I received my Summer 2018 edition of the DGJ a few days ago and read the story about Parker BH 110625 and its amazing first owner, Arthur Gambell. The extremely well researched article was authored by Steve Cambria who is now also the current custodian of Parker 110625. As I remind my clients, we do not really "own" these wonderful guns but rather we are their temporary custodians. Steve wrote that Mr. Gambell passed away in 1944 and somewhere along the way the Parker went on to owned by a shooter, or shooters, one of whom replaced the stock on the gun. Perhaps I can add a piece or two to this incomplete jigsaw puzzle. Checking the Abercrombie & Fitch database in the Griffin & Howe archive, I learned that in 1941 Parker 110625 was taken in by A&F as a "Second Hand Shotgun", meaning that it was purchased from the owner by A&F rather than being consigned. Here is a split photograph of the entry.
Starting with the upper half and reading left to right, the Parker was received from "J.R. Pugh" on March 17, 1941. Next is the serial number, gauge, barrel length, chamber length, weight in pounds and ounces, "Non-E"jector, choked 3/4 and 3/4, D@H - 2 1/8, D@C - 1 3/8, LOP - 14 1/4, 1/2 (pistol grip), the Purchase Order # and finally the make, grade & presence of a recoil pad.
The lower half begins with the make and goes on to indicate the date of sale (8-15-41), the initial g that identifies the A&F buyer as Chris Geben, the name of the buyer "F. Sturges", the identifier of the salesman who sold the gun to Mr. Struges, John Ziegler Borchers, the coded cost of the gun to A&F (PE = $60), CHG indicates a charge to the customer's account, next is the sales invoice number, and, finally, the coded price of the shotgun (HEX = $100).
The specifications as described at A&F suggest that the Parker had not yet been restocked when offered for sale in New York.
You might note that in the following entry, Mr. Pugh also sold a 20 gauge Francotte Grade No.14 to A&F for $110 which was then sold by A&F for $200, twice the price of the Parker BH. (Well, the Francotte did have ejectors.)
J.R. Pugh, the seller, was James Rival Pugh, born in Lewis County, Kentucky on February 25, 1896. Mr. Pugh was an accomplished trap shooter and in 1929 he was the Kentucky State trap shooting champion. He lived his whole life in Vanceburg, Kentucky, about 90 miles southeast of Cincinnati so it is very likely that he was acquainted with "The Cincinnati Kid". When and under what circumstances he obtained Parker 110625 is probably lost to the sands of time. James R. Pugh passed away on February 22, 1952, just days before his 56th birthday.
The customer who purchased the Parker is identified as "F. Sturges", a name that I have come across before. The buyer was most likely Frederick Sturges. About four years ago I did a letter for his great-granddaughter for a Francotte Grade 14 that he purchased from A&F in the 1930's, but since the great granddaughter already knew his history, I did not research him for her. I have placed a call to see if she can help with his background but I have not yet heard back from her. My wife has suggested that he may be one of the Fairfield, Connecticut family of that name, and, in fact, the name Frederick Sturges is common in that Fairfield family.
I know that this post is a bit long and if you have gotten this far I salute you. Enjoy the rest of your summer and perhaps I'll see you in Kennedyville.
Bob Beach
Archivist
Griffin & Howe, Inc.
http://griffinhowe.com/researchyourfirearm/
Parker BH 110625 Epilogue
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