doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com N. N. Wilmot

A fellow is asking about a Barber and Lefever breech loading conversion from a muzzle loader marked N.N. Wilmot on the sideplates. Any ideas as to the origin of this? Is this the same as the Wilmot Gun Co?

I have Several notes for N.N Wilmot listed in my notes. They may be for the same person in fact. First note is for N.N. Wilmot listed as Boston 1847-1849. Second listing is for N.N. Wilmot listed as St. Louis, 90 Pine Street 1850's and last is again St. Louis, 30 north Main, residence Menard south east corner Anna Avenue 1860.

Edited to remove the n that was not needed and to reduce confusion.

Wilmot or Wilmont?

Wilmot, no "N".
Jon, that would be about the right time frame. Did he make double muzzle loaders?

Any further information on Wilmot?

From Sellers:
Nathaniel N Wilmot
Boston 1847-1849
St Louis 1850-1859
St Paul 1862-1864
imported shotguns

Vorisek does not list him.

From the 1850 Census, St Louis
Nath Wilmot M 49 England (his trade is illegible, not a gunsmith)
S H A Wilmot F 29 England
Harvey Wilmot M 6 Mass
Emma H Wilmot M 5 Mass
Sarah Ellen Wilmot F 10 England
Ann Kellan F 18 Ireland
S N Wilmot M 46 England Printer

View the Census page
He is at the bottom of the page

Pete

I may be wrong, but I believe Nathaniel Wilmot's occupation listed on the census page in fine Spencerian script may be "Trunkmaker". Presuming census employees went door to door, orally interviewing whatever adult happened to be home at the time, I wonder if the census taker may have misheard or misunderstood the spoken response to his question. Perhaps it was "gunmaker".

There was a census done in Philadelphia (1870?)that was so full of errors the Census Bureau ordered that it be redone. The census taker job was a political hand out in most places during the 1800's. The only requirement was reading and writing, which in 1850 was not a common skill set.

Here is Nathaniel N Wilmot listed as a gunsmith, 1864 in St Paul
View - St Paul City Directory 1864

Here is N.N. Wilmot listed as a gunsmith, 1865 in St Louis
View - St Louis City Directory 1865

Pete