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British 1863 Dated Enfield Tower 1853 Pattern .577 Calibre 3 Band Presentation Rifle ‘PRESENTED BY G H WHALLEY ESQ MP TO BENJAMIN LLOYD LEWIS OF NANT YR HENDY FOR HIS MANLY AND CORRECT CONDUCT IN THE AFFAIR OF THE 7TH SEPT 1863’ P1853 Bayonet & Scabbard - 21273 George Hammond Whalley (22 January 1813 – 8 October 1878) was a British lawyer and Liberal Party politician. He was the eldest son of James Whalley, a merchant and banker from Gloucester, and a direct descendant of Edward Whalley, the regicide. George was educated at University College London, gaining a first class degree in Metaphysics and Rhetoric. He entered Gray's Inn in 1835, and was called to the bar in 1839. He was an assistant tithe commissioner between 1836 and 1847, writing over 200 articles for the Justice of the Peace between 1838 and 1842. In 1838 and 1839 he published a pair of treatises on the Tithe Acts, which were expanded and published in 1848 as The Tithe Act and the Whole of the Tithe Amendment Acts. During the Great Famine in 1847 he established several fisheries on the Irish west coast. In 1852 he was made Sheriff of Caernarvonshire, a deputy lieutenant of Denbighshire and a captain in the Denbighshire Yeomanry. He unsuccessfully stood for Parliament at the 1852 general election in Montgomery and was returned to Parliament on his second attempt at a by-election in December 1852[ for the City of Peterborough. There were reports of irregularities in the election, which had been heavily influenced by Earl Fitzwilliam, and his election was voided on 8 June 1853. A second by-election was held on 25 June 1853, when Whalley was re-elected. Another election petition was lodged, and a Committee of the House of Commons was established in July 1853 to investigate the case. The committee determined that he had not been legitimately elected, and reinstated his opponent, Thomson Hankey. He was once again elected, however, in the 1859 general election. An Anglican, Whalley was persuaded to lead the parliamentary campaign against Roman Catholicism, taking over from the ailing Richard Spooner. His principal aim was to abolish the Maynooth Grant, claiming that Britain was paying for the creation of Catholic priests whose goal was to turn Britain into a "citadel of Popery". His three motions for the creation of a committee to consider repeal of the grant were all defeated in 1861, 1862, and 1863, and he experienced difficulty in getting his anti-Catholic speeches heard due to opposition from the numerous Irish MPs. In 1866 he claimed to have evidence that Vatican machinations had caused the defeat of British troops in New Zealand, that Cardinal Cullen, the Irish primate, intended to place a Stuart pretender on the throne of England, and that the Pope had taken control of the British artillery corps, the police, the telegraph office, and railway companies. He was also a zealous supporter of Arthur Orton, the notorious Tichborne Claimant, and was eventually jailed by Lord Chief Justice Cockburn, who tried the case, for contempt of court. He died insolvent in 1878, still in office (a period portait photogra of GH Whalley MP is illustrated in the images). This is a very good British Enfield Tower 1853 pattern percussion rifle presented by Whalley to BENJAMIN LLOYD LEWIS OF NANT YR HENDY (North Wales) most likely for his assistance in Whalley’s 1861, 1862, and 1863 committee motions to repeal the Maynooth grant. It has a 39” barrel and measures 55” overall. The barrel’s bore has crisp rifling and just light staining consistent with age and use. It has its original undamaged walnut stock and regulation brass fittings. The stock is mounted with a white metal presentation plate engraved ‘PRESENTED BY G H WHALLEY ESQ MP TO BENJAMIN LLOYD LEWIS OF NANT YR HENDY FOR HIS MANLY AND CORRECT CONDUCT IN THE AFFAIR OF THE 7TH SEPT 1863’ It has a heavy military hammer, block & blade fore sight & adjustable ladder rear sight. The action plate is crisply marked with Queen’s Crown, ‘Tower’ (Enfield) and ‘1863’ date. The barrel has proofs. The rifle has sling swivels and iron ramrod. The rifle has a strong cocking and firing action. The rifle is accompanied by an original period British P1853 socket bayonet. The bayonet measures 21” overall length and has a 17 ½” triangular blade. It has the correct swivel locking catch at the socket. The bayonet has staining consistent with age but no rust. The blade has inspection marks and indistinct makers name. The bayonet has its original brass mounted leather scabbard in very good condition. The price for this nice P1853 rifle presented by a controversial British MP worthy of further research regarding the circumstances of the presentation and the named recipient includes UK delivery. NB As an antique percussion weapon no licence is required to own this item in the UK if retained as part of a collection or display. Sn 21273
£1,895.00
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