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"Ketland & Co." lock date?

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WElliott:
Joe,
We all benefit from your research.  Thank you. Here are some photos of the silver-mounted English pistol I referred to.
The silvermaker (or silvercaster)'s hallmarks are on the butt and are shown in the best detail I can do with my limited lighting setup.

Feltwad:
Records show that the Birmingham firm of William Ketland began business in 1750.There was also listed a Thomas Ketland in 1766 a gun lock maker of Litchfield St Birmingham, in 1780 he moved to Catherine St and then to Weamans Row  1781-89.At this time it was also listed that William and his brother John emigrated to America and settled in Philadelpha.
A Thomas Ketland was listed at 2 Weamans Row 1804-16 who died November 1816  which may have been the same Thomas.
 Another record show s a William Ketland 1802-07 which later became William Ketland & Co 1808-31. There was also Ketland & Walker, and Ketland Walker & Adams. There was Ketland & Adams  gun and pistol makers 1820-22 of Whittall St Birmingham.
The firm of Ketland did own their own private proof house  their proof mark was the crossed sceptres under a crown this proof mark was later adapted by the Birmingham Proof House which opened in 1813

Feltwad

Feltwad:
Those silver hallmarks are for Birmingham 1813.
Feltwad

JV Puleo:
Feltwad...

I'm afraid that much - even most, of what has been published about the Ketlands is either wrong or badly misleading. Their "proof mark" is a case in point. The story dates back to the first edition of HBC Pollard's "History of Firearms" and I strongly suspect that it is based on a misreading of JD Goodman's article on the gun trade in Timmin's "History of the Birmingham Hardware District"... Pollard's story was picked up by Harris in the "History of the Birmingham Proof House" and has been repeated endlessly ever since.

There is an excellent article on the proof mark question by Brian Godwin and John Evans coming out in a future edition of Classic Arms.

WElliott:
Feltwad and JV,

My understanding is that Birmingham silver hallmarks were alphabetical marks which changed every year (apparently in May).  From my resources, on Birmingham made silver, the capital S in a shield shaped like the one on the pistol pictured above, designates 1790.  
The s was repeated as a mark for other years but always in a different shape cartouche and with a different type size and stylized s.  I am assuming that since the proof marks on this pistol were on silver made by a Birmingham silversmith, they would be his proof marks and
not those of the gunsmith or lockmaker.

Wayne

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