"John Clark Lebanon Ohio" on a silver plate atop the barrel
From the info that I have gathered he apprenticed in Reading Penn. He is listed there in 1804.
In his early 20s he was wed and active in Shippensburg Penn. Very close to the Maryland border.
He migrated to Maryland and there are known guns marked Sheets and Clark and I believe it to be the same John Clark as the decor is very close to his style of work.
His stay in Lebanon must have been quite brief. I date this gun to close to 1819 as in 1820 he is listed as being active in Canton Ohio .
As can be seen by the full length pic this gun is missing 10 to 12 inches from the muzzle end
The barrel is swamped and is held to the stock with blind hooks and is obviously a converted lock.The set triggers are snappy and flawless. His engraving is very delicate and airy. The pics don't show the fineness of his work but they are all I have. All the silver inlays are pinned with silver nails and the brass patch box is attached with brass brads.
Comments:
If this isn't a fabulous piece of Ohio rifle work, I guess that I have never seen one. Condition overall is very fine and the cut down barrel appears to fit the classic Kindig description of a barrel that was probably shortened by an aging owner. To cut that much in rebreeching does not seem to make a lot of sense. The ornamentation of this rifle is nothing short of wonderful for its grace and elegance, and the engraving is icing on the cake, as they say. Can't tell if the inlays and furniture are a mix of silver and brass or all of either one. It doesn't matter.
Clark was a serious contender in rifle building and this represents his work quite well.
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Re: 101105-1 Clark, J. (Lebanon, OH)
« Reply #5 on: November 11, 2010, 06:01:28 PM » Reply with quote Modify message Remove message Split Topic
A truly beautiful rifle! I have always considered Clark's rifles (and those by some other gunsmiths showing the same influence), to be the zenith of Ohio gunmaking. I know of two rifles, both very similar to Clarks work and of equal workmanship, but signed by a maker who is currently an unknown. I believe I have found the man, or at least the family of the man, who made them, on the same census page with Clark.
