s Pistols by William Needler, Hull, c.1849-1867 - Hull Museums Collections

Pistols by William Needler, Hull, c.1849-1867

This fascinating boxed set of pistols has survived completely intact. You can see all the extra items needed to load the guns, prepare them for firing and clean them afterwards. If not properly looked after a gun can become dangerous. It can even fail to fire just when it matters most. These extras include a ramrod, a wad cutter and an oil cup. You can also see the maker’s card in the box: ‘William Needler from Hull.’ These pistols were made by William Needler. William was the son of an innkeeper from Pocklington. William was born in Pocklington in 1820. His trade card describes him coming from London where he was living in 1841 during his apprenticeship. Needler eventually established himself at 26 Silver Street in Hull. He acquired this shop from Hull gunsmith, Samuel Mozeen. Needler produced a wide range of firearms possibly including harpoon guns. Needler’s shop was the scene of a death in 1856. A music seller called William Atkinson asked Needler to load a gun for him. Atkinson then shot himself. An inquest into this returned an open verdict. William Needler’s son, William Stevenson Needler was also a gunsmith who later traded at 26 Silver Street. This is an outstanding cased set of four pistols. Each has a silver escutcheon engraved with a talbot’s head, probably the crest of the Ellerker family. They have Birmingham proof and view marks.