Cornelius Iman was a gunsmith in Scheer, Grant County, in the mid- to late 1800s. He was born in Pendleton County in 1830. In 1853, he married Hannah Kimble. In 1862, he joined the Union Army, 7th Regiment (The Bloody Seventh). He was discharged a little over a year later due to illness. He died in 1885 and is buried near Scheer. This place is likely where he lived and practiced the gunsmith trade.
In the 1850 Hardy County census, Cornelius is living at home with his parents. Grant County was created from Hardy County in 1866. Hardy County was created from Hampshire County in 1786. In the 1860 Hardy County census, Cornelius is listed as a gunsmith. In the 1870 and 1880 Grant County census, he is listed as a gunsmith.
We have not discovered who he learned the trade from, but his rifles tend to follow the style and architecture of Hampshire County rifles. However, he did not strictly adhere to that school in all of his work. One thing unique to most Iman's rifles we have seen is the patchboxes of his own designs. He did not use the typical acorn finial Hampshire County rifle of that era. His engraving was limited and straightforward. One thing he did repeat on his rifles was a single circle engraved around screw heads on the brass furnishings. He liked using a two screw tang, which was not as common in this area as in other places.
The following two-half-stock percussion rifles are attributed to Iman. The first rifle has been in the same family since it was made. This family lived in Scheer. This rifle was made late in Iman's career, possibly as late as the 1880s. The patchbox is crude, not nearly as neat as those on Iman's earlier rifles. It is possible that this was a later addition. The two screw tang was used by Iman on all of his rifles I have seen to date; this was not typically used by other makers in this vicinity. The side plate is of a similar design to that used in the finial of the patchbox in some of his rifles. The profiles of the stock are nearly a duplicate to the Cornelius Iman rifle on page 136, Gunsmiths of West Virginia. Many of Iman's rifles employed this style, which is similar to that of the Hampshire County Rifles made after 1840. The one thing that we have not seen on other rifles made by Iman is the long cheek piece. Hopefully, someone will have a signed Iman rifle with this same feature. This rifle has a beautiful black finish that has not been cleaned or disturbed. It is nice to see this, and I wish we saw more rifles being left in the black. I am sure it provided much game for the family for many years.
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Page 136 Gunsmiths of West Virginia
Patchbox from a signed Cornelius Iman rifle.
The second rifle, and the one below, is another half-stock percussion rifle that is attributed to Cornelius Iman. This rifle features a nicely designed brass patchbox with five piercings. The capbox on the cheekside with the star piercing in the finial panel is a nice touch. If you enlarge the brass furnishings on this rifle, you will notice Iman's straightforward and relatively simple engraving.
Remnants of patch grease
Top panel of a patchbox from a signed Iman rifle
Riddle Percussion lock
For more on Corenlius and his rifles,
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