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LOT 3065
Historic Engraved E.M. Reilly & Co. Jones Rotary Underlever Hammer Double Rifle in .500/.450 No. 1 Express Inscribed to Lawrence R. Jerome from his brother Leonard W. Jerome, Grandfather of Winston Churchill, in 1871, the Same Year the Brothers Participated in the Famous “Millionaires Hunt” in the American West with General Sheridan and Buffalo Bill Cody - Serial no. 17574, 500/450 cal., 28 inch solid rib bbl., brown/casehardened/blue finish, walnut stock. This classic English double rifle was manufactured c. 1871. The Damascus barrels
have Henry patent rifling, matted ribs with beaded blade front sight, two leaf rear sight (100 yard standing, 200 yard folding, both engraved and both featuring platinum sight lines), “E.M. REILLY. & Co. OXFORD STREET. LONDON. &. RUE SCRIBE. PARIS.” marked on the breech section along with scroll and shell engraving, a shared extractor, sling eye on the bottom of the rib, and “HENRY’S PATENT No 411” and “No. 410” along with the serial number and London proof and view marks on the bottom. The watertable has London view marks, and the frame and furniture have fine English scroll engraving. The non-rebounding back action locks have “E.M. REILLY. &. Co LONDON.” along the bottom edges, sliding half-cock safeties, and small detailed deer scenes. The trigger guard is inscribed “LAWRENCE R. JEROME./NEW YORK” on the bow and has the serial number on the tang. The highly figured splinter forearm and pistol grip stock have checkering with diamond accents, a shallow oval shadowline cheekpiece, and a smooth steel buttplate. The right side of the stock below the lock has “C,” “P,” and “M” markings, and the opposite side has “No 1,” an “M,” and “TT.” The silver oval escutcheon behind the sling swivel on the buttstock is inscribed “LRJ/from/LWJ/1871.”
Lawrence R. Jerome (1820-1888) and his brother Leonard W. Jerome (1817- 1891) were among the most prominent men in New York society in the second half of the 19th century. Brief biographies of the brothers can be found in Paul Andrew Hutton’s notes at the end of the included edited edition of “Ten Days on the Plains.” Each married one of the wealthy Hall sisters, and they lived in adjoining houses and together ran the Rochester Daily American until selling it in 1850. They then moved to New York
City where they ran a telegraph company and became financial tycoons
on Wall Street. After enhancing his wealth, Lawrence retired and briefly entered politics and was elected as an alderman in 1870 and also served on the Board of Supervisors. After a failed attempt at a Congressional seat, he dedicated his time to sport and social life. Among Lawrence’s friends were Chester A. Arthur and the Prince of Wales. He had served as Collector of the Port of Rochester under President Millard Filmore. Lawrence’s middle son Lieutenant Lovell Hall Jerome had also recently graduated from West Point in 1870 and was assigned to the U.S. 2nd Cavalry and was stationed at Fort Ellis in the Montana Territory in 1871 and later was a member of
the burial party following the Battle of Little Bighorn. He also fought in additional
Indian Wars on the plains, was
awarded the Medal of Honor in
1877 for a charge at Muddy Creek in Montana, and was held as a hostage in the Nez Perce’s camp in 1877 and was released in exchange for General Nelson Miles releasing Chief Joseph.
Leonard was the more prominent of the brothers and
is remembered today largely
as the maternal
grandfather of
Winston Churchill,
but before the famous
English statesman
was born, Leonard was
dubbed “The King of
Wall Street” and made,
lost, and remade his wealth
through the stock market
multiple times, including
running a private dining room
known as the Observatory which
the Jerome brothers used to
manipulate the stock market. Like
his brother, he received patronage
from President Fillmore and was
nominated as American consul to
the popular port of Trieste. During
the Civil War, he was the treasurer
of the Union Defense Committee
and donated money to support
veterans and their families and also 1888. He enjoyed the good life as a sportsman and was very active in New helped finance the USS Meteor (1863). He also manned a Gatling gun in York’s elite sporting clubs alongside their friends the Vanderbilts, including defense of the New York Times (he was around a 1/4 owner) during the horse and yacht racing. He was one of the founders of the American Jockey New York Draft Riots in 1863. By 1871, Leonard was on top and was worth Club and has also been known as the “Father of the American Turf.” millions. He was essentially a retired gentleman but didn’t fully retire until
Leonard R. Jerome W. Jerome
Lawrence
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