In the third picture down of the original post A L can be seen stamped . My Richard Jeffery pinfire shown in later pictures has J Wilkes stamped in that position. It is assumed J Wilkes was the actioner. What do you think A L represents in the gun of the first posting ?
The "A L" stamped in the bottom of the action, could represent that Alfred Lancaster actioned the gun.
Alfred Lancaster, and his brother Charles William Lancaster took over the original Charles Lancaster gunmaking business after the death of their father. In about 1859 Alfred Lancaster left the Charles Lancaster co. and began business on his own making guns in South Audley St. London. In the 1870's Alfred Lancaster was a favorite gunmaker among the British nobility. In that time period Alfred Lancaster made for the 12th Duke of Hamilton (William, Alexander, Louis, Stephen Douglas) a pair of 20 bore hammer guns with Rhino horn butt stocks and fore-ends. During a shooting event in the 1870's while the 12th Duke of Hamilton and the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) were together shooting, the two traded guns on the field to see if their shooting luck would change. Today the two above referenced 20 bore Alfred Lancaster hammerguns are in the Royal Sandringham Gun Room collection; and the two Stephen Grant guns Nos. 3040/41that the Prince of Wales swapped to the Duke of Hamilton are in the Hamilton collection.
Kind Regards;
Stephen Howell
