Helped need identifying a gun-maker, possibly French

[dana_w]

I could use some help identifying the maker of a pair of flintlock pistols. They look French to me. The barrel and lock-plate are marked “Goyel A Brest”, but a lower cased “a” is used on the lock plate. Could this mean Goyel in Brest? I know there can be great variation in the spelling for surnames.

Thanks!

[Marcus den toom]

What about Goyet instead of Goyel?
My book by Johan f Stockel states there to be a Goyel in about 1690s. This pistol is not from that time but Goyel could have been working after this as well.
Brest is a city in France so "a Brest" is indeed the name where this person worked.

Style of this gun would be 1720s i think.

[dana_w]

Originally Posted by Marcus den toom

What about Goyet instead of Goyel?
My book by Johan f Stockel states there to be a Goyel in about 1690s. This pistol is not from that time but Goyel could have been working after this as well.
Brest is a city in France so "a Brest" is indeed the name where this person worked.

Style of this gun would be 1720s i think.

Can you send me a scan of the page from Stockel? I think you are right about the date. It could be a little earlier or a later.

I was thinking the same thing about Brest France, but didn't know if "Goyel a Brest" was another way of saying "Goyel in Brest".

[corrado26]

A gunmaker "Goyet à Brest" is unknown in the "New Stoeckel" and in the "le Qui est Qui de l'Arme en France". So I think that the statement in the older Stoeckel might be wrong!

The pistol is certainly made in the years about 1740. A pistol of very similar style made by Jean Giraud of St.Etienne in my collection is made in these years.
corrado26

[dana_w]

Originally Posted by corrado26

A gunmaker "Goyet à Brest" is unknown in the "New Stoeckel" and in the "le Qui est Qui de l'Arme en France". So I think that the statement in the older Stoeckel might be wrong!

The pistol is certainly made in the years about 1740. A pistol of very similar style made by Jean Giraud of St.Etienne in my collection is made in these years.
corrado26

Thanks corrado26. That information is helpful. I don't know why, but I like to try and find information about a maker if I can.

Do you agree with Marcus den toom that the inscription should be read as "Goyel in Brest"?

[dana_w]

Here is a photo of the pair together.

This photo is copyright (c) 2014 by Dana K. Williams. All Rights Are Reserved

[corrado26]

Originally Posted by dana_w

Do you agree with Marcus den toom that the inscription should be read as "Goyel in Brest"?

It is unimportant wether the name is "Goyet" or "Goyel", because none of these names is mentioned in the reference books. This will say but nothing, because lots of gunmakers whose names are to be found on guns or pistols are not documented in the "Neue Stöckel" or the "Le Qui est Qui".
corrado26