Patchbox

[runastav]

Hi Guys!
Nice patchbox in a old magazine ( GUN sport  1973 ) You pro tell me more about it?

Runar

[Fullstock longrifle]

That's the patchbox of a Jacob Sell rifle.  Sell was a gunsmith in Littlestown Pennsylvania (York County), he was a grand master of the Golden Age.  This rifle is buried deep in a private collection.

Frank

[HIB]

Gentlemen,  Frank is correct.  I have several close ups of the rifle should anyone be interested.  Please contact me directly as they are set up for e-mail posting.  HIB

[JTR]

Henry, That's one of my all-time favorite rifles and I'd certainly like to see those pictures! If you'd be so kind, please send to jtrrobbins@msn.com

John

[Mark Tyler]

Runar,

Which month is this photo in? Is there an corresponding article?

[Fullstock longrifle]

I have part of one, now I just need to find the rest of it.   

Frank

[runastav]

Hi Guys and thank you!
HIB, my e-mail is runastav@online.no thank you Mark Tyler, here is the magazine and rest of the artikel. Frank, nice part!
Runar

[Shreckmeister]

What does "Deep in a private collection" imply.  No one knows where or it will never see the light of day
or something else?

That's the patchbox of a Jacob Sell rifle.  Sell was a gunsmith in Littlestown Pennsylvania (York County), he was a grand master of the Golden Age.  This rifle is buried deep in a private collection.

Frank

[jdm]

  At my house it means the basement!

[nord]

Littlestown is in ADAMS County vice York County. - JBW

[Fullstock longrifle]

Your right Nord, Littlestown is now in Adams County which was formed from part of York County in 1800.  Some books refer to Sells work as York County, I guess that's what I was thinking when I said it in the earlier post.  At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it! 

@ Suzkat, I believe that this rifle is in a known private collection where it rarely gets to see the light of day.

[fm tim]

PA counties changed a lot.

See:

http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~george/countyformations/pennsylvaniaformationmaps.html#Top

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Not only do the counties change a lot, but in the Commonwealth of PA they have no power. My experience in PA was that the Townships were the relevant geographies and political entitities. And each was very independent. From you who live there do you find that so??   I usually find it more useful to know what township a rifle or builder was from than what county?

[mkeen]

Not only do the counties change a lot, but in the Commonwealth of PA they have no power. My experience in PA was that the Townships were the relevant geographies and political entitities. And each was very independent. From you who live there do you find that so??   I usually find it more useful to know what township a rifle or builder was from than what county?

I wish the counties had no power, but they do. Unfortunately I pay taxes to both township and county. The township does have the land use power or zoning which the county does not. But back to the old days.

PA counties changed a lot.

See:

http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~george/countyformations/pennsylvaniaformationmaps.html#Top

I quickly looked at the maps and for the most part they look correct. The only problem I could see was the extension of the counties far into the wilderness in the colonial period. Counties did not extend into new territory until all the Indian claims were extinguished. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission put out a map years ago that shows the boundaries for the Indian treaties and even that map has a few mistakes. The counties would have jurisdiction if a crime occurred in the Indian land but the land was not open for settlement until all the claims were gone. For whatever reason a lot of information for the county and township of colonial Lancaster County gunsmiths is partially incorrect. I was looking at Wood & Whisker's Arms Makers of Lancaster County and a lot of the gunsmiths, particularly if they are located in the area that would become Dauphin and Lebanon counties, are incorrect. These mistakes carry over into more recent publications.

Martin