LONDON.- Bonhams announces the sale of the Chris Wynn collection of early Purdeys to take place in London on Wednesday 9 November. The outstanding collection has been described by Nick Harlow, the Gun Room Manager at James Purdey & Sons Ltd, as: ‘The result of a lifetime’s dedication, it covers almost every aspect of our early production.’
David Williams, Bonhams Director of Arms and Armour, said: “James Purdey and Sons Ltd can trace its origins to 1814 and guns from the early years of production under James and his son, James the Younger, are highly prized by collectors and enthusiasts. Chris Wynn’s collection is truly outstanding and comprehensive and the roll call of those who originally commissioned these firearms shows how quickly Purdey established its reputation among the finest sportsmen of the day – a reputation it has maintained for more than 200 years.”
Among the highlights of the sale, which consists of 121 lots, are:
• A Cased .650 (16-Bore) Percussion D.B. Sporting Rifle by J. Purdey, 314½ Oxford Street, London, No. 2489. 1833. The gun was built for Lord Ossulston, later 6th Earl of Tankerville (1810-1899). The scene on the patch-box cover of the rifle is based on Sir Edwin Landseer’s painting Scene in Chillingham Park: Portrait of Lord Ossulston or Death of the Wild Bull, which was most probably commissioned by Ossulston himself. The two met in unusual circumstances; Ossulston and his party were out stalking deer in the Highlands and mistook the famous painter for a poacher. Despite this unpromising start, they became firm friends and Landseer became a frequent guest at Ossulston’s family seat of Chillingham Castle in Northumberland. Noting the close professional interest the painter was taking in his famous herd of cattle, Ossulston arranged to have one of the bulls shot to provide Landseer with an opportunity to study the animal at leisure. A bull hunt was organised but, unfortunately, while the luckless animal was being brought to bay it badly gored one of the keepers who was saved only by the prompt action of Bran, one of Ossulton’s deerhounds. The bull, by then safely dead, Bran and Ossulston appear in the resulting masterpiece. (The keeper recovered from his wounds and lived to be 80). Estimate: £10,000-15,000.
• A Rare Chillingham .650 (16-Bore) Percussion Rifled Musket, No. 20 By J. Purdey Of London, Circa 1833. This is one of a unique stand-of-arms consisting of thirty-five weapons commissioned by the 5th Earl of Tankerville of Chillingham Castle, complete with bayonets and other accessories, to arm a body of yeomanry. Purdey completed the order between February 1832 and June 1833. Estimate: £3,000-3,500.
• A .650 (16-Bore) Percussion Sporting Rifle By J. Purdey, 314½ Oxford Street, London, No. 2293 For 1832. This piece was owned by Henry de la Poer Beresford, 3rd Marquess of Waterford (1811-1859), who gave the English language the expression ‘paint the town red.’ In April 1837, Waterford and his fox hunting friends, who had been drinking all day at a race meeting, arrived at a toll gate at Melton Mowbray. Bridling at the demand for payment, the party grabbed some nearby pots of red paint, threw it over the toll keeper, a local constable and the toll house and then went on the rampage through the town. Next morning a contrite Waterford paid for all the damage but this didn’t spare him and his fellow rioters the – at the time – huge fine of £100 fine each at Derby Assize Court. Waterford was a serial offender when it came to drunken brawling and vandalism: he wasn’t known as 'the Mad Marquess' for nothing. Marriage however tamed him and he returned to Ireland and led the blameless life of a model citizen. Estimate: £3,500-4,500.
• A 20-Bore Centre-Fire D.B. Hammer Gun By J. Purdey & Sons, No. 10777 For 1880. Built for Earl de Grey as one of a group of firearms intended for use in India, where his father was Viceroy. Frederick Oliver Robinson, Earl de Grey, later 2nd Marquess of Ripon (1852-1923) is arguably the greatest shot of all time with a recorded lifetime's total of 556,813 head of game. He died on 22 September 1923 on a grouse moor near his estate at Studley Royal having killed fifty-one grouse on his last drive. As the last birds of the day were picked up, he fell down dead. Estimate: £1,000-1,500.
