James Montague was born November, 1785 at Wethersfield, Connecticut. He was the second of five children of Seth and Sybil Montague. James moved from Connecticut to Staunton, Virginia in 1810. He was apprenticed to John Sheets upon his arrival in Staunton. He served in McDowell’s flying camp , Capt. Matthew’s company, Va. militia during the War of 1812.
After his apprenticeship John Sheets the master and mentor became John Sheets the father in law. He married John Sheets daughter Catherine on June 11, 1816. They resided in Staunton, Va. about 20 years, then they moved to North Middletown, Kentucky in 1835. He is listed on census records as a Gunmaker and Tinsmith.
James and Catherine had 10 children together. James died on April 14, 1865 at North Middletown, Ky. His wife Catherine died on July 3, 1880 at North Middletown, Ky. This rifle was found in 2018, it is only the second known signed rifle by this maker. The first one found is in the Colonial Williamsburg collection. That rifle was found by Mr. Henry Berry, and later acquired by Mr. Madison Grant. Mr. Grant donated that rifle to Williamsburg in 1980. The rifle in the Williamsburg collection was built when Montague was in Staunton, Va. This rifle was built after Montague moved to North Middletown, Ky.
The small detail on this rifle that puts its manufacture in not only Kentucky but into Bourbon, county, is the simple short S termination on the lower butt and forearm molding. The Montague rifle in the Williamsburg collection has the long wave termination on its molding as found on Virginia and Pennsylvania rifles. The noted author and collector Mel Hankla in his latest work,”Into the Bluegrass, Art and Artistry of Kentucky’s Historic Icons”, published in 2020. Mr. Hankla states,” This short S molding termination feature is unique to and only found on rifles that are from the Lexington School of gun making in Kentucky”.
Montague being a tinsmith and a gunsmith may explain why he would move from Va. to Bourbon county, Ky. The 1810 census for Bourbon county indicate there were 128 registered distillers in Bourbon county alone. They produced over 140,000 gallons of Bourbon, valued at $48,000 . How many unregistered stills were there is anyone’s guess! Copper being the metal of choice for stills and all other items connected with the production of bourbon. A person with the ability to work it would be in high demand. Montague knew that tin smithing would be a very lucrative profession in Kentucky. This may explain why rifles by Montague are so scarce. With only two known signed rifles by J. Montague, this one being only the second one found in the last
116 years after the first one was found. The assumption has to be that there are not many of Montague rifles to be found.
The copper panels fore and aft of the lock were applied by an accomplished metal worker not to strengthen or stabilize a break in the stock, but to cover the void left by the shorter percussion lock at the time of conversion. They were put there solely for aesthetic reasons, the question is, are we also looking at Montague metal working skills ? I would like to believe we were!
For all KRA members just a heads up there will be an article in one of the two next KRA newsletters on this rifle and Montague story. Some very interesting sidelites about him.
All photos of rifle used are with permission of Aspenshade Antiques and Mr. Tim and Mrs Helen Hodges.
James Montague Military record
MAP OF NORTH MIDDLETOWN, KY. 1861. SHOWING MONTAGUES SHOPS. GUNMAKER AND A FEW DOORS DOWN TIN SHOP.
NORTH MIDDLETOWN,KY. SOME OF THE BUILDINGS WHERE HIS SHOPS WERE REMAIN TODAY.
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GRAVESTONES OF JAMES AND CATHERINE MONTAGUE, NORTH MIDDLETOWN CEMETERY.
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