English Fowling Piece with Spanish Barrel

[Capt. Jas.]

This is an English piece by Joseph Heylin of London. The silver is by John King of London, hallmarked 1767. The barrel is by Eudal Pous of Barcelona. I have only found reference to him in a 1780's English book as being a desirous barrel maker.
Does anyone have any further information on Eudal Pous of Barcelona and the dates he worked?

 

[dave_person]

Hi James,
I love seeing photos of that gun. I am afraid that I don't have much on Pous except a brief mention in Neal and Back's "Great British Gunmakers 1740-1790". He made a barrel used on a very fine gun by William Bailes. The barrel is dated 1758 but Bailes made the gun in 1762. One of Neal's first books was on Spanish guns. I've seen copies available that are not too expensive. It might be worth investing in.

Thanks for the photos,

dave

 

[Capt. Jas.]

Thanks Dave. I do remember seeing that book on Spanish guns now that you mention it. It was reasonable enough that it may be worth getting to see if it contains any information.
I am surprised there are no books on the Spanish makers. Maybe I have been looking in the wrong places. I had not paid much attention to it until acquiring this piece though.
It appears Pous was at least active in the 1750's and '60's.

 

[George]

Capt. Jas, you will almost certainly place no credence in this reference, since it has been deemed “nothing but a quaint 18th century work of fiction”, and “sort of a how to comic book written by beginners for beginners” by the preeminent expert in the field. However, since, as Vger’s probe said, “it is not logical to withhold the required information”, I’ll pass it along to ease my own conscience. Use it or not, as you choose. From _An Essay on Shooting_, by Wm. Cleator, published by T. Caudel in London, 1789:

Notwithstanding there have always been excellent gunsmiths at Madrid, yet the barrels which bear the highest price, and are the most sought after by the curious in this way, are those made by artists who have been dead for many years; though perhaps this preference has no better foundation than the common prejudice in favour of things that are the productions of remote ages or distant countries; Major e longinquo reverentia. Such are the barrels of Nicolas Biz, who was famous at Madrid in the beginning of this century, and died in 1724: those he made in the former part of his life are the most esteemed. The barrels of Juan Belen and Juan Fernandez, cotemporaries of Nicolas Biz, are not less prized, and in France all of them sell for a 1000 livres, or 43I. 15s. sterling. Those of Diego Esquibel, Alonzo Martinez, Agostin Ortiz, Mathias Vaera, Luis Santos, Juan Santos, Francisco Garcia, Francisco Targarone, Joseph Cano, and N. Zelaya, all of them celebrated workmen who succeeded those already mentioned, in the order of their names; are also in great request.

Of the artists now living at Madrid, the most celebrated are Francisco Lopes, Salvador Cenarro, and Miguel Zeguarra, gunsmiths to the King: Isidoro Soler, and Juan de Soto, have also great reputation. The barrels of those living workmen sell for 300 French livres, or somewhat more than 13I. sterling, which is the price paid for those made for the king and royal family. They are proved with a treble charge of the best powder, and a quadruple one of swan or deer shot. At Madrid, and throughout all Spain, the manufacture of barrels is not, as in this and most other countries, a separate branch of the gun-making business, but the same workman makes and finishes every part of the piece.

After the barrels of Madrid, those of Bustindui and St. Olabe at Placentia in Biscay; and of Jean and Clement Pedroesteva, Eudal Pous, and Martin Marechal, at Barcelona, are the most esteemed; these usually sell in France for 80 French livres, or 3l. 10s. sterling.

Spence

 

[dave_person]

Hi James and Spence,
An interesting thing about Pous is that there is a Spanish reference on the internet that states he died in 1827. Now imagine, Bailes stocked one of his barrels made in 1758, 69 years before his death. For a rich client such as William Constable from England to buy a Pous barrel probably indicates that his reputation was well known, so he must have been in business for a while. Let's give him 5 or 6 years past the end of his apprenticeship at possibly 19-20 years old and make him 25 years old when Constable bought the barrel. He was at least 94 years old at his death. That is remarkable albeit plausible. However, the Spanish reference mentions that he worked in Ripoll and Madrid, which suggests to me that there were several Eudal Pouses. Father and son?

dave

 

[Trench]

Thank you for making a V'ger reference. :thumbsup:

 

[Capt. Jas.]

Spence, that reference was what I referred.to in my initial post. Thanks, I think? I am in fact deeply into that and several other similar period writings.

Thanks Dave. I thought that might be a son since different locations. I know this type of trade was frequently in the family, especially if popular.

 

[miqueleter]

Capt Jas, the following is what Lavin in his A History of Spanish Firearms has to offer on Eudal Pous: "A Ripoll gunsmith who moved to Madrid and became armourer of the Royal Corps of Body Guards of Fernado VII. A military carbine with a sliding-primer fulminate lock dated 1817 by Pous is in the Museo del Ejercito, Madrid, while a similar lock for a civilian gun is in the Real Armeria. Unlike most Ripoll smiths, Pous seems to have specialised neither in locks or barrels. He died or retired in perhaps 1827 when he appears to have been replaced by Blas Zuloaga."

Lavin also alludes to a possible father/son situation using the same name, to wit, "Some transplanted Ripoll smiths working in Barcelona (Pero Esteva[Pedro Esteban], Eudal Pous[possibly the father of the gunsmith of the same name who worked in Madrid early in the nineteenth century])used the arms of that city as a countermark."

 

[Capt. Jas.]

Thanks all for the information!!
miqueleter, thanks, I am going to find that book.
It is most probable there are two Eudal Pous characters as mentioned.

 

[George]

Capt. Jas., let me ask three questions, please.

How do you know the barrel was by Eudal Pous?

In your next-to-last photo here, the close-up of the top of the breech area, there are two large stamps. The smaller one is essentially square. The larger one is more rectangular and of a sort of tombstone shape. Is it possible to discern any details within that larger one, such as letters or numerals?

Are the smaller design elements surrounding the two stamps inlays, filled with silver, perhaps?

Spence

 

[Capt. Jas.]

One of the larger blocks (the top one with the crown over it)has the maker's name EU on the first line, DAL on the second and POUS on the third. The other box closest to the breech is the Barcelona mark B A.
The other decorations have remnants of silver. I believe the main cartouche boxes were possibly gold.


By the way Spence,
I am reading the writings of Mr. Lemon, the famous gamekeeper and marksman from 1782. You really should see if you can get that one. The front page mentions that the book also contains info. on dogs AND remarks on rifle guns and methods of shooting them but the reprint copy I have does not contain that. Sure would like to see it though.

 

[George]

Thanks. The reason I ask is that I have a miquelet percussion pistol with similar design features, and I've been trying to sort it out for 30 years. Your stamp with the name of the barrel maker is very similar to a stamp on mine which I've never been able to identify. Maybe it's a gunmaker's personal stamp, too. On mine the stamp is gold washed, the surrounding design elements are silver inlay. The wedding band is similar to yours in a simple way, too.

That's an absolutely gorgeous gun you have.

I will look for Lemon's book, thanks.

Not trying to hijack your thread, sorry.

Spence

 

[Mike Brooks]

Capt. Jas., I had that book on spanish guns but must have loaned it out as it never showed up during my recent move.It has great photography and shows a multi gun gun case for traveling that is out of this world. The guns at a glance apear english but with a better look their quality is not on par, especially the wire work. The locks look to be standard flint locks but are actually miquelets.
Spence The barrels pictured here are very typical spanish barrels. Many times the date of mfg. is inlayed in the barrel in silver. My D. Egg gun had a spanish barrel dated 1752 but was probably stocked in the late 1780's. The barrel was also straight rifled with micro grooves....about 17 grooves if I recall.
I have read there are some variance in the stamps and that you can tell where they were built from the inlay. I don't recall where I read that.

 

[miqueleter]

I forgot to add a pic of the marks attributed to E. Pous from Lavin's book. Here it is.

 

[Capt. Jas.]

Wonderful, Thanks miqueleter, they are exactly like the ones on the barrel.
James

 

[rickystl]

GREAT LOOKING GUN, Captain. :thumbsup: