Fletcher Jamieson hid a letter and an elephant hair in the butt of his Holland and Holland .500/.450 addressed to the unknown future owner of the rifle.

I read somewhere that a (the) new owner after buying the rifle at auction went to replace the recoil pad and found the letter.

I thought I read that the guy found it in 1992 but now I cannot find the reference or the fellow's name or his location.

Any historians that can help?

Damn that sounds cool.

My crystal ball, AKA my old buddy Peter tells me it's on page 63 of "A Man Called Lion" by Peter Capstick, published 1994.

This was the only thing I ever remember reading about it.

http://forums.nitroexpress.com...W&topic=&Search=true

I guess this is the closest we will get to a rifle being able to talk. It would be interesting if more people did this, especially amongst the big bores and/or guild rifles.

About 10 years ago there was a web page dedicated to this rifle. IIRC the rifle was for sale at the time.

There were several photos of the rifle and the letter.

Speaking of items under the recoil pad, Fred Everett speaks of putting eyelashes from bull elephants under the recoil pad or under the grip cap of his rifles. Anyone know the origin and basis for this tradition?

Wow, this sounds really interesting. I just picked up a H&H 500/465 Royal made in
1908. I am not sure of it's previous ownership trail, but H&H will provide the original
ownership/build specs,...

Either way, I will check under the recoil pad (leather) & in the grip cap!

Hopefully, I will have a few elephant eyelashes to stash in it as I will be taking it to Tanzania
in about a month!

JB

Yeah, that's where I read it, in A Man Called Lion. Senile!

I have a copy of the original letter but am curious whether anyone knows or knows of then 1992 owner Doug Riddle in Zimbabwe.

Anyone?

Brian Marsh wrote an article about Fletcher Jamieson, the rifle and the letter some years ago in Magnum magazine. He may have mentioned the new owner in that piece. I'll have a look tonight and let you know if his name is mentioned.

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
Speaking of items under the recoil pad, Fred Everett speaks of putting eyelashes from bull elephants under the recoil pad or under the grip cap of his rifles. Anyone know the origin and basis for this tradition?

Absolutely!!! What a great idea/tradition!

Brett

Found this in Brian Marsh's article in November 1993 issue.

The rifle was built at Holland & Holland in 1902 for a Mr Phelps. Returned to H&H for resale in the 1920s, sold to a Mr Kirkley of Salisbury , Rhodesia who then sold it to Fletcher Jamieson in 1928.

There is no record of who Jamieson sold the rifle to, but it is likely that it was used as a trade-in for the .500 Jeffery Rimless which was ordered through Mitchell & Fallon Gunsmiths in Salisbury.

In 1992 the rifle was bought from a deceased estate by Doug Riddle, a sports hunter from Harare. The rifle was in an extremely neglected condition and Doug immediately set about stripping it down completely to give it a cleaning, at which time he found the letter and elephant tail hair.

Thanks

I am looking at the rifle as I write this....in photos of course. I was lucky enough to acquire 4 photos of Fletcher Crawford Jamieson from a friend of the familys. They are the sepia toned Graflex photos he took. Two are published but I'm not sure about the other two. Fletcher is posing with a croc, zebra, kudu, and ele. The rifle is in all of the pics. I had a friends sister clean and tone the photos and enlarge them as she worked in the photo department of a major corp. They sit on the wall in my office. I am amazed at the number of clients who ask if it is me in the photos! That question is really an honor. However there is really no comparison. My mug doesn't hold a candle to his image. I would pay dearly for that hat, however.

Dutch

quote:

Originally posted by Dutch44:
I would pay dearly for that hat, however.

Dutch

+1

Jamieson way quite a hunter.

quote:

Originally posted by Dutch44:
I am looking at the rifle as I write this....in photos of course. I was lucky enough to acquire 4 photos of Fletcher Crawford Jamieson from a friend of the familys. They are the sepia toned Graflex photos he took. Two are published but I'm not sure about the other two. Fletcher is posing with a croc, zebra, kudu, and ele. The rifle is in all of the pics. I had a friends sister clean and tone the photos and enlarge them as she worked in the photo department of a major corp. They sit on the wall in my office.

Dutch

Any way you could post a copy of those pic's Dutch.

Von Gruff.

i would love to see them as well

peter

What a great story, I love this site! jorge

quote:

Originally posted by JBrown:
About 10 years ago there was a web page dedicated to this rifle. IIRC the rifle was for sale at the time.

There were several photos of the rifle and the letter.

Hi Jason

I actually put that webpage up myself, wow was it that long ago ...

Anyhow to cut a long story short; origionally a chap from Zim's contacted me to sell the rifle on his behalf and I dug up a lot of info and designed the page and uploaded to my server.

If I can find any of the old pictures lurking around on my PC will post them

To wet your appetite, see below ///

A .500/.450 (3¼IN. NITRO EXPRESS) 'ROYAL' D.B. HAMMERLESS SIDELOCK NON-EJECTOR RIFLE BY HOLLAND & HOLLAND, No. 17915, rounded bar, elongated top-strap, automatic safe, gold-inlaid cocking-indicators, chequered front-trigger, best bold foliate-scroll engraving, well-figured replacement stock with pistolgrip, engraved and colour-hardened pistolgrip-cap (with trap), cheekpiece and recoil-pad, sling-swivels, lever-latch forend, the Whitworth-steel chopper-lump barrels with matt sight-rib, open-sights and ramp-mounted bead-foresight with folding moon-sight

Lot Description
A .500/.450 (3¼IN. NITRO EXPRESS) 'ROYAL' D.B. HAMMERLESS SIDELOCK NON-EJECTOR RIFLE BY HOLLAND & HOLLAND, No. 17915, rounded bar, elongated top-strap, automatic safe, gold-inlaid cocking-indicators, chequered front-trigger, best bold foliate-scroll engraving, well-figured replacement stock with pistolgrip, engraved and colour-hardened pistolgrip-cap (with trap), cheekpiece and recoil-pad, sling-swivels, lever-latch forend, the Whitworth-steel chopper-lump barrels with matt sight-rib, open-sights and ramp-mounted bead-foresight with folding moon-sight
Weight 10lb. 13oz., 15in. pull, 26in. barrels, nitro proof
In its brass-mounted oak and leather case, with interior flap



Lot Notes
Holland & Holland have kindly confirmed that the rifle was completed on 12 February 1903 for Maharaja Ganga Singh of Bikaner. A similar rifle was used by President T. Roosevelt on his 1909 safari. Rifle No. 19109 was presented to the President in 1909 by the leading statesmen, sportsmen and clergy of England; this rifle was the most powerful Roosevelt ever used and is a fitting accompaniment to one of the President's most famous quips:- 'Walk softly and carry a big stick'. The great elephant hunter and photographer Fletcher Jamieson was also greatly impressed by this calibre and left a remarkable testement to its powers when he wrote the following about his own Holland & Holland .500/.450, No. 17892:- 'This rifle, No. 17892 .500/.450 has been one of my best friends. She has pulled me through many an encounter with Elephants, Rhino and Buffaloe (sic). She is one of the most accurate rifles in the world and since being in my hands has achieved a very fine record.... Who-ever may be the proud possessor of this rifle after I am finished with it please treasure it for my sake'


Cheers, Peter

Wow I did a FBI search on my old old hardrive files and BINGO some nice information for the GUESTS to read ..

Some of the info is now copied off my old HTML webpage design so just bear with me

Cheers, Peter
========================================





What's so famous about this particular rifle ?

Several things: Firstly it belonged to Fletcher Jamieson, who was one of Rhodesia's most famous hunters, known as "Chimpongani - The One Who Never Misses". As you can see from the letter Fletcher kept in the butt, much of that reputation was gained from this rifle. In his own words, "She is one of the most accurate rifles in the world ...I am positive that as far as her record is concerned, she is second to none... she is all that one could wish for."

Secondly, this gun was used as a benchmark to set standards and requirements for big game hunting. Fletcher's friend, John Taylor used Fletcher's photographs of this rifle throughout his book, "African Rifles and Cartridges". This is the original handbook for African hunting specifications which made Holland & Holland guns famous. It is the most publicised African hunting rifle.

Thirdly, the rifle has recently been completely renovated by Holland & Holland and is in pristine condition.

How do you know it is the authentic rifle of Fletcher Jamieson?
We have the original letter written by Fletcher, which was found in the stock with the elephant hair he refers to in the letter. The hand writing has been verified by his friends and family.

Is it true that Fletcher shot 7 buffalo with 5 shots using this rifle?
Yes, amazingly enough, it's completely true.

Is it still so accurate?
Yes, and the test results from Holland & Holland in 1997 confirm this.

Does the letter and the elephant hair come with the gun?
Yes, they do.

Is ammunition still available?
Yes, the ammunition can be purchased from Westley Richards of Birmingham.

THE HISTORY

The rifle was first test fired at the Holland & Holland factory on the 8th of May 1902 and testing was completed on the 15th of May 1902. It was sold to Mr. Phelps who later sold it to Mr. Kirkley. Eventually Crawford Fletcher Jamieson acquired the rifle and it is then its prominence as a fine hunting weapon became evident. Fletcher Jamieson used the rifle to shoot many species of animals, accounts of which are recorded in John "Pondoro" Taylor's book, "African Rifles and Cartridges."

"African Rifles and Cartridges" was the best known of several books published by John Taylor and has become the recognised authority on big game hunting in Africa. The rifle is frequently referred to and examples are given throughout the book and features in most of its photographs with its trophies. The most dramatic account of this rifle's performance relates how two Cape Buffalo were killed outright with a single round.

The combination of Fletcher Jamieson and this Holland & Holland Royal contributed to Holland & Holland's fame as fine rifle and shotgun manufacturers. Fletcher Jamieson & his .500/450 Royal have been immortalised in "Äfrican Rifles and Cartridges" and have become part of Africa's folklore.


WHAT'S ON OFFER

One 1902 Holland & Holland .500/.450 Nitro Express Royal Double Sidelock rifle.

Thirty rounds of ammunition.

The spare firing pins.

One ivory sight.

The cleaning rod, oil and solvent flask.

Bronze Barrel brush and pull through tools.

Firing pin removal tool and original recoil rod (now replaced).

The original letter from C.F. Jamieson found in the recoil rod.

The original elephant hair included in the letter written in 1934.

A copy of "African Rifles & Cartridges" by John Taylor.

A copy of "The African Sporting Gazette and International Traveller", Issue no. 3, giving an account of Fletcher Jamieson and the rifle.

A copy of "Magnum Magazine" also giving an account of the rifle.

THE RIFLE'S SPECIFICATIONS

The rifle next appeared in the 1980's when Dr. Wright possessed the weapon. I obtained the rifle from Dr. Wright's Estate after it had been in a police armoury. On a business trip to the United Kingdom I took the rifle back to Holland & Holland to have it restored. Some five months later it returned in pristine condition, so much so that I had to carefully scrutinise the rifle to confirm it was the same weapon. It shoots and handles exactly as one would expect from a weapon manufactured by one of the world's finest manufacturers - Holland & Holland.

Holland & Holland Nitro Express Royal, Hammerless Sidelock, Double Cordite Rifle.

Calibre .500/.450, 70 grains Cordite and 365 grains Nickel coated bullet, Case 3 ¼"

Rifle No.17892

First test fired 8th May 1902

Finished at factory 15th May 1902

Length 15 + 14 ¾ + 15 5/16

Cast off 1/8 + 1/8 +1/16 +3/16

Weight of Rifle 9lb, 9 ½ ozs

Bend 2 + 1½

Pulls 4 + 5

quote:

Originally posted by Balla Balla:

quote:

Originally posted by JBrown:
About 10 years ago there was a web page dedicated to this rifle. IIRC the rifle was for sale at the time.

There were several photos of the rifle and the letter.

Hi Jason

I actually put that webpage up myself, wow was it that long ago ...

Well Peter, you should give yourself a pat on the back because that was a beautiful web page. It would take me a lot longer than 10 years to forget it.

Thanks again for posting the information. I am going to save it to a flash-drive this time.

I have an interesting anecdote about Fletcher Jamieson which might be of some interest. On reading the account of his death, I was intrigued by the possibility that the property on which I lived at the time, might have been the same as that which Fletch was killed at. This property belonged to my in-laws and consisted of almost five acres, with an original farm house built in 1900 located in the suburb of Hatfield. Out back was a disused well and to all accounts the property fitted the possible location of Fletcher’s house. I managed to make contact with his son - Fletcher Jnr. - who through various correspondence was able to provide me with a hand drawn map of where the house was.

It turned out not to be our property, but one just a couple of miles away, and coincidentally very close to a house I lived in as a kid. Fletcher Jnr mentioned that his father had built and lived in a “bachelor” house of sorts before marrying and moving into the double story where he was killed. Fletch Jnr wrote me “After marrying my mother, Joan they continued to live there briefly together with his thirteen cats. They then moved across the road to the double story house which belonged to his parents until the time of his death on 17 September 1947.”

From his map, which was good as a guide, though the area has changed much with development in the intervening years, I set off one day to locate the bachelor house should it still be there. After a couple of hours of riding around, I found it. Unmistakable in its pre 1900 design, the old mud brick walls and corrugated iron roof were a dead give away. It now forms part of a property where a far more modern house exists. The bachelor house is used as a servant’s quarters at the extreme back yard. I wonder what Fletcher would make of that.

Apparently, several of the main road names in the area were chosen by Fletcher’s grandmother and have some relevance to old Scottish family ties. Fletcher Jnr told me “My Grandmother named the roads Glamis and Kilwinning which if I remember correctly had some connection to family ties in Scotland. My Grandfather from Scotland joined his three older brothers in South Africa in the early 1890s'.They purchased a donkey for him and a small 'handgun' and at the age of 17 headed for and arrived at Bulawayo in 1893.Pretending to be a qualified carpenter and employed as one until such time as he was caught out he then returned to SA disillusioned with life and became an engine driver instead. This he did till sometime after the Boer war then returned to Scotland to marry my grandmother. My father and his brother Norman were born there and as a family headed for SA where younger brother Alec was born. Sometime just prior to WW1 they arrived at Plumtree where they bought a farm and tried their hand at that for awhile. My grandfather soon had to return to SA to eke out a living leaving his young family to run the farm. After a number of years of this they moved as a family to Que Que where my Grandfather was hired as the 'skip driver' on the Globe and Phoenix mine.After some years they moved once again up to Salisbury -Hatfield.”

Shortly after, I did manage to speak to the lady who then resided in the house (circa 2000). She knew some of the history of the house, but not in any great detail. What she did say was that she believed his ghost still roamed the house, and had on occasion seen an apparition she believed to be Fletcher standing at the bottom of a large wooden staircase in the house. Unfortunately, I never got to visit her and have now last contact, though almost daily drive past the house on my way to work. I have it on the back burner and plan to follow up again, visit the house, take some pictures and publish the story in the African Hunter magazine.

That's what AH needs, a good ghost story!

All of us ought to put a brief history under the buttplates of our rifles.

I have several old ones that I wish could speak to me like that!

IIRC, Jamieson was electrocuted while working on a pump for a well on his property. After facing so much dangerous game, to go like that!

What a world . . .

Kind of funny that this subject should come up. My father was a major collector of civil war era weapons and literally supported us with his buying/selling/trading during the 50's-70's. On a number of occassions he would remove butt plates and stocks where he would find documents, photos and even paper money. Obviously placed there by soldiers who had been issued the guns.

It has been my custom since I was young to place my original sales receipt and later on maybe a business card in the area underneath the pad. These things are useless to me now but will be cool for some young guy to "discover" a hundred years from now. My own little firearm time capsules.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:


IIRC, Jamieson was electrocuted while working on a pump for a well on his property.

He may have been working on a pump, but as I recall he had hired out the drilling of a well and when it was nearly completed he lowered himself down to have a look at the progress. Somehow an electrified cable was in the shaft(possibly for a light?) and Jamison was killed when his feet touched water in the bottom, completing the circuit.

quote:

Originally posted by JBrown:

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:


IIRC, Jamieson was electrocuted while working on a pump for a well on his property.

He may have been working on a pump, but as I recall he had hired out the drilling of a well and when it was nearly completed he lowered himself down to have a look at the progress. Somehow an electrified cable was in the shaft(possibly for a light?) and Jamison was killed when his feet touched water in the bottom, completing the circuit.

I read that too, somewhere.

He had returned home from the bush and wanted to inspect the progress of a well that his workers were sinking on his property, as they had struck water.

He went to borrow an electric nad-held lamp from a friend. The light had a metal handle and neither of them knew that it had a dead short in it.

He plugged the light in his kitchen and then had his men lower him on a wooden platform, into the well, while he was holding the light.

He was barefoot at the time and when he stepped off of the wooden platform into the water at the bottom of the well the short circuit was closed.