Phillip Gillespie

[gibster]

CCF had asked that I post pictures of this Phillip Gillespie. I had this posted in the museum at one time, but it looks like most if the pictures are missing so I'll repost it here.  Feel free to update the museum. Signed P.G. 1847. C. Orr.

[Cades Cove Fiddler]

... Thanx, Eric,... that is a fine and rare Gillespie rifle,... the Orr family is one of the early families here in Henderson Co. North Carolina,... many descendants still in this area,... thank you for your willingness to share your great collection,... I have held this rifle .. it is one of those you wish could talk to you,...

[cable]

darned interesting !  my maternal grandmother born 1881 ] was of the Orr family there.   I think her uncle was the ' high sheriff' at one time. 

never knew this connection. 

[Dennis Glazener]

My Glazener kin were related to the Orrs as well as my Gillespie kin.
Now the Orrs and the Owens were reckless mountain boys back in the day around Henderson and Transylvania Counties NC
Dennis

[maharsb]

The Owens boys of Transylvania county couldn’t be all that bad. I come from a long line of them.  I have heard a lot of interesting stories about some of them throughout my life.

[Hungry Horse]

 Was this gun always a back action lock? Or was it converted from a front action? It’s kind of hard to negotiate all the brass wear plates, side plates, and inlays.
 I love seeing those fine brass hardware examples. They look a lot like those Dennis sells. This would be a great gun to copy.

  Hungry Horse

[AZshot]

Nice to see.  I see a few back action locks in the books, made by various Gillespies.  I'm also related to them, from Mills River.

[mr. no gold]

I like that 'sewed' wood repair at the muzzle. They could have just cut the wood back and called it good, but the owner made the wire repair instead. I have seen a colonial period gun which had the forearm shattered. The same repair was made as the forearm was sewed together with brass wire. You have a fine gun in this one; thank you for posting the photos.
Dick
 

[Dennis Glazener]

Here is Gibsters Philip Gillespie rifle in our library:
https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=36916.0

And here is the one I owned for a few years:
https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=25853.0

Both rifles are in our Bruce Miller Virtual Libary.
Dennis