Merley - Carteron or Merieu - Carteron
I don’t arrive at reading the name on the top of the barrels! As for the others one clearly distinguishes CARTERON which according to the “Jarlier” is an important family of (Masters) gunners of Saint-Etienne and raises 9 Carteron, but unfortunately primarily from the XVIIIe century.
In those a certain Jean-baptiste CARTERON is whose Antoinette girl marries a certain MERLEY also fore-mentioned Jean-baptiste. This is the name which appears above: “MERLEY (?)- CARTERON”, another important family of gunners of Saint-Etienne (not less than 33 Merley).
MERLEY-CARTERON Jean-baptiste: born in St-Etienne 25/10/1733 (extremely early compared to the weapon) wife Antoinette CARTERON 11/11/1756. His Antoine son “says the Parisian one” (1763-1835) will succeed to him.
“One finds a mention MERLEY-CARTERON on a double rifle with flint about 1825”???
Phil (Belgium)
The weapon is a flintlock converted into percussion in the 1830+.
According to Stockel, it is a weapon of Jean Baptiste Merley 1733-1787 (dies in 1787). In 1756 it marie with Antoinette Carteron. In 1768 it re-marie (she died?).
It is possible that the weapon was produced during the short time or it is married with Antoinette, but also possible that he was partner of the brother (or father?) of Antoinette. From any way this weapon dates among 1755 and 1787.
Peter (USA)
The request 2071 does not show us the locks of rifle, but with the sight of the chimneys, one can affirm that it is about a flintlock transformed with percussion after 1820.
The word TORDU (twisted) means that each barrel was twisted hot after welding.
What gave a little more bursting strength and was one “more” commercial.
The palms are the old punch of Etienne Saint.
“WHO’S WHO” indicates to us that MERLEY-CARTERON was a family of gunners of Saint Etienne exit of the marriage of Merley and Carteron in 1756.
The punch which follows the name is hardly identifiable!
Could the punch AC be (???) that of Antoine, the son or that of the controller.
The style of rifle is quite fine 18° with the assembly with hooks and drawer.
Jacques (France)
The “Jarlier” teaches us that:
CARTERON (Nicolas), known as FLEURY-CARTERON (?), born in 1694, died in 1794 (?) (in St-Etienne), ex-gunner, eprouvor of barrels, were named official eprouvor in 1733. In 1745 (?), he was a controller (barrels?) with the Manufacture of St-Etienne and remained it until 1763, date on which it was relieved by the duke of Choiseul. (...)
The “Stockel” evokes several (?) other CARTERON: Joseph (Paris 1720-1725) - Joseph (St-Etienne 1747-1771) - Nicolas 1694-1764 (that of Jarlier?).
On the weapon photographed, it seems me to decipher “MR. F R T Y”; a priori it is difficult to see a FLEURY there, unless Jarlier is in the error…
With regard to “TORDU” (TWISTED), it is probably about the manufacturing process of the barrels, to put in parallel with the barrels in Damas…
Michel of the South (Belgium)
I do not know why the two names are joined, but that could correspond with the dates to:
Nicolas CARTERON
Ex gunner, eprouvor of barrels. Son of the gunner Jean-baptiste and Pernette PARET. Born on Oct. 1, 1694, died in 1765 in Saint Etienne (the Loire). February 11, 1714, marriage with Gabrielle PEYRET. Official eprouvor in 1733 is named. In 1745, he is a controller of the barrels (?) with the Manufacture of Saint Etienne and will remain it until 1763, date on which it is relieved by the Duke of Choiseul. It is FONTAINE which succeeds to him for two years (?) before Claude BERTHEAS, nephew of CARTERON.
François MERIEU or François MEYRIEUX
Gunner with Saint Etienne (Loire) about 1750. Marry Antoinette BERTHEAS. Its sons, Jean-Louis and Pierre, will succeed to him. His/her daughter, Philippe, will marry the arms manufacturer Pierre JAMET. Dies on Nov. 30, 1761.
Jean-Jacques BUIGNE (France)
