Author Topic: Jesse Lamb gunsmith  (Read 1656 times)

Offline Shreckmeister

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Jesse Lamb gunsmith
« on: September 30, 2019, 04:30:44 PM »
I received this image from a tintype from a descendant of Jesse Lamb.  Jesse was a gunsmith in North Carolina who moved to Walton
County Georgia around 1840.  Jesse is pictured in this tintype holding one of the rifles he made.
Can anyone help me connect him with Anderson Lamb?



« Last Edit: September 30, 2019, 04:33:47 PM by Shreckmeister »
Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add 'within the limits of the law' because law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual.

Offline retired fella

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Re: Jesse Lamb gunsmith
« Reply #1 on: September 30, 2019, 06:52:43 PM »
I love these old pictures.  I wonder why he is holding a small hammer?

Offline gibster

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Re: Jesse Lamb gunsmith
« Reply #2 on: September 30, 2019, 08:30:32 PM »
Mike Briggs wrote a book, THE LONGRIFLE MAKERS OF GIULFORD COUNTY which lists two Jesse Lambs. One was the son of Anderson Lamb and the other one, Jesse G. Lamb the son of William Lamb. According to Mike, Anderson and William were brother in laws. So I guess there is a chance that this Jesse is Anderson's son. You have a 50/50 shot at it anyway. Hope this helps. Mike may chime in on this and he would have the rest of the details.

Offline mbriggs

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Re: Jesse Lamb gunsmith
« Reply #3 on: September 30, 2019, 08:35:50 PM »
Hi Rob,
There were two Jesse Lamb's who worked as gunsmiths in Jamestown, N.C.  However, neither of them moved to Georgia in the 1840's.

Jesse G. Lamb was the youngest son of William Lamb. William was the most widely respected of the 85 gunsmiths known to have worked in this school in the Nineteenth Century. Jesse G. Lamb was born in 1831.  His father made his older brother Henry Clarkson Lamb, a full partner in his gun business in 1855, and they started signing their rifles W. Lamb & Son.  In 1857, Jesse G. Lamb was made a full partner, and the barrel stamp was changed to W. Lamb & Sons.  During the Civil War H.C. Lamb secured three contracts to make military rifles for the State of North Carolina under the name of H.C. Lamb & Co. Over 700 were produced under these contracts.

I believe the Lamb water powered barrel mill and gun shop were burned as part of the raid of the 15th Pennsylvania Cavalry raid on Florence and Jamestown on April 11, 1865.

Anderson Lamb also had a son named Jesse Lamb. (Anderson Lamb owned the most prolific of the Jamestown gun shops, and many of his rifles survive locally.  Prior authors have listed William and Anderson Lamb as brothers.  This is not correct.  They were brother-in-laws.  William was married to Frances Lamb, Anderson's older sister.  William trained Anderson as a gun smith and they must have worked as partners for a few years as there are a few rifles and one pistol that survive signed A. & W. Lamb.)  Jesse Lamb was born in 1846. In the 1870's he was made a full partner in Anderson Lamb's gun shop and their barrel stamp was changed to A. Lamb & Co.  I believe the company stayed open until Anderson Lamb's death in 1891.

Anderson Lamb also had a daughter named Eleanor Lamb. She was born in 1843.  She would marry Solomon H. Ward just after the end of the Civil War.  He trained under his father-in-law and would open his own very successful gun shop.  His was the last Jamestown gun shop to close in 1902.  He died in 1905, and is buried beside Eleanor at Hickory Grove Methodist Church cemetery.

Thanks for posting this photo.  The rifle does look like a Jamestown.

Michael       
C. Michael Briggs

Offline Shreckmeister

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Re: Jesse Lamb gunsmith
« Reply #4 on: October 01, 2019, 03:16:51 PM »
Thank you Mike.
Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add 'within the limits of the law' because law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual.

Offline will payne

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Re: Jesse Lamb gunsmith
« Reply #5 on: October 12, 2019, 02:26:51 AM »
I love these old pictures.  I wonder why he is holding a small hammer?
i’m wondering that exact same thing. Maybe to get in the barrel pins :D.
🕯
Will


"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." -Thomas Jefferson

Offline vanu

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Re: Jesse Lamb gunsmith
« Reply #6 on: October 12, 2019, 02:34:11 AM »
looks like a chasing hammer, possibly for engraving and/or mounting the silver inlays.

Bruce

Offline vanu

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Re: Jesse Lamb gunsmith
« Reply #7 on: October 12, 2019, 02:38:33 AM »
Shreckmeister...

This tintype is fabulous; many thanks for posting such a rare image!

Bruce