LONDON.- Long considered one of the most beautiful women of the time and also the mother of future British Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill, Lady Randolph Churchill (1854-1921) was the American born English wife of Lord Randolph Churchill. A scarce 28-bore side lever hammer gun by H. Holland that was made for her will be offered in Gavin Gardiner Ltd’s sale at Sotheby’s New Bond Street, London W1A 2AA on Wednesday, April 15, 2015. Estimated to fetch £25,000-30,000, the gun dates from 1874 – the year that she married and gave birth to her first son, Winston and is part of a major private collection of Royal and Noble owned Victorian Sporting Guns and rifles.

Born Jennie Jerome, Lady Churchill was the American born English wife of Lord Randolph Churchill and the mother of British Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill. Born in Brooklyn in 1854, she was the second daughter of financier, sportsman and speculator, Leonard Jerome. Long considered one of the most beautiful women of the time, she married Lord Randolph Churchill at the British Embassy in Paris on 15th April 1874. The couple had become engaged within three days of their initial meeting, though the marriage was delayed for some months. Their first son Winston, the future Prime Minister, was born that same year.

The gun in Gavin Gardiner’s auction is decorated with fine scroll engraving and the lock plates are lightly etched with owner's name, "Lady Churchill". The maker, which subsequently became Holland & Holland, confirms that the gun was made in 1874 for Lady Churchill and that it is described as a "new double breech loader, 28-bore with rebounding locks".

Gavin Gardiner says: “Lady Churchill’s gun is a rare example of an early gun by Holland and Holland, a maker that is now one of London’s most famous, as well as the holder of two Royal Warrants. I am delighted to be selling this collection, which has been amassed over a lifetime’s collecting, and includes examples owned by some of the most renowned and famous shots of the golden era of game shooting.”

The collection comprises an additional 15 guns that were built for the best known and finest shots of the Victorian age including guns for both the first and second Duke of Cambridge, a gun built for King Edward VII, two hammer Purdey's built for shooting legend Lord Ripon, a Purdey built for Lord Walsingham as well as a pair of guns built for Prince Albert, Prince Consort, and ordered as a present from Queen Victoria.

The auction of more than 200 lots of vintage sporting guns, rifles and shooting accessories, is the only sale of Sporting Guns to be held in the heart of London’s Mayfair and will have a strong section of 12-bore Sporting Guns by England and Scotland’s finest makers as well as a good selection of accessories and more curious items.