Every few years I make another try at finding out something about this weapon. Here we go again. Please help, not even Google has been able to come up with anything on any Tolley cannon. I suspect in England this rifled bore size would be called a "one pounder."
Length overall 32.25 in.
Length over trunnions 5.5 in.
Max dia. at breech 2.4 in.
Muzzle O.D. 1.66 in.
Trunnion dia. 1.05 in.
Trunnion Length 1.1 in.
Length of Trunnion Band 2.12 in.
Measurement of bore taken from flat to opposite corner 1.125 in.
Material of construction: Steel, as far as I can tell
Form of rifling: "Whitworth" polygonal type, but with 5 sides, not 6.
Stamped or engraved on top of barrel ahead of trunnion band, one line "J & W Tolley Makers St. Mary's Square Birmingham."
Not visible in photos is a transverse hole 0.5 in. dia. through the cascabel for an elevating screw. It has been fired because the barrel has slipped back somewhat in the shrunk-on unthreaded trunnion band, from recoil. Tolley was a top-quality gun maker and would not have sold a gun with a manufacturing defect like that. Perhaps this defect caused the piece to be retired from whatever service it was in.
Provenance: Collection of late Hampton P. Howell Jr. of Charlottesville, VA.
References: Countless references exist in form of catalogs listing sporting guns and rifles made by J & W Tolley, earliest advertisement I've found is dated 1861. This weapon mentioned in one of Ed Olmstead et al books simply as a known example, reflecting the information I sent him. Unfortunately he didn't know anything about it either.
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