Author Topic: John Griffith Cincinnati Ohio  (Read 4989 times)

George Roberts

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John Griffith Cincinnati Ohio
« on: February 12, 2015, 10:42:05 PM »
I picked this up at a small gun show last year.  It is a 13 g. back action fowler.  It has an engraved signature on the top flat: John Griffith Cincinnati Ohio.  What makes it a little more interesting is that this is the gunsmith who on Dec 5, 1842 contracted to make 5000 Model 1841 Mississippi rifles.  He defaulted on the contract and the government subsequently awarded the contract to Remington.
The fowler has Birmingham proofs. 
The 1840 Cincinnati City Directory lists "Griffiths, John - Eng - gunsmith No 275 Main"
Although there are a lot of English Griffiths listed as gunmakers, I can't find a John in the right time period, with or without the terminal "s".
George


   

Offline Tanselman

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Re: John Griffith Cincinnati Ohio
« Reply #1 on: February 14, 2015, 05:57:14 AM »
John A. Griffith/Griffiths was the brother of better known gunsmith Joseph Griffith of Louisville, Kentucky. John was born in England in 1803, worked at Harpers Ferry with his four brothers, and then went to Cincinnati, Ohio in 1834. He moved to Louisville and worked briefly with his brother Joseph in 1837, then returned to Cincinnati where he worked until his death in 1865. John added an "s" to the end of his last name and was known as John Griffiths for many years in Cincinnati. He may have added the "s" to identify his guns from his better known brother's work from Louisville, when most guns were commonly signed with a first initial and last name.

This fowler looks very similar to fowlers sold by Joseph Griffith in Louisville, who traveled to England periodically to purchase many pistols and fowlers which he imported, marked with his name on the barrel, and sold in his shop. This may well be in imported piece marked by John Griffiths for re-sale in his Cincinnati shop.

George Roberts

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Re: John Griffith Cincinnati Ohio
« Reply #2 on: February 14, 2015, 06:26:29 PM »
Tanselman,
Thank you for all that detailed information.  I had gone through my usual sources and had found only the bare minimum in my original post.  Can I ask where you found it?
George

Offline Tanselman

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Re: John Griffith Cincinnati Ohio
« Reply #3 on: February 15, 2015, 04:18:02 AM »
I've researched Kentucky's gunsmiths for about 35 years. Since John Griffith worked in Kentucky briefly, I included him in "Kentucky Gunmakers 1775-1990". Sources are listed under the biographies in Vol. 2. Shelby Gallien