Poachers Of The Georgian Period Beware

[Artificer]

Enclosed is a image of a restored trip wire gun which became illegal to use in 1824 which maybe of interest to some members .Used by the large English estates to deter poaching also used in grave yards against grave robbers .
Feltwad
View attachment 114476

Very interesting device.

Gus

 

[SOLANCO]

It would be worth all your treasure and some years of your life if you injured or killed some intruder like that today. Not at all certain that is an improvement.

 

[Artificer]

While I would not prefer to be shot at all, I bet the load of rock salt I took in my legs and butt for snitching watermelons was far less destructive than that device. LOL!!

Gus

 

[Mike]

Many years ago I was an ROTC cadet at Fort Benning, Georgia. We were doing infantry maneuvers, which involved a squad of 9 with M16's and two cadets with M60 machine guns. We used blanks but at night the flames came out of the barrel for about a foot.
One night we were practicing ambushes in the woods and had set up an L pattern ambush, waiting for the OPFOR to pass thru the trail. About 2 am we heard them approaching, waited till they were in the middle of the kill zone and then let loose with everything.
We heard screams and two civilian men took off through the brush. A few minutes later we saw a pickup truck moving at high speed on the road below.
I guess they didn't try poaching at Fort Benning after that!

 

[cynthialee]

looking at that thing I am left thinking the poacher could have made out better by stealing and selling the trapped gun

 

[Feltwad]

A leather hood was also fitted just above the lock to run off any rain water away from the pan and the lock
Feltwad

 

[zimmerstutzen]

According to Blackstone's Commentaries on the Law of England (1765), while trespassing and poaching were illegal, there were certain activities for which "license to enter" was deemed by law. Because foxes and badgers were considered such pests, a person hunting either was deemed to have permission to enter property to hunt them. In addition, people gleaning in the fields after harvest were granted permission to enter. Lastly, errant stray livestock could not be injured and was not even considered to be trespassing until it had eaten it's fill, laid down to rest and arose to eat again. Further, the law about trespassing, excused those who entered property with the good faith belief that they would be granted permission for a particular purpose, such as to retrieve stray livestock. Imagine a neighbor farm kid sent to retrieve a stray cow getting injured by a set gun. (In fact, in very early colonial Pennsylvania, it was the farmer's duty to fence livestock out of cultivated fields.)

 

[Britsmoothy]

According to Blackstone's Commentaries on the Law of England (1765), while trespassing and poaching were illegal, there were certain activities for which "license to enter" was deemed by law. Because foxes and badgers were considered such pests, a person hunting either was deemed to have permission to enter property to hunt them. In addition, people gleaning in the fields after harvest were granted permission to enter. Lastly, errant stray livestock could not be injured and was not even considered to be trespassing until it had eaten it's fill, laid down to rest and arose to eat again. Further, the law about trespassing, excused those who entered property with the good faith belief that they would be granted permission for a particular purpose, such as to retrieve stray livestock. Imagine a neighbor farm kid sent to retrieve a stray cow getting injured by a set gun. (In fact, in very early colonial Pennsylvania, it was the farmer's duty to fence livestock out of cultivated fields.)

Thanks, and which why I believe they were actually intended for baited vermin like fox and badger.
I can though understand a frustrated gamekeeper targeting human pests, rightly or wrongly!

 

[Feltwad]

Thanks, and which why I believe they were actually intended for baited vermin like fox and badger.
I can though understand a frustrated gamekeeper targeting human pests, rightly or wrongly!

In my research into the records on several large estates the trip wire gun is only mentioned for the purpose to deter poachers and trespassers in the estate grounds and pheasant coverts I have yet to come across where it was used for pest control .
On the subject of pest control the gin trap in its many sizes was quite common and better suited for keeping vermin under control
Feltwad

 

[Feltwad]

Another gun that worked on the same principle using wires that stretched across footpaths' etc i that fired some kind of explosive device such has a tube was the alarm gun . see image
Feltwad

 

[DuncNZ]

I have seen a "poacher" gun in a museum , it looked like it was half cannon and half blunderbuss . It used a similar mechanism , with 3 rods to aim the gun . It was a flintlock but about a 3" bore . They also had a man trap which had what looked like 6" nails in the jaws which were opened with a special tool so the poachers mate couldn't let him go free all nasty stuff

 

[zimmerstutzen]

In my research into the records on several large estates the trip wire gun is only mentioned for the purpose to deter poachers and trespassers in the estate grounds and pheasant coverts I have yet to come across where it was used for pest control .
On the subject of pest control the gin trap in its many sizes was quite common and better suited for keeping vermin under control
Feltwad

Now as I understood it, the contest between poachers and game keepers was sort of a wiley sort of hide and seek. With poachers knowing their adversaries' territory as well or better than the game keepers. Frankly given the size and mass of that gun, it wasn't likely to catch a poacher unawares except in the pitch black.

 

[Feltwad]

It was not hide and seek for a poacher to entry a Lords estate to poach it was more in desperation for food for his family for which he faced serious injury. Trip wire guns were set out of view , also there were man traps and if caught setting snares and such also injury to a game keeper he would be brought before the magistrates and deported to the colonies I came across several estate records of this .
Feltwad

 

[TFoley]

As an aside, the early form of ignition known as the Maynard tape priming system used roll caps, just like we used in our Cisco Kid cap guns...I can still smell that pungent whiff right now!!!!

 

[zimmerstutzen]

An interesting account of a gang of early 19th century poachers and their sentencing; Poachers and The Heydon Affray.

 

[waksupi]

I'll just leave my CIaymores in place.