Some of my favorite Items - David Kennedy - Bear Creek School - Comet Rifle

[mbriggs]

While everyone is supposed to be sheltering in place, I thought I would give you something fun to look it from my collection.

I purchased this longrifle from a friend in 2015.  It is one of my favorites.

We believe it was made by David Kennedy around 1811 for E. Stewart, who the Kennedy family hired to teach their children.

One of the strong features on North Carolina longrifles is silver worked into brass.  This rifle is a great example of that.  The rifle has 23 pieces of coin silver on it, many of them worked into brass.

The rifle features a silver edelweiss patchbox finial.  It is one of only two North Carolina rifles I have seen with an edelweiss finial, both are from the Bear Creek School.  I normally associate rifles with this finial to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

My favorite feature on the rifle is the Comet inlay on the comb of the rifle.  Their was a famous Comet in the year 1811, that was visible with the naked eye for ten months in the eastern U.S.  I have read, at its apogee, the Comet had a visible tail.  Tecumseh, the Pawnee war chief used this Comet as a sign to the Creek and Chickasaw Indians they needed to join his Confederacy to make war on the whites who were moving west into their lands.

I hope you enjoy the photos.

       






















It is my belief that this edelweiss and the silver eagle on the John Vogler Salem rifle are the two most artistic patchbox finials to be found on North Carolina rifles.





When John Alexander Kennedy moved to the Sandhill's in Moore County, N.C. in the 1760's, he helped found a community named "Mechanic's Hill". This is where the Kennedy's built their gun factory. Later the community changed it's name to "Hemp."  Please note the Hemp leaves carved on both sides of the lock mortise.

The community then changed names again to "Robbins."  This is the name engraved on the lock plate, but I assume that is the name of an English lock maker and is just a coincidence.   





Here is the Comet inlay.









The sideplate is unlike any other found on a Kennedy Rifle.





The rifle does not have a cheek rest, the button on the rear is the patchbox release.  This feature is common on Bear Creek School rifles.



 



Toe plate inlay





Trigger guard.



















Thumb piece engraved with E. Stewart's name.





D. Kennedy

[Tanselman]

That rifle brings back pleasant memories of when I first joined the KRA. Bill Bowers, now deceased, was my sponsor...since he was the only member at that time that had any (and it wasn't much) knowledge of Kentucky-made rifles, and actually had one, an unsigned Bardstown rifle. He invited me to stop by and visit on the year I attended the KRA as a "wanna be" guest. His old PA house had his full collection up in the attic...unheated, uncooled, open on the ends through wood vents to the elements. And there were his many Kentuckies, all on hand-built racks of 2x4s along one long wall of his attic. I had never seen so many Kentuckies in one place, and thought I had gone to heaven that afternoon. I should also say he was an expert woodworker, did most of Kindig's minor restorations on his rifles, and built exceptional colonial period furniture in his spare time.

On one of his racks was this NC rifle, although I don't remember the gun looking as nice as it does now...but he had an inch of dust on many of his rifles, not to mention a little rust in places from the attic exposure. He had an example of about anything and everything, mostly rifles Kindig had picked up but later decided he didn't want to keep...probably given to Bill in payment for work Bill did for Kindig on restoring antique furniture (and guns) for his antique business.

Among all those rifles, mostly high end Eastern guns, was this NC rifle by Kennedy, which I remember because it looked a "little different" from most of his other rifles, being rather long and dark but with a big silver "flower" in the finial. Of course, I was most interested in the beat-up Bardstown gun...way too damaged to ever have come from Kindig. Bill also had one of the best Peter Humbarger full-stocks from Ohio that I had ever seen. He offered to sell me several of the guns that caught my eye, but that was back in the days with small children seemingly growing out of their clothes every month, college coming up, and mortgage & car payments...so I was lucky to get away with the damaged Bardstown rifle...especially since my wife was there and watching my every move...and had the checkbook! But it's nice to see an "old friend" that brings back good memories in these awkward times we are going through. Thanks for sharing, Michael.

Shelby Gallien

[Dennis Glazener]

Wonderful rifle Michael, thanks for posting.

Just curious, how did you find that the rifle was probably made for E. Stewart, I bet he was pleased with the rifle! Sure beats an apple
Dennis

[WESTbury]

Just super Mike, thanks for sharing and brightening our day.

[mbriggs]

I purchased this rifle from a collector friend who lives near Robbins.  He did the research and told me about E. Stewart being hired by the Kennedy's to teach their children.

This was a great payment.

[mr. no gold]

Shelby, I too visited Bill's attic on a very hot PA day. No, actually it was stifling, but that discomfort went away very quickly when I saw his rifles. You did not exaggerate in the slightest in your description. I did note one thing that was a bit disconcerting and that was the pigeons roosting on some of the rifles. Had to chase them out of the attic just to look around.
Dick

[mr. no gold]

Whoops, didn't finish above what I started out to do and that is to say thank you Michael for bringing this beautiful rifle out to be admired. It's a real treasure. Adding to that is the history that you have been able to discover about the gun, the maker, and the owner. Is this gun in the Library?
Dick

[flinchrocket]

Would that patchbox be considered a captured lid box? Also, are patchboxes with that type of lid
Common in NC?

[VP]

Michael,

Thanks for posting this rifle and sharing your collection in general. It is appreciated.

VP

[mbriggs]

Yes, that is a captured kid patchbox, meaning the lid does not extend all the way to the buttplate.

While not common in North Carolina, there are a few early rifles with captured lids, most of these are from the Bear Creek School.

Michael

[flinchrocket]

Thank you Mr. Briggs and thank you for posting your rifle, very interesting.

[Nordnecker]

Thanks for sharing. That's a dandy rifle for sure.

[Mike Brooks]

I have always wanted to build a copy of that gun, so many interesting freatures. I have always wondered if it didn;t have a cheek piece when it was built that was later rasped off and smoothed with a scrapper  Lots of scrapper chatter in that area that isn't elsewhere on the gun. Inlays in that where possibly added later in it's working life.

[Buck]

Mike - Great Rifle - Thanks for Sharing.

Buck

[wildcatter]

Great rifle, thanks for sharing!! Amazing craftsmanship.

Matt

[jdm]

WOW!WOW!WOW! I can see why it's on the top of your list.
The patch box , the work on the top of the comb. It doesn't get any better than that.  Thanks for posting. JIM