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Captain Cook's Pistol An early 18th Century Continental…
Sale Title:
Auction House:
Auction Location:
Melbourne
Date:
24-Nov-2019
Lot No.
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Description:
Captain Cook's Pistol An early 18th Century Continental Flintlock holster pistol, the lock signed 'Corbau-A-Maastricht' with plain 13-bore barrel, brass fore-sight, spurred brass pommel (with minor damage to spur tips), brass trigger guard, replacement ramrod and pipe, pale fruitwood full stock with carved shell behind tang (with some minor damage at fore-end), 50 cm long, 31 cm barrel. This pistol was traditionally the property of Captain James Cook R.N., and was passed down to his elder sister and her direct descendants in subsequent generations: Margaret Cook (Capt. Cook's eldfer sister) married James Fleck in 1764 at All Saits Church, Great Ayton. Their son, James Fleck Jnr, who married Margaret Roundtree in 1794. Their daughter, Elizabeth Cook Fleck, who married John Davison (of Kirby in Cleveland) in 1825. Their daughter, Margaret Davison, who married William Carter at Kirby in 1848. Their son, Thomas Carter, who married Elizabeth Sowler in 1875. Their daughter, Edith Emily Carter, who married William Smith in 1900. Their son, Thomas Carter Smith, who married Irene May Bishop Kiere in 1929 at the Cathedral, Middlesborough, Cleveland. Their daughter, Brenda Winifred Carter Smith, who married Michael Holder in 1958 at St. Teresa, Hartlepool. At a public auction in Edinburgh, Scotland in 2003, the family sold a walking stick said to have been made from one of the spears that killed Captain Cook. It brought £135,000 (A$320,000 at the then current exchange rate). The Captain Cook pistol was then offered for sale in the subsequent public auction in Edinburgh, later in 2003. At that auction, the pistol was purchased by prominent Australian businessman, Ronald Walker, former Lord Mayor of Melbourne. Mr Walker enjoyed ownership of this iconic piece for the next ten years, when, in the face of deteriorating health, he decided to consign the pistol to Leski Auctions for sale. Estimated at $100,000 - $200,000 (and with a reserve of only $75,000) in our auction of 14th February 2013 (Lot 21), the pistol was the subject of a terrific sale-room battle, resulting in a hammer price of $180,000 ($219,600 including Bp+Cgt). The purchaser on that occasion had a beautiful huon pine box created by Peter Gorring to house the pistol, and has now decided to enable someone else the opportunity to own Captain Cook's pistol. How appropriate that this is happening during the 250th anniversary of the First Voyage of James Cook. This was a combined Royal Navy and Royal Society expedition to the south Pacific Ocean aboard HMS Endeavour, and extended from 1768 to 1771. It was the first of three Pacific voyages of which Cook was the commander. The aims of this first expedition were to observe the 1769 transit of Venus across the Sun (3–4 June of that year), and to seek evidence of the postulated Terra Australis Incognita or 'unknown southern land'.
Estimate:
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Price:
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Category:
Unclassified