This classic English double barrel shotgun dates to 1817 and is signed "Jno. Manton & Son Dover Street London" on top of the concave rib and "Jno. Manton & Son" on the locks. The barrels, breech hooks, forend, and trigger guard tang all have the matching serial number. The barrels are "Damascus" twist and have a bead front sight and London proofs. The patent breeches have engraving on the rib, a platinum band at the rear, and platinum liners. The upper tang is lightly dished and engraved with foliage and martial elements. The casehardened, flat bevelled locks have rainproof pans, niter blue frizzen springs with large rollers, stepped tails, engraved border designs, burst patterns at the screw holes and top jaws, floral and martial engraving, and bright polished interiors. The trigger plate has a pineapple finial, and the trigger guard has martial, floral, and border engraving. The buttplate has a pair of hunting dogs at the heel, engraved borders, and some floral accents The nicely figured stock has silver wedge escutcheons, a silver wrist escutcheon engraved with Lord Montagu's coronet and "M" (also inscribed on the lid escutcheon of the case), and a checkered wrist. The mahogany case has an appropriate trade label, extra lock parts such as a pair of extra frizzens and extra top jaws, flint wallet with a combination tool, and a variety of other loading and maintenance items including a later Dixon powder flask embossed with a pheasant, a double shot belt, a mainspring vice, and more. Its provenance is documented in the included catalogs from Christie's London "Fine Antique Arms," October 13, 1975, lot 52, and from Bonham's, "Antique Arms and Armour," December 2, 2004, lot 403. The latter lists "Provenance: Henry James, Lord Montagu, to his nephew Walter Francis, 5th Duke of Buccleuch" and "By descent to Henry Montagu Douglas Scott, later 1st Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, (Gns. 1800) R.J. Wigington, Stratford-Upon-Avon." It is documented on pages 59-60 of "The Manton Supplement" by Neal and Back and "The Mantons: 1782-1878" by Back on page 43. The former indicates it was originally owned by Henry James, Lord Montagu of Boughton and lists the same provenance as above. A framed print of a Vanity Fair cartoon dated "Jan. 25, 1873" and captioned "No. 221. STATESMEN No. 137./'The Governing Classes.'" is included. This is a caricature of Henry Montagu Douglas Scott, the gun's second owner, who lived 1806-1884 and was a Scottish landed magnate and a conservative. He was created a Knight of the Garter in 1835 and was Lord Privy Seal and Lord President in Peel's government during the 1840s. He acted as Gold Stick during the coronations of King William IV and Queen Victoria. He was the chancellor of the University of Glasgow starting in 1877. Also included is "Boughton House: The English Versailles" edited by Tessa Murdoch which includes a history of the famed estate and its possessions, including the armoury which is among the finest private armouries in the country.

Very good. The barrels were shortened during its working life and displaying thin brown finish and visible twist patterns as well as some patches of mild pitting, bright interior on the locks nearly all of the case colors present on the spare frizzens, 50% original case colors remaining, 75% original blue on the trigger guard, 25% original blue on the buttplate, dark aged patina on the silver, generally smooth gray and brown patina on the faded areas, some oxidation mainly on the buttplate, and general mild overall wear. The stock is good and has very attractive figure, mild overall wear, crisp checkering, some filler and small holes at the butt and toe, and general small dings and scratches. Mechanically excellent. The case and accessories are generally fine with mild overall wear mostly from age and storage such as a fair amount of scrapes and dings on the case exterior. Overall, this is a very attractive English flintlock sporting gun documented as owned by multiple members of a distinguished British noble family.