The Cave Dwellers Club Part III

Being a scarce 14 gauge, his old BALES gun was not suitable for clay target shooting, particularly as cartridges in 14-gauge are extremely diff icult to acquire, and being made for black powder in 1866, the gun deserves respect for its age.

Prior to Greg’s acquisition, the old Bales had spent many years stored on rural properties around Blayney and Garland, NSW. The days of it knocking over the occasional hare or rabbit or a brace of ducks was long ago. Although, it is still as tight and functional as it always has been.

Fortunately, the tired old oak and leather gun case has done its job in protecting the piece, and the accoutrements, over the past 150+ years.

When researching old shotguns, the first reference utilised is ‘Nigel Brown’s books -“British Gunmakers” Vols 1, 2 and 3. Next would be Geoff rey Boothroyd’s publication- “Sidelocks and Boxlocks- The Classic British Shotguns”. Any of the books produced by Diggory Hadoke would also be essential reading.

Unfortunately, apart from a few dates and workshop addresses, there is little detailed information about G.W. Bales. A more extensive historical perspective has come from perusing past auction catalogues.

Holts and Bonhams auction houses have been useful, as both companies have put a small number of Bales firearms up for auction over the years.

These searches have indicated that the majority of G.W. Bales items auctioned have been percussion firearms-all very good quality and all realising impressive prices. A notable Bales auction listing was a cased pair of percussion target pistols circa 1840 (as photographed).

A number of regional gunmakers are listed as having their operations in Ipswich and Colchester, including three generations of the Bales family.

The first, Henry Bales, father of George and John, set up a small factory in The Cornhill, Ipswich, Suff olk in 1814. He moved to Colchester in 1825. A flintlock pistol named to him has come up at auction and is dated to 1820. Little else is recorded about Henry Bales.

His son, George William Bales, took over the business after his father’s death in 1835. In 1838 George was recorded in the census as operating in Tavern Street, Ipswich and seven years later in 1845 he worked from 15 The Cornhill, Ipswich, where he also traded as an archery warehouse specialising in bows.

By 1850 G.W. Bales was recorded in the census, as operating from 150 High Street, Colchester. His workshop employed four men, two apprentices and a boy. The Ipswich shop appears to have been closed or changed hands by 1870.

Frank Bales, George’s son, continued the family heritage in Colchester after George died in 1881.

For almost a century, successive members of the Bales family had been involved in the gun trade-from flintlock, to percussion, to breech loading shotguns and rifles.

There were also a G. Bales and C.G.Bales, gunmakers, in Durban, South Africa, possibly related to George William Bales.

It is a sad fact that it often takes the passing of a fellow collector for once closely held firearms to come to the attention of other collectors.

Greg Osborne’s collection, as the law requires, has been distributed to numerous licenced beneficiaries. The old G.W.Bales 14 gauge is in very appreciative hands. d G.W.B

Acknowledgments John Newton, Cameron Malouf and Michele Rose.

The Cave Dwellers’ Club

Part 3

By Geoff Pogson

“Old Pete” test-fi ring his “Race Starting” percussion pistol

On the 7th of February 1952, a funeral service was conducted for a well-known and highly respected citizen of Launceston, Peter Anderson. Those bearing the casket into the chapel at the Crematorium were four serving members of the City of Launceston Police force, all long-time friends of the old gentleman, who had died at the age of 89. There were also leading figures of the Launceston Civic group, the Mayor, Alderman Thyne, and Police Inspector Bourke.

Mr Anderson had been a prominent local business man and philanthropist, supporting The Crippled Children’s Society, and the RSPCA and other worthy causes A representative from each Crippled Children’s Society and the RSPCA also attended the sad event. There were also at least four of the remaining members of the fabled Cave Dwellers’ Club, of which “Old Pete” was the founding secretary and all were there to farewell their old friend. Campbell Hinman, Stanley Button, Hugo von Stieglitz and Colonel

Peter Anderson at home, with some of his collection on show

Geoff rey Youl, were quite possibly, the last of the members of the Cave Dwellers Club still living, and it is doubtful if the group were still actively carrying on club attendances, so it was probably, by this time, a club in name only. It was the sad end of a great Era. Peter Anderson was born in Denmark in 1863, left home at age 22, as far as can be ascertained, and might possibly have worked his passage on a ship bound for the Argentine, which was then a very progressive place with a huge economy built on beef, timber and mineral wealth. There was plenty of work to be had, and it was just the place for a young man to try to make his fortune. It is said he was in South America for five years, working on cattle stations as a gaucho, or cowboy. Peter also spent some years “at sea in sailing ships” and I have found several notations of sailors by his name, and all Danish, on visits to Sydney from the far north Queensland in the 1880’s on three diff erent ships. He was ashore in Sydney in 1890, arriving on the ship “Wendouree” from Hobart, Tasmania On the 4th of June 1890 of that year, he was listed as a Fireman in the crew, but in his certificate of naturalisation on 26 April 1898, his stated occupation was Labourer and that he had lived in the NSW since 1890. There are also many traces of Peter in Tasmania in the 1880s working as an assistant and later manager of the Furniture Department of Dempster & Pearce, in Launceston. 0n the 3rd September 1888, the Launceston Examiner reported that a Tasmanian exhibit to be shown at the Great Centennial Exhibition celebrating the Century since the Settlement of Australia, was leaving, that day, by ship for Melbourne. The exhibit, one of many in the Tasmanian enclosure, was a massive and highly decorated wardrobe, constructed from the many and varied Tasmanian timbers, carefully worked and assembled by the cabinet makers of Messrs Dempster and Pearce. Praise went to the firm and the foreman, Mr Anderson, and his staff .

There was an interval from 1890 until 1895 when Peter was working in the drapery and furniture business in the newly started furniture department of David Jones Store, in Sydney, where he rose to a position directing the furniture section. On returning to Launceston Peter resumed work in the furnishing and drapery business, in an arrangement with a John Tait at the 58 George Street address in the business area of the city, beginning a long association with that same address.

While Mr Tait ran, first, a hair dressing business in the front shop, the rear was turned into the furniture and drapery area, managed by Mr Anderson. At a later stage the shop-front became Mr Tait’s Real Estate off ice. Later John Tait re-joined Peter Anderson in the Furniture store, until in 1903 he left and Peter Anderson became the sole proprietor that we were able to find. However he became a very successful purveyor of furniture and drapery, and also advised clients on furniture selection and interior decoration, as he built a reputation for reliability and expertise

This is the earliest example of Peter’s first advertisements on the choice and arrangement of new furnishings, building, in the process, a sound, reliable and growing business. All through his life and early travels the small collection of firearms and other weapons had been gradually increasing and, as he prospered, he bought a small house on the western shore of the Tamar River, to the north of Launceston

It was at “Old Pete’s” home in Delamere Crescent Trevallyn that the” foundation” meeting of the club was held in the early 1920’s, although the members at the meeting were all well known to each other since at least the 1880’s. Peter had moved there sometime in 1922 and the usual crowd had gathered at “The Shack” as Peter referred to it, for a convivial evening. The story goes that, as the sun set and the eastern bank of the Tamar darkened, the growing flicker from kerosene lamps was suggestive of many little camps on the far shore. Lance Archer reputedly suggested that “They must be Troglodytes”, much to the amusement of those there gathered, but they played with it and finally the “Cave Dwellers’ Club” came into being, even though the group of friends had existed for many years previously but with no off icial title

Many meetings of the CD Club were held at the Trevallyn address, with members bringing new acquisitions to show and discuss, at other times there might have been some buy, sell and swap nights as well, as in our own society. Other meetings were also held at other members’ houses to view other collections, and probably many aspects of arms collecting were brought out for discussion and learned advice.

In September, 1926 Peter Anderson gave an address to a Launceston Rotary Club Luncheon, the subject of which was the collection, care and study of Firearms and Swords both Antique and Modern and the safe handling of all such items. On display were several weapons from the various stages of the development of arms, including a Spanish flintlock, an English, Queen Ann cannon barrelled pistol and early pinfire cartridge revolver as well as the then modern Remington and Colt cartridge revolvers, including his prized Colt .45 Pistol, once owned by renowned author, Jack London. It is said that the guest ‘s audience was well entertained for two or three hours, by his wide knowledge and easily understood explanations of his favourite subject and an extensive summary was published in the Launceston “The Shack” Peter Anderson’s home from 1922, taken 1941.

A rare Spanish pistol of 1845.

An English fl intlock of 1750.

newspapers. The collection that Peter had, at the “The Shack” in Trevallyn was stated to number “125 arms of various types” and at some point, his journalist friend and a photographer put together an article which appeared in a PIX magazine of 26 April 1941.