Dating from circa 1835, this spectacular side by side shotgun from the late flintlock era is recorded on page 109 of "The Mantons: Gunmakers" (Walker and Company edition, 1967) by W. Keith Neal and D.H.L. Back as a cased double barrel 13 bore shotgun credited to N. Blank, U.S.A., "The pans and pan-covers are V-shaped (Patent No. 3942) and the hammers are marked 'Jno Manton & Son Patent.' The touch-holes are lined with platinum. The escutcheon is engraved with the crest of the Earl of Plymouth. The serial number on the locks now appears above the mainspring on the inside of the plate, rather than on the upper edge as previously." The wrist escutcheon and case lid escutcheon have a griffin and torse over the initials "RHC" for British Conservative politician Robert Henry Clive (1789-1854), the younger son of Edward Clive, 1st Earl of Powis (1754-1839) and Henrietta Antonia Clive, Countess of Powis (1758-1830) and grandson of Robert Clive known as Clive of India. He was a Member of Parliament from 1818 to 1854, first representing Ludlow and later Stropshire South and also the Deputy Lieutenant and Justice of the Peace for Shropshire as well as Justice of the Peace for Worcestershire and an officer in the militia and yeomanry. The flask is signed by hand "G.H.W. Windsor-Clive" over an abbreviation for the Coldstream Guards referring to Lieutenant Colonel George Herbert Windsor Windsor-Clive (1835-1918), the second son of Robert Clive. Mr. Blank's notes indicate it was purchased from the sale of the Earl of Plymouth's guns in 1962 via W. Keith Neal. The browned Damascus barrels have a bead front sight, "John Manton & Son Dover Street" signed on the concave rib in ornate script, floral engraving that extends onto the patent breeches which have platinum liners, and London proofs on the bottom of the barrels. The matching serial number is marked on the bottom of the barrels and breech plugs, inside the forend, on the lower tang, and inside both locks. The locks each have the noted V-shaped frizzen and pan with the patent marking on the front of the frizzen, a frizzen spring roller, scroll engraving, a hare on the tail, and "John Manton & Son/PATENT" signed below the pan. The forend and wrist escutcheons are silver. The ramrod entry pipe and trigger plate each with stylized pineapple finials, and the furniture also features floral, scroll, and border engraving. A leather pad is fitted at the back of the trigger guard bow. The well-figured walnut stock has a smooth forend, a checkered wrist, and a 14 1/4 inch length of pull. The original mahogany case contains a suite of accessories, including the leather bound Hawksley flask noted above, leather flint wallet, flints, spare screws, wad punch, double turnscrew, and small brush. The case lid has a John Manton & Son trade label of circa 1824-1844. Provenance: The Collection of the Earls of Plymouth; The Norman R. Blank Collection

Very fine with 90% plus of the lightly fading brown finish, 60% original blue on the furniture, bright original nitre blue on the frizzen springs, light case colors on the locks and patent breeches, darker case colors on the standing breech, aged patina on the silver escutcheons, and minor overall wear. The stock is also very fine aside from a repaired chip above the nose of the right lock and has some mild scratches and dings and attractive figure and grain. Mechanically fine. The case and accessories are fine with mild age and storage related wear. Overall, this is a very attractive cased set formerly in an English aristocratic collection.