Attn: KRA Foundation re John Shof

[Eric Kettenburg]

I don't do facebook but back in November you guys had some pics up on the really cool "John Shof 1793" rifle.  I know it has a Bucks type side opener but overall the think looks more Mauger-ish to me.  Whomever posted it was requesting information.


There was a Jno Shoff in 'Western District' Berks in 1781, tax list, noted as BlkSmith

Jno Shoff in 1782 in Earl twp, Berks, 'Blaksmith'

John Shoff in 1783 in Earl twp, Berks, 'Blaksmith'

John 'Shaff' in Douglas twp, Berks, 1788 but no trade listed.

Someone down in Berks like Dave Madary might have come across more info.

[rich pierce]

Pix pulled off the FB post, for context.

[eastwind]

This same Shof rifle was in my Berks County Long Rifle exhibit and book - 2009 at the Berks County Historical Society in Reading. At the time, it was the only Shof known, then owned by Mac Spencer. A few years later I heard of another signed Shof rifle near Morgantown in lower Berks County, Caernarvon Township. Caernarvon Township is at the junction of Berks, Chester, and Lancaster Counties. Like so many other townships along the southern border of today’s Berks and Lancaster Counties, Caernarvon was split in half and a township of the same name is now in both counties.
   I found that Shof worked in Caernarvon Township, Berks County, in the 1790s. Caernarvon is not far from East Earl Township, Lancaster County, and close to Union and Douglas Townships, Berks close to Mauger’s shop so Eric’s guestimate is correct.
  We all thought the rifle had Mauger-influenced carving, a Bucks patch box, typical Lehigh trigger guard, with a Berks County stock profile. A rifle reflecting all the nearby styles – a neat slender rifle you might not consider a pure Berks County product.
Patrick Hornberger

[Eric Kettenburg]

Cool!  It's a great rifle and it's cool to see a bit of aesthetic blending b/t Berks and Bucks / Montgomery, kind of reinforcing the concept that what we consider as "county school" design and decoration didn't necessarily suddenly stop right at the actual county line.

Schof appears to have been moving around quite a bit and on the above tax lists he wasn't being taxed on much property; appears to have been just house lots.  Wonder what his story is?  Origins?  Patrick have you looked into his background or have more information on him?  Going to go retake a look at your book.

[eastwind]

I should have qualified my statement that the Shof rifle "has a Lehigh County style trigger guard" - it has half Lehigh and half Bucks style. The ends of the trigger guard have the "thumbprint or fingernail" style of Mauger, while keeping the bent, close to the stock rail and pinched front like many Lehigh rifles. The gun sure looks Maugery.
Patrick H.

[VP]

Eric and Patrick,

I posted the rifle on Facebook for Mac. We were hoping to find some more information about J. Show. I appreciate the input from each of you. Mac generally follows this forum but I will let him know about your findings. Eric, if you need photos please let me know.

Van

[JTR]

That's a great looking rifle!
Thanks for posting it up for us to see.
John

[mbriggs]

That is a great rifle. The trigger guard tabs or extensions were copied by the Mecklenburg School in North Carolina.  Now I know where they got them from.

Thanks for posting this.

Michael

[smart dog]

Hi,
That is one of the most beautifully proportioned rifles I've ever seen.  Thanks for posting the photos.

dave

[WESTbury]

I'm very glad that this rifle was posted for all to see. The blending of styles is something that intrigues me. I proposed to somebody, whose views on longrifles are respected, many months ago, that some of the rifle stockers were influenced by rifles they encountered that were from other Schools. My proposal was pretty much rejected because the rifle stockers I was studying worked in Lancaster their entire lives. The two gentlemen probably repaired rifles during the Rev War that originated in other Pa. counties and it is possible that one or both saw some design characteristics that they incorporated in the rifles they stocked.   

[DaveM]

Hi all,

Eric, I did not do much looking into Shoff, but did find that he owned land in the late 1790's about the area of Elverson Borough, not far from Hopewell Furnace.  His property straddled the border of West Nantmeal Township on the Chester County side and Caernevon Township on the Berks County side.  Of course assuming this is the gunsmith, his occupation was not noted. 

[Mac]

This image is from the KRF's Wes White CD, guess Wes had seen the Jacob Shof PB at some point to create the drawing. Same date two Shof gunsmith's very unlikely.
Mac

[Dennis Glazener]

Love his carving.
Dennis

[JTR]

Well that's certainly an interesting drawing.
Thanks for posting it.