Peter Munsten and family

[Jim McDougall]

This family of Solingen swordsmiths is one of the more complex it would seem, mostly from their movements as well as having same names.
The Bezdek entry focused on the name change to Peter English and the convention of using Peter Munsten the elder, and Peter Munsten the younger adds to this with the name change.

I think James Mann ("Wallace Collection", 1962) confuses things with the comment, 'this Peter Munsten who went to London could not be the one who was mayor of Solingen'........
Also unclear is exactly when Hounslow began, noting the date span 1620-1634.

Peter Munsten the ELDER (1552-1628) who was indeed mayor of Solingen for a period, actually did go to London for a short period due to the troubles of the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) but returned to Solingen.
Munsten worked in Solingen along with Johannes Hoppe, who used the mark of a wildman, and for a time Munsten did as well. They along with others went to Hounslow (it is confusing as London is noted, and Munsten did have a very few swords marked with his name and ME FECIT LONDON).


He is the MUNSTEN associated with the RUNNING WOLF incorporated with his name on a rapier and ME FECIT SOLINGEN.

His son, Peter Munsten the YOUNGER (1580-1629) also was noted in Solingen, and apparently for a time used a Madonna and Child mark, but used the MOORS HEAD as well. This Moors Head had apparently been a family mark used by his father, as well as his grandfather ANDREAS MUNSTEN. He also spelled his name PETHER, as seen on some blades.
He also went to Hounslow and stayed .

He was the one who changed his name to PETER ENGLISH in Hounslow.

The grandfather ANDREAS MUNSTEN was the progenitor and in Solingen used marks with crown and AM 1547-1587......1587 -1610 he worked in TOLEDO, where he used the moors head as well as an A in a shield.

The pages shown are from "The Wallace Collection", James Mann, 1962,

and "European Makers of Edged Weapons, Their Marks" , Staffan Kinman, 2015.

It would seem that the elder Munsten did use the running wolf in accord with his name and me fecit Solingen, which is where the association came in.

I thought my geneology was bad!! yikes!