Looking for info on R Boling gunsmith - New info/questions

[gibster]

Here are a few pictures of a rifle that I recently bought and I am trying to find information on the maker.  It is signed in script R Boling.  I am unable to find any information on this maker.  I also would like your opinions as to where and when this rifle may have been made.  It has had some restoration work done that leaves something to be desired, but nothing that can't be corrected I'm sure.  I think that the oval inlay on the cheek piece, the thumb piece and sideplate are replacements.  I'm not sure about the wear plate under the forearm, but I am leaning towards it being a replacement also.  the butt plate from the mounting screw down to the toe has been replaced and about half of the toe plate is replaced also.  The upper half of the toe plate is engraved and the replaced portion isn't.    What I don't understand is how these were damaged since the wood shows no sign of repair .  The lack of engraving on the parts I mentiond is what leads me to believe they are replacements.  The forearm from about 6-inches in front of the rear thimble has been replaced also, so I'm sure that the two forward ram rod pipes and the nose cap are replacements, along with five of the silver diamond inlays along the barrel.  One of the silver diamond inlays looks to be original (located at the rear barrel pin) as it has border engraving and the others do not.  The pins securing the barrel go through these inlays.  I feel sure that this is the original design since there are no holes for pins showing in teh forearm, and one of the inlays appear to be original to the rifle as it has engraving and the others do not.  There are three fish inlays on the rifle.  One under the cheek piece and the other two in front of the lock and side plate panels.   These look to be original to the rifle.  The butt at its widest points is 1.37-inches.  The lock is a re-conversion.  The swamped barrel is still original length at 43 3/4-inches and is a 38-caliber.  The rifle has a rather short length of pull at 13-inches.  If anyone wants to see additional pictures of a particular area, just let me know and I will get them posted.  All comments and opinions are appreciated.

[mr. no gold]

This is a really pretty rifle which has Western Berks County characteristics, and could have been made over toward where Roop worked. The PB sideplates have the look of J. Roop about them. The finial is Berks pretty much. Nice gun and has many great features.
As to Boling, this is an unfamiliar name as a gun maker, but historically is very important.
John Rolf married Pocahantas and they went to England. They had one child, a son, before she died. That son matured and married, producing a daughter. She grew up and married a man named Boling; they produced 12 children who since have had a prodigious number of descendents. Pocahantas today has in the neighborhood of six thousand grandchildren, if not more. Virtually anyone who has the Boling name is one of those children.
It appears here that you have found an unidentified maker. You might contact the various historical societies up in Berks and Lebanon Counties for information. Perhaps someone on the ALR Forum will have a quicker answer. Let us hope so.
Thank you showing it around-Dick

[jwh1947]

New to me.  MrNogold, I, too, had the initial Roop notion looking at the box, but the motif is a somewhat common one around here.  If forced to make a guess, I would think eastern PA, but could be way off. Sellers does not list this name, nor does Dyke in any of his lists, nor does it appear in my database. 

[gibster]

I saw a rifle made by J ROOP that sold recently on http://aspenshadeltd.com/ (current inverntory at bottom of page) that has the same box with engraving that is very close to this rifle (R Boling).  Stock architecture
is similar, along with the checkering on the wrist.  Also, the engraving on the toe plate is almost the same.  Any chance that R Boling was associated with J Roop as some point?  Thoughts