Schreckengost, W. 101025-1 (Updated Info.)

[nord]

Copied from ALR Library 01/27/11














Per Dr. James Whisker:

 

Allison, Thomas (1786-1836). gunsmith. Thomas Allison was a major western Pennsylvania gunsmith. The Allison family genealogy shows that Charles Allison (15 March 1748 to 8 April 1823) married Mary Blackmore (12 May 1760 to 1 June 1839) in December 1776.  Charles served as a private in Captain John Wall's Second battalion, Washington County militia, in the Revolution [2 Pa Arch 2 at 65].  The Allison children, with dates of birth, were: Samuel (6 September 1778); Erasmus (26 March 1780); Ami (17 May 1785); Thomas (28 November 1786); Abrilla (29 September 1788); James (13 May 1790); William (January 1792); Benjamin (2 October 1793); Richard (28 June 1795); John (2 February 1797); Mary (17 May 1799); Elizabeth (2 May 1802); and Charles (21 October 1806). Thomas was noted in the tax lists of Peters Township, Washington County, from 1807 through 1810. On 10 April 1810 he married Lydia Herring who predeceased Allison. Thomas remarried to a widow Mary Hendrickson. His first son was Foel Ferree Allison, suggesting that Thomas was apprenticed to Ferree. We doubt that he ever opened that shop. Rather, tax lists suggest that he remained in Peters Township through 1818. From 1819 through 1836 he was listed on the tax rolls of New Sewickley, Beaver County. On 24 February 1825 John Fleeger signed indenture papers, placing himself as apprentice to Thomas Allison. Fleeger then married Amy, Thomas Allison's daughter. Samuel McCosh the elder married Elizabeth, Thomas Allison's younger sister, on 5 December 1820, suggesting that McCosh may also have apprenticed with Allison [Rosenberger]. The tombstone records of Steele's Cemetery, New Sewickley Township show:  Thomas Allison, born 27 November 1786, died 10 August 1836;  Lydia Allison, born 13 January 1783, died 11 April 1834. Allison's will was dated 8 August 1836 and entered for probate on 16 August 1836. The will named his wife Mary, eldest son James, eldest daughter Ammey, youngest son Erasmus and youngest daughter Mary; and a stepson Benjamin [Will Book B-136].  There was no estate inventory.

 

THOMAS ALLISON, Gun Smith . . . on the first of April next, will remove to the town of Pittsburgh, in Front street near the Post Office where he intends carrying on the Gun Smith Business in all its different branches . . .  he will give satisfaction to those who may please to employ him.  He will constantly be supplied with Ferree's Best Powder, to supply those who may require it.

                                                 [Pittsburgh Gazette, 10 March 1810]



Comments:

So I'm curious,,, is it a Schreck, or an Alison?
It has the Schreck engraving style on the barrel, and the little pin things on the sights, but has J.H. Alison on the barrel?
I'm not that familiar with the two makers, so what is it? A Schrek, an Alison, or a Schreckison?
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Its a Schreckengost, William to be specific. Mine (coming soon)is signed Johan McCamen on the barrel and McCamen's house is identified on the right side of the Putneyville map. He was not a gunmaker as far as anyone knows. . Thus we can safely conclude that the "Alison" block barrel signature was placed to identify the owner; his house is not on the map.
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It sure looks like a Schreckengost in all details, and a nice one at that. Seems odd that an owner's name would be stamped, as opposed to engraved, on the barrel. Surely they didn't make a stamp (a lot of work) just to add an owner's name one time.... when it could be engraved in much less time and with much less effort.  Wonder if the owner was in a line of work where he had his own stamp to mark his wares, and it was used on this barrel.

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It does indeed seem puzzling, that the "J. H. ALISON" stamp is one piece, like a gunsmith would have had. I'm very familiar with the amount of work involved in making such a stamp (I've done it).  I cannot imagine anyone making one to stamp an owner's name on one rifle.
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Could "Alison" have had his own stamp. The "McCamen" signature is in script. Sellers list an" J.H. Alison" but could it be because someone knew of this gun. I have now seen many Schreckengost signed in script by William and all front sights are fixed  in the same manner with 4 punctures. Also the style of Williams decoration and architecture seem unique and typical in this gun.
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Rob Watt has supplied information (personal communication) that a 'J. H. Alison' was a shirt tail relative, by blood, or extended family, to the Schrekengosts. He apparently tried a variety of businesses and trades during his life. One, was as a lumberman. Did he try his hand at gun building, too? This rifle is clearly an W. S'gost product, and how anyone else's name came to be on the barrel is peculiar, to say the least.

[nord]

It has been suggested that the rifle is, indeed, a Schreckengost, but the barrel is by Allison. Probably a re-used component judging from the style of the rifle versus a date of death listed as 1836.

Given the information provided by Whisker I'd have to agree that such a conclusion has merit.

[Robert Wolfe]

I am still confused. How is J.H. Alison the same as Thomas Allison? What am I missing?

[nord]

Given a second look at the first initials of the signature I'd tend to revisit my post above and ask the same question as you. Is there yet another Allison in the mix?

As to the barrel stamp I'd still be in the camp of a re-used component. One would have to wish to memorialize one's name badly to go through all that trouble for a single barrel.

Let's see if further comments shed some light on the subject. And I believe we all agree that the question of this stamping is in no way detrimental to the rifle. It's just an interesting fact.

[hoochiejohn]

According to Rosenberger & Kaufmann, " The Longrifles of Western Pennsylvania; Allegheny and Westmoreland Counties", Thomas Allison and Lydia Herring had 6 children...James, Joel, Amy, John, Erasmus, and Elizabeth.
Perhaps one of these is J. H. Alison
             Shreck

[Shreckmeister]

I spoke with the owner of this rifle a few months ago and he indicated at the time that he had acquired it in the Carolina's as I recall.   He told me the name of the town where he got the rifle and when I googled J. H. Alison and that town, I got a hit on a man with that name who owned a lumberyard there many years ago.  My thinking is that this gun was unsigned and he had his name stamped in it.  I can no longer recall the name of the town.  The work is clearly Shreckengost, the barrel has
Shreckengost engraving around the sights.  If it could only talk.

[hoochiejohn]

First, I apologize for merely restating the info presented earlier by Dr. Whisker
Secondly, I totally agree with Suzkat on his confirmation of Wm. Shreckengost as the maker of this rifle...all of the furniture is compliant with existing templates in private collections...and, the architecture is definitely correct
The barrel may well be from another maker ( J.H. Alison perhaps ), and , I have seen another late Shreckengost halfstock with a different makers STAMP on the barrel...R.J. Moore, Rochester, NY.  Unfortunately, no pics  owners descretion
Shreck

[mr. no gold]

This one is a strange one, all right. In most cases, PA barrel makers if they marked a barrel, did so on a side flat at the breech, on the bottom flat near the breech, not at all, or used a symbol, (intaglio oftentimes). The latter does seem to have prevailed in earlier times.
Given the precedent of the McCowan rifle barrel marking, the argument that the Alison mark denotes the owner has validity. However, there are few PA rifles with an owner's name on the barrel as it was almost always reserved for the name of the maker, if it was marked at all.
Schreckengost was almost alone in that. It is possible that Alison may have done some gun work and could have been employed in William's shop for a brief time. He might have been allowed to mark the barrel with his stamp, although that is unlikely. Guess we won't know until some other 'Alison' guns show up. Everything about this gun is Schreckengost, though.
Dick

[hoochiejohn]

Digging through the Federal Census Mortatlity Schedules for Armstrong County 1880...listed as a confirming doctor is Dr. J.H. Allison;  Kittanning, PA area...not too far away from the Shreckengosts'.  Could this be the connection
                         Shreck

[Shreckmeister]

I think you're onto something with Dr. Alison.  Can you check those
same mortality records for John McCown?  Or tell me where to find them?
So far, I find 6 rifles made by Shreckengost signed on the barrel
with other names.     When you have a unique name and a long family
tradition of gunsmithing, he probably didn't feel a compelling need to
have his name on them all since he already had a well established
reputation. 
Thanks

[Shreckmeister]

Another signature identical to this one and clearly T.H. Alison has come up.  Comparing the two signatures
side by side you see that the portion of the T that extends to make it look like a J. is actually a knick
in the metal.  This other signed T.H. Alison rifle is in a new thread on the forum.