bezant of Halesworth, Suffolk

Pete

Lagopus: My info came from "British Gunmakers Vol II, Nigel Brown"

Best Regards, George

More senior moments. George, I looked in Brown's book but didn't spot it.

Pete, I don't subscribe to that site any more. I resent paying the fee when I had helped them with quite a bit of information that is on their data base. Thanks for the additional info though.

Kerryman, that is a quite interesting point. The only bird marked on the gun, on the top rib, is that of a blackcock, but I bet you are right on the origin of the name. Lagopus.....