with octagonal leaf-sighted barrel engraved ‘LATE-PROBIN’ behind the back-sight and rifled with seven grooves, retaining some original browning on the flats beneath, stamped ‘FINE TWISTED STUBBS’ and struck with Tower private proof marks, case-hardened breech signed in an oval, gold line and gold-lined touch-hole, border engraved tang decorated with a basket and foliage, signed border engraved flat detented lock decorated with a bird in flight on the tail, foliate engraved ‘French’ cock with safety-catch behind, rainproof pan and roller, figured half-stock with dark horn cap, chequered grip and cheek-piece, border engraved steel mounts comprising butt-plate decorated with a pheasant perched in a tree on the heel tang, trigger-guard retaining traces of blueing, decorated with a prone gundog in a landscape on the bow, a starburst on the tang scroll, and with pineapple finial, shield-shaped vacant silver escutcheon and barrel-bolt escutcheons, sling mounts, and copper-alloy mounted ramrod with threaded cap over the worm, 75.8 cm barrel

Theophilus Richards is recorded in Birmingham at 26 High Street between 1799 and 1801, 47 John Street (Probin’s late manufactory) and 33 High Street between 1802 and 1817. Two Theophilus Richards’s appear to be recorded. One may have been Westley Richards’ father, and the other was apparently his elder brother.