 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
RED BARN MURDER Maker “Harcourt” Flintlock Pistol
Guns International #: 100950514 Seller's Inventory #: 5164
Category: Antique Pistols - Flintlock - Antique Pistols - 1500-1850
Seller's Information
When emailing or calling sellers direct, please mention that you saw their listing on GunsInternational.com
Seller: AncestryGunsLLC
Company: Ancestry Guns LLC
Member Since: 11/3/16
State: Missouri
Zip: 65203
Country: United States
Phone: (314) 707-7373
International Phone: 314-707-7373
Platinum Seller
Number of Active Listings: 1071
Total Number of Listings: 42532
Seller: FFL Dealer
Return Policy: 3 day inspection and return policy on used guns.
Payment Types Accepted: Credit Card, Certified Check, Money Order
Description:
RED BARN MURDER Maker “Harcourt” Flintlock Pistol
Ipswich, Suffolk, England Antique Belt Pistol
Here we present an antique “HARCOURT” Flintlock Pistol, made circa the late 18th Century by John Harcourt of Ipswich, Suffolk, England. This pistol was made for carrying in the belt for self-defense. The lock is marked “HARCOURT”. John Harcourt is known to have been active as a gun maker in Ipswich from 1792 to 1839. He made pistols of this sort, as well as dueling sets, pocket pistols, and even blunderbusses. His likely relative was also a gun maker by the name of Henry Harcourt, operated in Sudbury, which was a short distance away from Ipswich in Suffolk. Both names turn up in a very interesting, somewhat famous English murder case from 1828.
The murder was of Maria Marten, a single mother, by her fiancé William Corder, a career troublemaker. They conspired, along with Maria’s stepmother, to elope from a red barn that belonged to her father on May 18, 1827. Thus, the murder is often referred to as the “Red Barn Murder”. This was the last time anyone saw her alive. Corder turned up a while later, giving all kinds of excuses why Maria could not communicate or come back home. It was not until April of 1828 that Maria’s stepmother, who claimed to have had visions of her stepdaughter’s murder and burial in the barn, convinced Maria’s father to investigate. Her father discovered her corpse buried in the barn, showing signs of having been shot and possibly stabbed. Corder was the obvious suspect, and was found running a boarding house in Brentford with his new wife, whom he had found through an advertisement in the newspaper. In a highly publicized trial that reportedly brought thousands of spectators, two of Corder’s pocket pistols were revealed as evidence. They were made by John Harcourt of Ipswich. Henry Harcourt testified in court that Corder had brought two pistols into his shop in February of 1827. Other damning testimony was heard. Corder was found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging. Massive crowds gathered to watch the execution. Even more macabre than the events of the murder, trial and execution was what followed. In addition to the sentence to be hanged, Corder was also sentenced to be dissected and put on display after his death, where thousands saw him. He was then more fully dissected and subjected to experimentation in front of medical students from Cambridge. A death bust was made, and the surgeon, George Creed, preserved Corder’s scalp with an ear yet attached. Creed also tanned some of the skin and used it to bind a book, which was an account of the murder. His skeleton was used as a display in West Suffolk Hospital, then in the Royal College of Surgeons of England until 2004, when it was finally removed and destroyed.
The overall condition of the pistol is good. The metal surfaces are dark with age. The barrel has a brown finish. The markings are legible. The stock shows period use, with a small repaired crack near the right side of the muzzle. The bore is smooth and untouched. The action is strong. Here is a flintlock pistol with a gruesome story in its maker’s history.
Own the original! This is a legitimate antique and not a reproduction.
Barrel is 9 inches.
Caliber: .55
Overall condition as seen in photos.
Very Fast. Very Safe. FREE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE. Delivered directly to your door by express mail!
Guaranteed AUTHENTIC & Includes CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY.
ancestryguns
$1200
#5164
SOLD
Antique: Yes