Interesting article mentions Isaac Price a blacksmith/gunsmith on the Catawba

[Dennis Glazener]

I found this article interesting:
https://allthingsliberty.com/2017/06/avenging-francis-bradley-mecklenburg-marksman-family-story/

Note this paragraph in the article

Bradley, as Hunter knew, was the brother of Esther Bradley Price, the wife of the gunsmith Isaac Price. Frank Bradley had been brother-in-law to both Isaac Price and John McKnitt Alexander.

Isaac Price, a blacksmith and gunsmith, on the Catawba at the fluctuating border of North and South Carolina, had been made one of Thomas Sumner’s armorers, an “artificer” in “the State Service”—the state being South Carolina.[14] In his pension application, John Black says that after about ten days as a volunteer militia man in a North Carolina regiment he “was detached from the Army and put into an armory with one Isaac Price for the purpose of repairing firearms and making swords for the horse troops & mounted militia.”[15] Price did his best with the quality of the iron he had, but some of his swords broke in battle, as Joseph Graham recorded.[16] After the war, Price had other apprentices in his gold-smithing and gun-smithing factory.[17] And after the war Gen. Peter Forney and then Graham himself ran great furnaces.[18]

[Clowdis]

Great article Dennis, thanks for posting it.

[Cades Cove Fiddler]

  .... Thanx, Dennis... Great article.. becoming more & more interested in Carolina history, pending my future move to Henderson Co. North Carolina..... Regards... CC Fiddler ...

[Ray Settanta]

Thanks for posting the article. Very interesting.

[mbriggs]

Hi Dennis,
Thanks for posting this.  There is a lot of information and documentation on Isaac Price in my book, "The Longrifle Makers of the Mecklenburg School."  I have been unable to find a singed rifle by him.  I did include photos of two unsigned early Mecklenburg Rifles in my book.  The first rifle was owned by John McKnitt Alexander who moved to Mecklenburg County from Cecil County, Maryland in 1764.  I believe the rifle was made between 1770 and 1775. John McKnitt Alexander was the Captain of the Mecklenburg Militia who helped earn the county it's "Hornet's Nest' nickname.

The second early rifle in the book is the oldest known example of Mecklenburg School rifle.  It dates to around 1780.  The rifle is .58 caliber flared to .62 caliber at the muzzle.  I think it may have been a militia rifle.  I also have an early militia horn found in Mecklenburg County with an unusual screw off base.

Michael

[Nordnecker]

  I also have an early militia horn found in Mecklenburg County with an unusual screw off base.

Michael
[/quote]
I'd sure like to see it.

[mbriggs]

Nord,
Here is my Mecklenburg Militia powder horn.  It was purchased many years ago at an estate on the Mt. Holly to Huntersville Road in Northern Mecklenburg County.








high res image hosting

I have show you mine, let's see yours.  (laughs)

Michael

[Dennis Glazener]

Thanks for posting that horn Michael. I really like it. I am not very good on horns but I have never seen one made like it, very nice.
Dennis

[hudson]

Interesting, thank you.

[Tim Crosby]

 Very unusual and neatly done horn.

   Tim C.

[Robby]

Thank you for posting that horn mbriggs. Different and very cool!!!
Robby

[bones92]

Dredging this up...  I happened across the article Dennis cited above.  Very interesting.  I wonder if the original rifle(s) used by Bradley are in a family collection with provenance.

Note that the article mentioned Davidson's rifle as the one used by Bradley.     Maybe there is an old rifle out there with Bradley or Price engraved on the barrel. 

It's a shame the contemporary actors in the RevWar era did not leave behind more detail as to the style and caliber of rifle used.  But then, to them these were unimportant details.

[mbriggs]

There are no known longrifles signed by Isaac Price or Francis Bradley that still exist. There is no known evidence that Francis Bradley ever worked as a gunsmith. Isaac Price is documented to have founded the Mecklenburg Longrifle School, and had several apprentices bound to him by the Mecklenburg Court.

The Charlotte Museum of History has an early longrifle that was owned by John McKnitt Alexander, who commanded the local militia in 1776 and later served as Justice of the Peace in Mecklenburg County. Several of us have debated if this rifle was stocked by Isaac Price. The barrel on this rifle is signed J. Graef who worked in Pennsylvania.

















When I was writing my book, "The Longrifle Makers of the Mecklenburg School" that I published in 2016, I learned that
at least three Mecklenburg School longrifles had barrels signed by Pennsylvania makers and four had barrels signed by
Jamestown School makers who worked in Guilford County. This led me to believe that the Mecklenburg School must not
have had a barrel mill and often reused barrels from older rifles.

I also noted the triggers in the John McKnitt Alexander owned rifle are identical in design to the triggers in the only known
signed rifle by Zenas Alexander. Zenas Alexander (nephew of John McKnitt Alexander) apprenticed under Isaac Price from
1785 to 1792.

Here are the triggers on the John McKnitt Alexander rifle.



Here are the triggers on the Zenas Alexander signed rifle.







Here are the images of my book which is still available. The cost is $40, plus $5 postage if you want to learn more.






I hope this information helps.

Michael Briggs

[blienemann]

Hello Michael and all, the rifle with J Graeff barrel is a classic Lancaster rifle, with great carving behind the cheek like that by Isaac Haines - wonder what the connection was? I believe this to be a fine J Graeff rifle just as stocked, and in fabulous condition. Do you have photos you could possibly send me of this rifle, as both John and Jacob Graeff were part of the Moravian congregation at Lancaster, and of great interest to me?

I have also enjoyed this reintroduced post, and all the relatively new info on Carolina gunmaking. Thanks for all your work to bring these rifles and gunsmiths to us. Bob

[whetrock]

Thanks for sharing those photos, Michael.
Are the rifles in the photos you shared today in your Moravian book?
Can we order that book directly from you?

Thanks.

[mbriggs]

Bob,
Good to hear from you, I will send you what I have.

Whetrock,

Yes, all of these photos and photos of the other 18 known rifles from this school are in the Mecklenburg book.

Just mail a check for $45 to: Michael Briggs
                                          103 Battle Road
                                          Greensboro,  N. C. 27410

If you want the photos of the Moravian Longrifles made in North Carolina then you would need to order "The Longrifle Makers of the Salem School" book.
This 374 page book is available in hard cover for $80, plus $7 postage, or softcover for $60, plus $6 postage.






Thanks for your interest.

Michael

[whetrock]

Bob,
Good to hear from you, I will send you what I have.

...

I hate to sound like beggar, but if it's not too much trouble for you to include me when sending those photos to Bob, I would be most grateful.

whetrock123@yahoo.com

I have already downloaded copies of those that you posted today.

Thanks,
Pete