Transitional percussion revolver owned by Captain Richard Woodget, 1847-1928. The stock has two-piece chequered walnut grips applied to the butt which has a flat end. The frame is of iron with a scroll design round the frame and grip. There is a six-chambered cylinder and bar hammer which is pierced for sighting. The lock is a bar hammer which drops on to nipple (on which a cap is placed) when the trigger is pulled. The barrel is octagonal, rifled and fitted with foresight. The calibre is 0.45in. The revolver is inscribed on the barrel 'LACY & CO', and on the cylinder with view and proof marks of the Birmingham Gunmaker's Proof house. The revolver is housed in a mahogany box lined with green baize containing a powder flask, brass rod, nipple key, cap box, metal box. Stamped on the cap box is 'BEST FOIL COVERED WATERPROOF PISTOL CAPS / MANUFACTURED/BY FREDK JOYCE LONDON / 250 No 24 S / FOR REVOLVERS'. The transitional revolver was the link between the 'pepperbox', a multi-barrelled percussion revolver and the revolver with the rotating cylinder and single barrel. They were produced in the 1850s as an answer to the more expensive revolvers produced by Colt. This example was owned by Richard Woodget, Captain of the tea clipper the 'Cutty Sark' from 1885 for her last ten voyages under British ownership. According to his nephew 'this revolver was always with him on his voyages..I am told that once, rounding Cape Horn in a bad storm, the men wanted to abandon ship, so Captain Woodget disabled the lifeboats with an axe, took his gun from the case, loaded it and said "now my men we will all sink or swim together".