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Lewis Barbar, London c. 1710

A. length 20.3 cm, barrels 7.9 cm, calibre 0.5 in iron barrels and locks. The former are engraved 'BARBAR' and are of octagonal section decorated with mouldings, and with sliding links to the breeches, to prevent loss during loading. The breeches are made in one with half box-locks which have side-mounted external mechanisms and sliding safety-catches. Walnut butts with silver butt-caps without spurs, sparsely decorated in relief with foliage and grotesque masks, and each engraved with an A; iron trigger-guards, each numbered 4. Accompanied by a combined bullet-mould, barrel-key, and screwdriver, which is apparently unique.

B. length 21.6 cm, barrels 6.4 cm, calibre 0.5 in moulded iron cannon- barrels of circular section with flared muzzles and sliding safety-links. The frizzle and pan are on top of the breech and the box-lock, with centrally mounted cock, is mounted within the walnut stock. Silver furniture with plain spurred butt-caps, each numbered 9 (or 6). Signed as on A. Accompanied by the original barrel-key.

These appear to be the earliest recorded examples of true box-locks.

Despite the absence of the first name or initials from the signatures, these pistols can be attributed firmly, on grounds of date to Lewis Barbar, one of the great innovating gunmakers of the early eighteenth century. The son of a James Barbar who emigrated to France after the Civil Wars, he was born in Poitou. He came to England in c. 1688 and entered royal service. After initial difficulties, he was made free of the London Gunmakers' Company in 1704. He was subsequently Gentleman Armourer to both George I and George II.

Lewis Barbar is first mentioned in the Boughton House accounts in an entry of 26 January 1710/11 recording the payment to him of £60.18s.0d. 'for pistols'. Regular payments continued to be made to him until his death in 1741, and then, until 1744, to the administrators of his estate, including many payments of interest on what were clearly considerable debts. In 1739 and 1740 a few payments to Lewis's son John (? an error for James) are recorded, and from 1743 until the 2nd Duke's death in 1749 to his other son James. Unfortunately, no details of the firearms concerned are given in the accounts.