Author Topic: Michael Briggs presentation Saturday Dec. 6th at Charlotte Museum of History  (Read 3754 times)

Offline mbriggs

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The Mecklenburg School of Longrifle Makers
Discovery – Identification – Documentation

When:  10 AM – 2 PM  Saturday – December 6th
Where: Charlotte Museum of History – 3500 Shamrock Drive – Charlotte, N.C. 28215 – Phone 704-568-1774
Who: C. Michael Briggs will be on hand with some of his Mecklenburg School Longrifles, and he is also inviting anyone with any information, portraits, or related artifacts, history and documents on the men that made longrifles in Mecklenburg  County to bring their items to the museum that day to be identified, documented, and photographed.  If you have an old longrifle that you think may be from this area or related items such as powder horns, hunting bags, or paper documents such as wills, deeds, or receipts pertaining to the men listed below, they will be of interest to him and may be included in the upcoming book.
Briggs is doing research for a book he plans to publish in 2015 on the Longrifle Makers of the Mecklenburg School.  Here is a list of Mecklenburg School gunsmiths who worked in Mecklenburg – Gaston – Lincoln Counties between 1760 and 1830 on whom he is seeking more information. [School is defined as a regional architectural style.]

1. Zenas Alexander: Apprenticed under Isaac Price in 1787. Died in 1826. One signed rifle exist. He worked as a gunstocker and silver-smith.
2. Christian Arney: He was born in 1795 and died in 1840. He lived just west of the Catawba River in Lincoln County. Two signed rifles exist.
3. Henry Bernhart: He was hired by Thomas Polk in 1792 to make a new gun lock, trigger, and trigger plate.
4. John Black: He was born in 1763. He apprenticed under Isaac Price in 1778.
5. Samuel Black: He is believed to be the youngest of the Black brothers. It is not known whom he trained under. Two signed rifles as known to exist.
6. William Black: He was born in 1785 and died in 1827. It is not known whom he trained under. Two signed rifles are known to exist.
7. CG: A Mecklenburg School rifle exists that is signed “CG” on the patchbox lid. CG has not been identified at this time.
8. Abraham Henderson: He was born in 1762 and apprenticed under Isaac Price in 1776.
9. LH: Two Mecklenburg School rifles exist that are signed “LH” on the patchbox lid. LH has not been identified at this time.
10. Henry McBride: He was born in 1797. He apprenticed under Zenas Alexander in 1810.
11. James McKee: He was born in 1788. He apprenticed under Zenas Alexander in 1805. One signed rifle Appalachian School rifle known.     
12. James Mitchell: He apprenticed under Zenas Alexander in 1798.
13. John Penney: In 1777, he was hired by Joseph Wallace to stock three guns, one with brass patchbox.
14. Isaac Price: He was born in 1747 and died in 1811. He is believed to have been the founder of the school. 
15. John Price, Jr: He was the brother of Isaac Price. He was born in 1749 and died in 1787.
16. Thomas Price: He was the son of John Price, Jr. When his father died in 1787, he was bound as an apprentice under his uncle Isaac.
17. Elisha Smartt: He was born in 1795. He apprenticed under Zenas Alexander in 1810.
18. Isaac Thompson: he was born in 1802. He lived in the Paw Creek Section on Mecklenburg County. Five signed rifles are known to exist.
19. David Youmens: He is listed in several records as being a gunsmith in Mecklenburg County.

Briggs will give a brief program on how to identify Mecklenburg School rifles at 10 A.M. The public is invited to attend. Admission is free, but please register online at charlottemuseum.org to reserve a seat! For information contact C. Michael Briggs at 336-340-6707.

C. Michael Briggs

Offline gwill

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I'll be there. Looking forward to another excellent presentation and learning opportunity!

Offline Dennis Glazener

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Just saw this, don't think I can get there in time ;D Sounds like a good event to attend.
Dennis
"I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend" - Thomas Jefferson

Offline Shreckmeister

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Be good if someone could video this and sell the DVD for those that can't attend.  Just thinking out loud.
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Offline gwill

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As expected Mr. Briggs gave an excellent presentation with 6 original Mecklenburg rifles and a pistol (plus a horn or two) on display. I really enjoyed it and and greatly appreciate the effort that went into making the event happen.

Also ran into a gentleman who had found an original in an old family farm house. What a treat that one was to see. I'm hoping it'll show up in the book when it's released.

Offline mbriggs

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Gwill, thanks for the nice comments.  As usual, the person who had the most fun was me.  51 people attended.  Twelve people brought in Longrifles for me to identify.  One lady requested I go to her house after the program and examine nine additional Longrifles.  The only thing not successful was that I did not find any additional Mecklenburg School Rifles.  At this time I still know of only 18 rifles and one pistol from this school.  I do know of six additional Thomas Gluyas rifles that were made in Mecklenburg County, but do not include those as he trained in Jamestown and his rifles are stocked in that style.

I did get to see and photograph one early relief carved Rowan School Rifle with an unusual fyl-fot patchbox missing two petals.  The east - west petals were on the finial.  The north - south petals were never on the finial.  I had not seen anything like it.  The rifle has a heavy bead molding that runs along the bottom of the the butt stock from the butt plate to the lock. The relief carving is similar in style to the Jacob Crider (rifle #155 in Bill Ivey's book).

I also looked at the third George Eagle Signed Rowan rifle known. In addition I was able to see a L.N. Rowan rifle, 9 Jamestown rifles in various condition, one Elias Schaub Salem School rifle, one Davidson School rifle, and a handful of rifles from other states. 

Sometime next summer there will be a second longer presentation on the men who worked in the Mecklenburg Longrifle School.  It will be after the newly found Zenas Alexander rifle is restored and my book is published.  The museum is going to invite all of the collectors who own Mecklenburg rifles to bring them to the presentation in effort to have as many as possible in one room at the same time.  This has never happened before and may never again.  Once the date has been scheduled I will post it on this site.

Michael Briggs     
C. Michael Briggs

Offline WElliott

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Congratulations, Michael, and thank you for all your contributions to our knowledge of North Carolina rifles.
Wayne Elliott