observation on a Peter Angstadt rifle

[Buck]

Eric - appreciate the reply. So if we’re talking gunsmiths it’s actually Peter 2 - your Peter 3 but 2nd in the family tree when it refers to gunsmiths. As a side bar - the father (George) was a weaver if I remember the old mans notes. In regards to the 2 rifles attributed to Adam, what’s your opinion? I’d be interested in your thoughts.

Buck

[jdm]

Buck, I'm glad to see you still have good taste in longrifles. Did this come out of southern Mo ?  I've always liked these  Angstadt rifles. It seems most that I have seen of this type,  ( owned two ) were probably around the 1810-1820 time line.    The folky   different  carving  has a homie ,rural kind of feel . If that makes any sense.  Thanks for sharing.   Jim

[DaveM]

Buck, nice rifle thanks for posting photos.  Do you have a photo of the cheek carving? 

Davebozell, that is very interesting about Adam (Abraham?) moving to Tipton also.  I do not know for certain who the father was of the gunsmith Peter (born 1807) that moved to Tipton - maybe it was Abraham??

Eric - Joseph the gunsmith (Kutztown, born 1765, brother of Peter the gunsmith born 1763) moved out of the County to the town of Lewisburg in early 1824.  Joseph the gunsmith is listed in the Lewisburg tax lists starting in 1824.   After he left Berks, there was only one other Joseph Angstadt left in Berks County that I found records for.  Peter and his wife Catherine had a son Joseph, born in May, 1794 and baptized at Mertz Church in Rockland.  There is later a Joseph Angstadt, listed as a gunsmith in Pike Township, Berks County in 1830-1831.  The records have his age as 30-40, which would match the age of Peter's son.  Since I found no other remaining Joseph's in the County, I am fairly certain this was the son of Peter the gunsmith (born 1763).

Peter (gunsmith born 1763) and wife Catherine also had a son Jacob Angstadt, born in March, 1783.  I am fairly certain that this Jacob Angstadt became the gunsmith who died in 1843 in Rockland Twp. 

Incidentally, Joseph / Peter's father Adam, born +/- 1735, was listed both as a gunsmith and clockmaker in various years.

[Buck]

Dave - I’ll post a shot of the cheek this afternoon.

Jim - good to hear from you. Hopefully we can get together in a few weeks and you can put your prints on it.

Buck

[DaveM]

Scott - I took another look at the Manheim Township, Lancaster County tax records.  It actually looks like both Jacob Dickert and Peter Angstadt appear for the first time on this list in 1779; and both last appear on this list in 1785.  Dickert is listed as having a boring mill there in 1781, which you probably already knew based on your Dickert work.  Maybe coincidence that they both appear / disappear from the township at the same time - but I wonder if Peter Angstadt (the early one born in the 1730's) may have moved to Lancaster to help dickert make arms during the war (IF he was a gunsmith)?  Since this Peter Angstad and Jacob Dickert were about the same age - and Jacob Dickert lived in Berks near the Blue mountains I wonder if they knew each other?  Wonder where Jacob's family lived in Berks in relation to the Angstadts?

[spgordon]

Dave -- Dickert grew up in Windsor Township, near the Blue Mountains (as you said), and had moved to Lancaster by 1756. Do we know where in what became Berks County--it wasn't Berks when Dickert or Angstadt was born--Peter Angstadt was?

[DaveM]

Scott, the Angstadts lived just south of Kutztown in the hills.  A small town close by is Dryville.

[spgordon]

Ah, I know where that is--I go to a great dry goods store there (Echo Hill).

Anyway, the Dickerts probably lived about 25 or 30 miles to the north.