Can anyone identify this lock

[Dennis Glazener]

The locks below probably are from a Gillespie double barrel 10 ga. I have seen many of these shotguns,  they are made in Philadelphia or NY by a Gillespie family that may or may not be connected to my VA/SC/NC Gillespie gunmaker family. They are all well made and have barrels imported from England.

I had someone send me these photos and wanted to know if I could identify the maker. I thought the script was completely different from all the others that I have seen but when I looked at my photos I see that  I do have one set that has the name in the same script. To me it appears German. Most of the Gillespie's in this country came from either Ireland or Scotland. To the best of my knowledge no other countries. Any thoughts? Oh these locks were on a 10 ga double that has seen its best days.
Dennis

[halfstock]

Dennis: That script appears to be "old english".

[Dennis Glazener]

Thanks, I thought it looked Germanic but old English makes more sense. I suspect most of the parts were imported from England and the Gillespie shop did the stocking etc.

There were Gillespie's (I believe more than one) that built late percussion rifles also some really nice percussion derringers. Anyone know if they were also the source of the Gillespie double barrels?
Dennis

[Mike Brooks]

That's a set of english SXS locks.

[JV Puleo]

It is extremely unlikely that the guns were made in the US. They were almost certainly made in Birmingham and imported, probably with the locks already marked.

[Dennis Glazener]

One reason I thought they were made here is they appear to have American Black walnut stocks. Of course that could have been shipped there from the US.
Dennis

[jwh1947]

Sellers lists ten Gillespies in the gun business.  Perhaps the likely candidate was George H.D. Gillespie (NY,NY).  Importer and hardware dealer.  Locks and derringers, mid 1850's.  Could have been store-bought locks and anyone could have made a double shotgun with them.  Most of the other Gillespies are later and/or not likely candidates, at first glance. 

Someone else recently mentioned Birmingham locks.  There were hundreds of lock makers in Birmingham in the 19th Century.  See Kauffman's The PA-KY Rifle for a good list.  He went there himself to compile that list.  Wayne

[Dennis Glazener]

Thanks Wayne thanks. I would be interested in the names of the 10 Gillespie's if you have them. In the southern (VA/SC/NC/GA) Gillespie family circa 1740's up to the late 1800's there are at least 13 of these southern Gillespie builders.

The George H. D. Gillespie of NY is the only name I have associated with the Northern family. Because of my book on the Gillespie's I get calls from all over the country about the northern family builders and I know very little about them. I would not be at all surprised that they are distant ancestors of mine. Supposedly Gillespie family once lived in the Philadelphia/Lancaster area but I can not trace them back that far.
Thanks
Dennis