ny English manufactured gun is something very unique in it’s own right, but when you come across one with a special story it’s something else. We take a quick look at one that we came across in the gunroom here at Bywell.

An English side by side shotgun is something that we
are very proud to be still producing as World leaders in this country. For well over 100 years they have been
manufactured to do the very same job they are doing to the present day. They are made taking vast hours of both skill
and craftsmanship that has been taught over generations to perfect, and the
results are truly exquisite. You aren’t just buying a gun you are buying something
that is a real work of art that is totally unique.

 

 

 

A particular second hand example of a Purdey came to
us and as usual we were all excited to take a look. It’s a brand we don’t have in all the time so is always of great
interest. All we were aware of was it’s
basic specification being 12 gauge, side by side, 28” barrels, fixed choke and
a straight hand stock with double triggers.
We knew all of this would make it appeal to the traditionalist who still
enjoys these guns of English excellence. Above all of this it came in its
original manufacturer’s presentation leather case, something that would be
crucial to its past history.

Un-boxing anything like this is always a fantastic
experience. We gave the gun a good check
over and admired it as we expected it to be.
The specification was correct and it looked a good clean example. Then someone noticed something on the
case. It had been overlooked initially
but there appeared to be an inscription on the lid. It read “Capt J Blakiston-Houston VIII
Hussars” ....So what or who could this be?

 

 

We initially started by dating the gun as we would
always do and it came back as being manufactured in 1932. This sort of age could yield an intriguing
story so we decided to do a little bit of further research and who the previous
owner may have been.

A quick look into it soon revealed that this gun did
have an Irish connection as we had half expected. Starting with the Blakiston-Houston family
name as per the inscription we managed to track the previous owner down. This particular family were very well
respected in Ireland, with almost all of the family being involved in the
military in one way or another. They
appeared to be quite affluent and had their own stately home.

 

 

This owner of this gun was James Edward
Blaskiston-Houston. He was born back in
1877and lived through until 1958. When
looking into the military side he achieved the impressive rank of Captain and
then even higher up to an eventual Lieutenant in the 8
th
Hussars. The Hussars were known
officially as the Royal Irish Hussars and were a cavalry regiment within the
British Army. The dated back well into
the early 1800’s and saw action in many of the major conflicts including the
first Wold War. The owner of this gun
must have been part of much of this frontline action, something quite
remarkable in itself. When away from the
battlefield and in later years the purchase of this Purdey surely brought him
extreme joy, game shooting deep in the Irish countryside. To hold such a gun really does give you a
strong connection.

 

 

 

It just goes to show as well as the intrigue of the
gun itself there is often an interesting hidden story. It’s not every day you come across a gun
steeped in history but one who’s very owner has very much been part of
something quite special too. We wonder what we will come across next in the
gunroom....

Click here to view the very gun!