Bonhams 1793 : A pair of 12-bore self-opening sidelock ejector guns by J. Purdey & Sons, no. 18237/8 Built for Sir William Eden

Bonhams magazines

My Bonhams

Advanced search

5 Dec 2012 14:00 GMT London, Knightsbridge
Modern Sporting Guns
Back to auction 19797

A pair of 12-bore self-opening sidelock ejector guns by J. Purdey & Sons, no. 18237/8 Built for Sir William Eden

The toplevers, ribs and forend-tips engraved '1' and '2', the plain action-bodies with some hardening-colour, cocking-indicators, figured stocks (No. 1 replaced, No. 2 with wood extension and replacement forend wood), the No. 1 barrels (replaced by the maker) with game-rib engraved J. Purdey & Sons, Audley House, South Audley Street, London Made of Sir Joseph Whitworth's Fluid Pressed Steel; the No. 2 barrels (replaced by the maker) with game-rib engraved J. Purdey & Sons, Audley House, South Audley Street, London
Weight 6lb. 11¾oz. (No. 1) and 6lb. 14¼oz. (No. 2), 15in. stock (No. 1) and 15in. pull (14½in. stock) (No. 2), 29in. barrels, both approx. full choke (No. 1) and both approx. ex. full choke (No. 2), 2½in. chambers, London nitro proof

Sold for £15,000 inc. premium

Footnotes

The makers have kindly confirmed that the guns were completed 'in the black' for Sir William Eden in 1905, and were never returned for engraving. The No. 1 gun was rebarrelled in 1910, and the No. 2 gun was rebarrelled in 1992

Sir William Eden, 7th Baronet of West Auckland and 5th Baronet of Maryland (1849-1915)
The second son of the 6th Baronet, he was educated at Eton before joining the British Army, serving as an ensign in the 28th Regiment before being promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in the 8th Hussars. Upon his father's death in 1873 he inherited the family titles and the family seat of Windlestone Hall in County Durham, where he also served as a magistrate. A highly capable shot, the estate game book records shooting with notable figures such as Admiral Beatty and Sir John French as well as the Marquis of Londonderry and the Earl of Lytton.

He was also an athletic man; he was a capable boxer who could see off the best professionals of his day, as well as an accomplished horseman. He won many steeplechases on horses he had trained himself, besides being a successful master of the South Durham Hounds for over a decade. The other side of his personality was a deep artistic talent, both as a painter and in his collection of works by some of the very best artists of his time. He exhibited his own work at New English Art Club shows between 1896 and 1909, as well as at various London galleries and the Paris Salon. He married Sybil Grey, the daughter of Sir William Grey, in 1886, with whom he had four sons. Of these the eldest and youngest were to perish in the First World War whilst his third son, (Robert) Anthony Eden MC, was to become the youngest brigade-major in the British Army at the age of just 20. Upon their father's death the titles passed to the second son, Timothy, at that time interned in Ruhleben camp outside Berlin. His memories of his father's shooting days were included in The Tribulations of a Baronet, (Macmillan, London, 1933)

Category: Arms and Armour / Sporting Guns

Auction terms and conditions