WILLIAM BENSON, PRESTON COUNTY

                                                                   WM.  BENSON
                                                                   SILVER INLAY
                                                 CLICK IMAGE FOR LAGER VIEW

WILLIAM BENSON, GUNSMITH , WAS BORN ABOUT 1820.  IN THE 1860 CENSUS HE IS LISTED AS A GUNSMITH IN  BRUCETON MILLS, PRESTON COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.  IN THE 1870  & 1880 CENSUS HE IS LISTED AS A FARMER.  HIS SON  MADISON M. BENSON, WAS  A GUNSMITH IN PRESTON AND MARION COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA. HE HAD ANOTHER SON NAMED JAMES D BENSON, WHO WAS A JEWELER & FARMER. WILLIAM'S FATHER , JAMES A BENSON WAS FROM WINCHESTER, VIRGINIA.   B. 1794 D.1879. WILLIAM'S BROTHER, EZRA DARBY BENSON, WAS A GUNSMITH WORKING IN TERRA ALTA AREA OF PRESTON COUNTY.  

 

RIFLE HAS A HEAVY 1/1/16 BARREL 34/1/2 LENGTH  AND
HAS CHECKERING ON WRIST.   THIS RIFLE WEIGHS 11 POUNDS.

 

OF ALL THE BENSON FAMILY OF GUNSMITHS, THE GUNS OF WILLIAM AND GEORGE ARE THE MOST RARE. THE NUMBER OF KNOWN  EXAMPLES OF THEIR WORK IS VERY FEW. TO BE SURE THEY ARE PROBABLY MORE OUT THERE. BUT ONLY THREE ARE KNOWN TO DATE. OF THE KNOWN WILLIAM BENSON'S RIFLES, HE GENERALLY USED HEAVY BARRELS, UNDERARM  GUARDS OR PLATES AND STAMPED HIS SIGNATURE IN A SILVER INLAYED PLATE ON TOP OF THE BARREL.

 

                                                                                                                      WE HAVE LITTLE INFORMATION ON WILLIAM BENSON. IF YOU HAVE MORE INFORMATION ON WILLIAM OR PICTURES OF HIS RIFLES, WE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE BENSON FAMILY OF GUNMAKERS SEE "GUNSMITHS OF WEST VIRGINIA" BY FRED R. LAMBERT & JAMES B. WHISKER.   

 

WE APPRECIATE THE OWNER OF THIS RIFLE,  WHO PROVIDED THE RESEARCH & PICTURES.

 

THE PICTURES POSTED ON THIS BLOG BELONG TO THE OWNER OF THE PICTURES, PLEASE DO NOT COPY.   

 

CORNELIUS IMAN, GUNSMITH GRANT & HARDY COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA. 1830-1885

        

                                                                               

CORNELIUS IMAN RIFLE

CLICK IMAGES FOR LARGER VIEW

                                  

                                         

       THE FOLLOWING RESEARCH WAS PROVIDED TO US BY JAMES B. WHIKSER

Iman, Cornelius 1830-1885). gunsmith. Cornelius Iman was a son of Emanuel and Barbara (Seitz) Iman and was born in Pendleton County. He married Hanna Kimble (1836-1929), daughter of James and Jane (Porter) Kimble. They had issue: Susanna (b. 11/19/1856); James Monroe (b. 7/30/1854); John (b.1858); Abraham (b.1860); Mary A. (b.1862); William Edgar (b.1868); Sara Jane (b. 6/27/1870); Rhoda Viola (b.1872); Rutherford (b.1876); Alice (b.1879); Henry (b.1882); Henry (b.1882); and Alva (b.1879). In 1862 Iman enlisted at Greenland, Grant County. His enlistment papers described him as a gunsmith, standing 5'11" tall, with black hair and dark eyes. He served in Company I, 7th Virginia Infantry, Union Army, known as the Bloody 7th as they had the highest casualty rates of all WV units. They were the only WV unit in The Army of the Potomac and fought in every major battle in the east including Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, The Wilderness, Cold Harbor, siege of Petersburg, and Appomattox. Hardy County Home Guards, Private under Captain Daniel C. M. Shell Co. on roll dated 12 November1862 .He contracted scrofula and on 13 February 1863 was given a medical discharge from the army. In 1870 he lived near Patterson Creek, Grant County, with real estate valued at $300 and personal valuation of $100. In 1870 he was a gunsmith living in Union district, south of Petersburg, near Mill Creek, Grant County [Census]. Cornelius died on 7 June 1885 at Pansy, Grant County: Cornelius E. Iman; white; male; born - Pendleton County, WV; died June 7, 1885 in Milroy Dist., Grant County, WV; aged 55 years 1 month 20 days; parents - Emanuel and Barbara Iman; occupation - gunsmith; cause of death - heart disease; death source - Hannah Iman (wife). His widow was granted a government pension because his death was related to the disease contracted in the army [Death Register No. 1: 25 Grant County; Census; Ancestry].

                                 

                                                             CIVIL WAR PENSION

                                 

                                                                 1860 CENSUS

                                                             HARDY COUNTY

 Below is a beautiful halfstock 36 cal rifle made & signed by Iman. The rifle & accouterments where Cornelius Iman's personal hunting outfit, according to family history. 

                                                                        

Click Pictures for Larger View

                         Pictured Below is another halfstock  rifle made and signed by  C E Iman

                                                        Click pictures for larger view

Below is a signed full stock rifle. 

                                                                            

                                                                      

Below signed C E Iman Fullstock Percussion Rifle 

                                                 Below Is An Attributed Iman Rifle 

                                                                        

Recently Added Another Fine Rifle Made by C E Iman

Cornelius Iman's Grave just off RT 93 in Scherr WV

SPECIAL THANKS TO JAMES  B. WHISKER, FOR SHARING THIS RESEARCH WITH US.

PHOTO OF CORNELIUS IMAN RIFLE FROM PAGE 136  "GUNSMITHS OF WEST VIRGINIA" , BY FRED R. LAMBERT & JAMES B. WHISKER. REPRINTED BY PERMISSION FROM  JAMES B WHISKER.

IF YOU HAVE MORE INFORMATION ON CORNELIUS IMAN OR PICTURES OF HIS WORK , WE WOULD APPRECIATE YOU CONTACTING US.

THANKS TO THOSE WHO SHARED PICTURES OF THEIR RIFLES WITH US . 

Hope You Enjoyed, BMS