John Henry Johnston, his son James Henry, and grandson John A. were all makers of Pennsylvania long rifles. James was the founder of the well known Great Western Gunworks in Pittsburg just after the Civil War. The engraved lock is marked "Henry Parker/Warranted." The rifle has blade front and notch rear sights on a browned octagon barrel with "J. H. JOHNSTON" hand signed behind the rear sight. It is mounted on a full-length figured maple stock with brass furniture including an ornate patchbox on the right side which has a release button in the long toe plate that extends to the rear of the trigger guard. The stock also had incised molding along the forend and bottom of the butt and incised carving on the wrist and behind the cheekpiece. The stock is decorated with over twenty engraved silver inlays in a variety of designs and has engraved brass furniture. The rifle is equipped with double set triggers. The sideplate is inscribed "Samuel Speaker." The rifle also includes a note in the patchbox indicating it was purchased from Peter Tillou at the Philadelphia Antiques Show in 1997. There are a few potential Samuel Speakers in records for the period, including Samuel Speaker (1800-1871) and his son (1830-1909) who are both buried in Attica, Ohio, a Samuel Speaker (1830-1915) who was born in Pennsylvania and moved to Kansas in the 1880s, another man by the name (1791-1865) who was from Ohio and later Illinois, and Samuel Chase Speaker (1848-1935) of Jefferson County, Ohio. Provenance: The Peter H. Tillou Collection; Property of a Gentlemen

Fine with distinct signature and inscription, crisp engraving, attractive aged patinas on the silver and brass, gray and brown patina on the iron, moderate pitting at the breech, and generally otherwise fairly minor overall wear. The stock is very fine and has mostly dark finish and distinct flame figure throughout, some fading and wear around the lock, distinct carving, and minor dings and scratches. Mechanically fine.