Flintlock Pistol By Parr

Description

An exceptional late 18th-century holster pistol by John Parr of Frederick Street, circa 1780, is in good condition with Birmingham proofs.

John Parr, a resident of Frederick Street and later Argyle Street in Liverpool, is a significant figure, known for his work as a gunmaker and his affiliation with Presbyterianism. Around 1777, he built Elm House in West Derby, demonstrating his status in the gun trade. His legacy is intertwined with the Parr of Lythwood lineage, as articulated by Bernard Burke. Born approximately in 1734, he died on March 15, 1798. His will, dated to 1794, underwent probate in Chester on September 30, 1799, marking the beginning of the formal process of estate distribution.

John Parrs eldest son, also named John Parr and born in 1767, encountered financial difficulties and was declared an insolvent debtor at Elm House, finding himself out of business by February 1840. Conversely, his third son, Thomas Parr, born in 1769, succeeded his father in the Liverpool merchant business. Notably, Thomas Parrs participation in the slave trade underscores the historical complexities tied to Liverpools past.

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