J Sparrow swivel gun

[Spuddy]

A fiend of mine found this gun and I may have an opportunity to purchase it.  I wanted to verify some of the information that he has given me and seek additional information from those of you on this board as well.  He told me that it was cast in Portland Maine around the time of the Revolutionary War and that the name J. Sparrow is associated with it.  That would help explain the s on the end of the trunnion.  The barrel length is 32", breech diameter is 6", muzzle diameter is 4" and the bore diameter is 1.75".  The company in Portland was called Portland Co. apparently there was such a company with a proprietor by the name of J. Sparrow.  I would like comments from those of you that may know whether this information is accurate and if you have any additional information.  Thank you in advance for your help.
The attached PDF is a scanned photo of the gun.  You may need to rotate it to prevent a kink in your neck.
 

[flagman1776]

Looks like a nice swivel gun.  I quickly found this information which differs from yours.  I'd need to do some on site research before I accepted the claims as gospel.   About 100 years discrepenancy.     
http://www.portlandcompany.com/
http://www.civilwarartillery.com/manufacturers.htm

[Cannoneer]

Spuddy,

I agree with flagman1776 that this is a classic looking iron swivel gun. I doubt that the yoke and base are original (unless it's a reproduction).

This is taken from "Boarders Away II" by William Gilkerson: "Various anonymous cast-iron swivel guns have survived showing features more or less imitative of the conventional Revolutionary-period British half or three-quarter-pounder tubes, but bearing no crown markings. Three examples dredged from American coastal waters are traced in Drawing 12. Although any of these or others like them could have been cast for private purchase in English or European foundries they could have been as easily cast in America. All are common to the general pattern of iron guns in use during the late 18th and early19th centuries; all defy closer identification."

The three illustrations in Gilkerson's book closely resemble (especially one) the gun shown in the pdf that you attached. Gilkerson also mentions a Connecticut foundry named "Salisbury Iron Works" that cast guns for the colonial rebels.

Cannonmn is the guy to go to on swivel guns, he will probably be able to add something useful here.

[KABAR2]

Your friend has a very nice looking swivel could you ask him if there are any markings on the tube itself and on the other trunnion? This may better help determine the age and identity of the cannon. Also if possible more photos if possible......

[flagman1776]

I must consider the "J. Sparrow" identification suspect unless further research can show a J. Sparrow predecessor.  I consider the Portland Co to be a conclusion based on the presumed J Sparrow link.  Not impossible, mind you, but would likely require research in that city archives.  It would not be unheard of for a skilled art to be passed down to successive generations. 
The piece itself could well be Rev War/1812 as swivels were at times critical pieces of ordinance.  Swivels were outclassed by larger guns by the CW.  I agree with the others...  a detailed & magnified inspection of all aspects of the swivel gun especially noting any & all markings is a necessary first step.  It might even require some paint removal.  I will look up the references in my copies of Boarders Away.   

[cannonmn]

I'm guessing the piece is English because the "code letter" system was in force in England during 18th/19th C.  There were so many contractors making guns that a letter or letters recorded in a master register in the Ordnance Office (or whatever they called it at the time) showed which founder was which.  Our member Bob Smith did an article with a list of all the known founders and their initials.  Bob might show up and make us smarter, and give us his highly-educated opinion on the founder of this piece.  Some American founders used initials also, so there's still a possibility that it is American-made, but more likely English-made in my opinion.

[Bob Smith]

I am afraid you over-estimate my knowledge; it was my wife, Ruth Brown, who did the research into the trunnion marks. I have asked her and she thinks the S stood for Sowley, an iron foundry run by the Sone family in Hampshire, near Bucklers Hard which was owned by the Duke of Montagu, who being the Master General of the Ordnance, was in a good position to get him contracts for casting cannon. The furnace was in operation from about 1744 to 1756, when they sold it on to an ironmaster who went bankrupt shortly afterwards.
Bob Smith

[Victor3]

 Sure it aint Capt. Jack Sparrow, from Pirates of the Caribbean? 

[Cannoneer]

Sure it aint Capt. Jack Sparrow, from Pirates of the Caribbean? 

I knew that sooner or later someone was going to say it, but I should have also known that it was going to be you.

[Spuddy]

 This swivel gun is to be sold next Saturday at an auction in Maine.  I have copied how the item is lised from their catalogue.
 
 
[font=]Lot # 237[/font]
 
[font=]CIVIL WAR PIVOT CANNON - Iron Pivot Cannon made by Sparrow Foundry of Portland, Maine, on custom stand, displaying the original swivel mounted below a modern replica, the tube itself with 'S' marks on the trunnions, is 32" long, 6" diam, 2 3/4" bore, overall pitting. [/font]
 
[font=]Starting Bid:$2000[/font]
 
 

[Spuddy]

Sorry for the strange apperance of my previous post.
 

[KABAR2]

I see they have a pair of the little Spainish repro Napoleons also..... the Swivel is a nice piece  but the atrabution is questionable......

[cannonmn]

Anyone else notice the "P" stamped over the trunnions? 
 
Well thar ya go, matey, for shore kud onlie mean "Pirate!"
 
 
 
 
Only kidding, kiddies!  Of course that P stands for "proved."  It is much more common to find such a mark on British-made pieces than American.  To me that ties down the British roots.  Thanks to Bob Smith for giving us access to Ruth's information.  Bob, also, thank Ruth for putting links to three of my videos in her magazine.

[KABAR2]

And here I thought the "P" ment "poof"..... err.... "Proof" 

[cannonmn]

A friend called from the auction house to give me a report on the English swivel gun, lot no. 237, which came up today.   It was passed, being bid to $3750., which was "below the reserve price"  as stated by the auctioneer.
 
My comment is only that if the seller and house had been realistic about what to expect for a corroded English swivel on an average repro mounting, they could have sold it.  But instead they tried to "fool" people that it was American and I think wanted a minimum of $4K.  We all know you can fool some of the people some of the time, but with more books, websites etc. putting out generally good info on this stuff, trying to fool people doesn't work nearly as often as it used to.

[flagman1776]

It is a decent, even nice, old / antique swivel gun.  A shame the seller got greedy & tried to jack the price by attributing the gun to an Amercan maker, not in business at the period cited...   where even a cursory research showed the attribution to be doubtful.  As the power & reach of large cannon increased, the swivel cannon fell by the wayside long before the Civil War when the cited maker/company worked.   

[Spuddy]

Cannonmn and Flagman 1776,
One of the reason that I like this board is because of the knowledge that is found here.  I knew when I first posted about this gun that I could rely on experience like yours.  I have a friend that knows the owner of this gun and knew it had been for sale for a while before it was consigned to the auction. He told me about it over a year ago.  My friend will find the results interesting.  Thank you for helping those of us who love cannons, and are building our knowledge base.
Spuddy