Original Item. One-of-a-Kind Set. This is an outstanding vanity box presented on the lid to Lieutenant William Owen by his father in August of 1797, with several personal effects including two monogrammed items and a hidden compartment underneath with a flintlock box pistol, miniature powder flask, and bullet mold. We have identified the set to Vice-Admiral William Fitzwilliam Owen (17 September 1774 – 3 November 1857), a well-known British naval officer and explorer. This is a box Owen would have used for decades, with its contents likely having changed over time.

The lid of the vanity is engraved:

To my Son
Lt. Wm. Owen
From his father
Aug. 1797

From our research, this is believed to be William Fitzwilliam Owen, a British naval officer and explorer. He is best known for his exploration of the west and east African coasts, discovery of the Seaflower Channel off the coast of Sumatra and for surveying the Canadian Great Lakes. Owen was commissioned as a Lieutenant in 1797, the same rank as is engraved on the vanity.

The vanity box itself bears lovely brass accents and measures 7⅝ x 5¾ x 3½” and retains the original key which still locks the vanity shut. Upon opening the vanity, you encounter a small mirror that is now cracked from the center left to the bottom right corner. The mirror’s frame measures 4 ⅞ x 6 ¼” and is mounted to brass bars to allow it to be turned inward to reveal blue velvet padding on the back. The mirror is now rather loose and falls out of its spot when the vanity is opened.

The vanity’s primary drawer contains a silver tube hallmark-dated 1828 and monogrammed W.O.. There are the correct London hallmarks on the side of the tube and inside the lid, which are the George IV head standard mark, "Lion" Sterling (0.925 pure) mark, and n in a shield date mark for 1828, along with an A·D maker mark. It looks very much like the shaving brushes we see that unscrew from one end and then thread into the other, but it definitely is not. There is also a small sterling nutmeg grater with Birmingham silver hallmarks dating to 1799, the "Anchor" city mark, the "Lion" Sterling (0.925 pure) mark, the George III Head standard mark, and a "b" in a shield. Next to this is an F.S maker mark.

Additional items include a small silver saucer with a likely ivory handle, a pair of spectacles with Silver hallmarked frames marked for John Parkes of Birmingham (registered 1827) and marked “PEBBLES”, a straight razor marked PARIS on the blade, and a small silver money pendant with one ruby eye and what looks to be lipstick or something else, also monogrammed W.O.. The center of this first drawer has a brass pull tab to lift the drawer out of the box in order to access the second drawer.

The second drawer contains a diminutive Flintlock boxlock pistol by Ketland & Co. of London, a very small 2 ⅞” powder flask marked SYKES, a bullet mold stamped No. 106 and WD, and a small lidded compartment with seven small pistol balls. It is very possible that the original vanity box was altered to fit the pistol per Owen’s request.

Upon further research on Owen, we found that he was the illegitimate son of Captain William Owen, and was orphaned at the age of four. However, his father’s friend Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Rich kept an eye on William and his elder brother Edward, and became like a father to them. We believe that it was Sir Thomas Rich that gifted this vanity to Owen when he was 25 years of age.

In 1788 at age 13, Owen embarked as a midshipman in Rich's ship, HMS Culloden, and from that time the Royal Navy was his life. Self-willed and boisterous, he had frequent difficulties early in his naval career. Owen served at home and on ships in the East Indies. He was commissioned as a lieutenant in 1797. In 1801 he took command of the fireship HMS Nancy. In late 1801 the hired armed cutter King George, under the command of a Mr. Yawkins (William Yawkins), served under Nelson at his failed attack on Boulogne. On 25 August Nelson came aboard King George to conduct a reconnaissance of the French fleet. In October Nelson gave Owen command over the King George as well, with secret instructions to launch a burning Nancy at the French fleet. The fire attack did not occur and Nancy was sold in December.

After the resumption of war with France in 1803, Owen was given command of the 16-gun brig HMS Seaflower (1782), which sailed to the East Indies. There he served under Rear-Admiral Sir Edward Pellew, Commander-in-Chief East Indies.

He explored the Maldive Islands in 1806, and in the same year discovered the Seaflower Channel, between the islands of Siberut and Sipora off the west coast of Sumatra.

He fought the Dutch in the East Indies, but on 28 September 1808 the French frigate Manche captured Seaflower. The French held Owen from 1808 to 1810 in Mauritius, during which time he was promoted to commander. After his release Owen was promoted to post captain in May 1811, before returning to England in 1813.

From 1815 to 1816, he surveyed the Upper Canadian Great Lakes with Lieutenant Henry Wolsey Bayfield, naming an inlet in southern Georgian Bay "Owen's Sound" in honour of his elder brother, Admiral Sir Edward William Campbell Rich Owen. Between 26 October 1815 and 31 May 1816 he was the senior Royal Navy Officer on the Great Lakes.

Owen mapped the entire east African coast from the Cape to the Horn of Africa between 1821 and 1826 in the sloop Leven and in company with the brig Barracouta. During this period, Owen established a one-man protectorate of Mombasa with the aim of disrupting the "hellish trade" in slaves; but Owen was forced to shut down under orders from the Crown after only three years. When he returned in 1826, with 300 new charts, covering some 30,000 miles of coastline, over half of his original crew had been killed by tropical diseases. His survey of the east coast of Africa is regarded as one of the most challenging ever undertaken by the British Admiralty.

In 1827 he was in charge of settling a colony at Fernando Po. During the first year, he was joined by Lieutenant James Holman who was famous in his time as "the Blind Traveller".

In the mid-1830s, having little hope of further naval appointment, he removed with his family to New Brunswick. He secured title to Campobello Island, which had been granted to his father and was lord proprietor of the same as well as being involved in other investments in New Brunswick. From 1841 he served as a justice of the peace as well as concurrently as judge of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas.

In 1837, he was involved in the incorporation of the Campobello Mill and Manufacturing Company.

Between 1837 and 1842 he was a very visible member of the New Brunswick House of Assembly for Charlotte County. Following his defeat for reelection, he was appointed in December 1843 to the New Brunswick Legislative Council of which he was an active member through 1851. He was elected an Associate Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1844.

In the final action of his naval career, between September 1842 and December 1847, he conducted the definitive survey of the Bay of Fundy for the Admiralty. Indeed, some charts of the area are still based upon his surveys.

Owen was promoted Rear Admiral in 1841 and Vice Admiral in 1854. He died on 3 November 1857 at St. John, New Brunswick.

This is one of the most glorious hidden cased pistol sets we have offered, with an exemplary story of Royal Navy Service! Comes ready to display as a centerpiece of any Royal Navy collection.

More On the Pistol in this set:

It is a lovely iron framed "boxlock" style flintlock pocket pistol dating to approximately 1820, marked London on the right side and Ketland & Co. on the left, both in lovely flowing script. This family business was started in 1740 by William Ketland, who is recorded as working from 1740-1804, eventually expanding to have operations in both Birmingham and London as W. Ketland & Co.. Following his death in 1804 the name was later shortened to Ketland & Co., and it operated for decades under this name before finally folding in 1831. However it lasted over almost 100 years transacted a tremendous amount of business both domestically and abroad.

The weapon measures 4 1/8" in overall length with a screw off 1 1/16" smooth bored .39"cal iron cannon barrel, which in very good patinated condition, showing signs of moderate use. Like most we see, the barrel joint is frozen, and the bottom of the action bears London proof marks: the CROWN / GP "Gunmakers" black powder proof and CROWN / V "viewed" marking from the London Gun Company proof house. We checked the functionality, and it holds correctly at half cock, firing at full.

Specifications (Pistol):

Year of Manufacture: circa 1820
Caliber: .39" Pistol
Ammunition Type: Lead Ball & Powder
Barrel Length: 1 1/16 inches
Overall Length: 4 1/8 inches
Action: Flintlock Boxlock
Feed System: Muzzle-Loaded
Federal Classification: Pre-1899 Antique

NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.

IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to all US States and most nations around the world.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to almost any deliverable address across the globe. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.