Sold by John Rigby on 13th November 1902 to Col. John Leslie, who gave his address as Clarence House which was, and remains, a Royal residence. Leslie (later Sir John, second Baronet Leslie) and his American wife were great friends of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, who was Queen Victoria's third son and therefore the younger brother of King Edward VII. The Leslies accompanied the Duke and his wife on the Royal Tour of India in about 1904. Leslie's wife was the sister of Lady Randolph Churchill and therefore Winston Churchill's Aunt. The rifle was used by Leslie - who was Col. of the 5th Battalion, Princess Victoria's (Royal Irish Fusiliers) and also by his son and grandson in India and Africa. They must all have been very good shots because while it took me a fortnight to remove copper fouling from the right barrel, I got the left clean in half an hour. The Leslies of Castle Leslie were from Ireland and had estates running to some 70,000 acres. I believe the family still own the castle and I have spoken to the archivist there.
