Magnificent Officers Presentation Pistols by T Mortimer Edinburgh

I don’t think I have used the accolade magnificent before in describing guns but quite simply, this presentation pair of belt pistols are magnificent.
This is a superlative cased set of 16 bore belt pistols with extraordinary provenance manufactured by the famous gunsmith Thomas Mortimer with a precise manufacturing date of 1849.
Thomas Elsworth Mortimer was born on 9 September 1807 in London. He was the son of Thomas Jackson Mortimer and Elizabeth (nee Elsworth). When Thomas Jackson Mortimer died in 1833 his business was taken over by his widow, Elizabeth, and Thomas Elsworth. It continued to trade as T. E. Mortimer until 1840 but in 1834 T E Mortimer had moved to open a business under his own name at 78 Princes Street, Edinburgh and later moved to 97 George Street in 1840. He was joined by his son, Thomas Alfred Clark Mortimer, and the firm continued to trade under the name of Mortimer & Son, from 86 George Street, their address from 1854.
They later acquired the old established business of Joseph Harkom and in 1838, Mortimer & Son amalgamated with John Dickson & Son.
This case set was commissioned by John Orr, the Master of the Scottish Navy and Army Academy to present to his son John Orr on the occasion of his ending his studies at the Academy.
John Orr was born in Greenock on 3 April 1790 and baptised on 12th April. His parents were John and Margaret Orr (Drummond). His father is noted as a Jeweller in the baptismal records. (Other records give his father’s name as James John Orr and occupation as a silversmith.) John Orr obtained an army commission in 1809 in the Edinburgh Regiment of Militia and in 1811 was promoted and served in the Peninsular War. He was present at many of the battles of that war and was decorated for his service. He took part in the Battle of Waterloo with the 42nd Regiment of Foot in Captain Alexander Fraser’s company. He received severe leg injuries in the Battle. At the time of his death he was the last surviving officer of Waterloo. There is an excellent portrait of Orr together with more information and an image of his Waterloo medal on the Inverclyde heritage website.
The Scottish Naval and Military Academy in Edinburgh was a school opened on 8 November 18251 and closed in 1869. It catered mostly to young gentlemen intending a career with the Army, Navy or, especially, the forces of the East India Company.
There is an extraordinary amount of fine silver work on these pistols, both sharing an escutcheon engraved
Presented to Mr John W Orr by the Masters of the Scottish Naval and Military Academy 1849.
On each side of the butts are smaller escutcheons engraved with the names of John Orr’s Masters, namely – right butt, W Graham, D Liston, Geo Roland, Geo Simpson, Jas Trotter.
Left butt , Thos Complon, Geo Lees, J Mackie, F Senebier, G Surenne,
As mentioned above, when his father died in 1873 he was the last surviving officer present on the field of Waterloo, John went on to military success and was eventually commissioned Lt Colonel in the Madras Regiment.
The case is complimented with a comprehensive set of accessories including turnscrew, patch cutter, patch box, bullet mould and jag. The case also contains the key and a number of lead balls cast from the mould in antiquity.
The quality is excellent with the original browning of the barrels extant, beautiful chequered grips and forend. The locks and tangs have good foliate engraving and as presentation pieces the proof marks will be under the forend. The barrels have captive ramrods and the trigger guards feature additional foliate engraving and nice pineapple finials. The locks feature platinum vent plugs as would be expected.
The locks are mechanically perfect , cocking and locking with a crisp trigger release.
The top flats of the 8” 16 bore barrels are engraved T E M Edinburgh and the case has Mortimers trade label inside the lid. There is an engraved plate screwed above the trade label that reads;

A FAREWELL EXPRESSION OF REGARD
FROM THE MASTERS IN THE SCOTTISH NAVAL AND MILITARY ACADEMY
TO
MR JOHN W ORR
ON THE COMPLETION OF HIS COURSE OF STUDY AT THAT ESTABLISHMENT.

This mirrors the sentiment expressed on each silver butt escutcheon. The lid has a brass escutcheon with the initials J W O engraved on it.
This wonderful set was made at the pinnacle of British Gun making and I doubt it could be bettered, I certainly have not seen a better set. During the period of John Orr’s post at Master of The Naval and Military Academy, 1500 students were educated and entered service. Clearly the Academy must have been a huge source of business for Mortimer and a presentation set commissioned by the Master would have been an opportunity to display the finest level of quality Thomas Mortimer could achieve.
The pistols are in mint condition with all original finish, perfect browned Damascus barrels and the set is complete even to the original chamois covered barrel tompions, something seldom encountered.
As good as can be found.

Code: 50680