The Hollis Brothers were first recorded as operating from 11 Weaman Row in 1840, although evidence suggests that the business may have commenced prior to this date. Over time, the firm evolved and became known as Isaac Hollis & Sons, with claims of its establishment dating back to 1814. This earlier date is supported by records of Richard and William Hollis trading in Bath Street, Birmingham, between 1814 and 1818, which raises the possibility that Isaac and Frederick Hollis were their descendants. The principal brothers involved in the business were Isaac Hollis, born in 1815, and Frederick Hollis, whose birth date remains unknown. Frederick’s life was cut short when he died on 20 December 1839. According to the 1841 census, Isaac Hollis resided in Weaman Row and was listed as a 25-year-old gun and pistol maker. He was married to Emma, who was born in 1821, and together they had two children: Isaac, born in 1837, and Henry, born in 1839. Following Frederick’s death, Isaac continued to operate under the name Hollis Brothers until 1845, after which he renamed the business Hollis Brothers & Co. This entity remained active up to 1848. In 1844, Isaac Hollis entered a brief partnership with William Tranter at 10 & 11 Weaman Row, likely to fulfil a specific contract or to supply particular parts. This partnership continued until 1849. In 1848, Isaac Hollis formed a partnership with Isaac Brentnall Sheath, establishing the firm of Hollis & Sheath and expanding their operations into 10 Weaman Row. The partnership saw Hollis & Sheath become licensed manufacturers of percussion breech-loading guns, positioning the company as a notable presence in the industry. In 1861, Sheath left the partnership and emigrated to New Zealand, where he conducted several enterprises and was elected as a provincial councillor. He died in Christchurch on 19th May 1897. Following the departure of Isaac Sheath in 1861, the business underwent a name change to Isaac Hollis & Sons. By approximately 1870, Isaac Hollis and Henry Hollis had assumed responsibility for the daily management of the firm, with Isaac overseeing the overall management and marketing of the company's products, while Henry managed the manufacturing processes. During this period, the company became known for producing large volumes of affordable trade guns and sporting guns, catering to customers in South Africa and the British colonies. In 1870, Isaac Hollis & Sons opened a retail location at 44a Cannon Street in London, subsequently relocating to 83 Cheapside in 1871. Isaac Hollis Jnr passed away in October 1875 in Birmingham at the age of 37, having never married. In 1876/1877, Henry Hollis registered a limited liability company under the name Isaac Hollis & Sons Ltd. However, by 1879, trading resumed under the name Isaac Hollis & Sons, and the London shop moved to 6 Great Winchester Street. From 1932 to 1933, the business operated in London as Hollis, Bentley & Playfair. The final closure of Hollis, Bentley & Playfair occurred in Birmingham in 1953. This firearm serves as an exemplary representation of the type of weapon distributed to the colony’s military forces in 1861. It was specifically manufactured by Isaac Hollis & Sons, a prominent gunmaker of the period, to meet the requirements of military use. Distribution was facilitated through Hebbert & Sons, an established military supplier based in London. Before it arrived in Tasmania, Australia, around 1861, the firearm was likely issued from the Hythe Armoury, which functioned as a British military training facility. Probably, the gun was originally allocated to British troops or police before being transferred for use in the colony. Gun: Percussion Carbine, .577 Cal. Colonial Tasmanian issue Artillery carbine, Pattern 1861. Muzzle-loading "Cap and Ball" musket. Wood stock and ramrod. Inscriptions are on the stock and breech. Gun was made for Herbert & Co., London, by Isaac Hollis & Sons, Birmingham.Stamped on stock "SOLD 95", " ISAAC HOLLIS & SONS" "GUN & PISTOL MANUFACTURES" "BIRMINGHAM" "J ASTON ARMOURER HYTHE" "MANUFACTURED EXPRESSLY FOR HEBBERT & CO LONDON". Stamped on breech "25", and "25C ---05"flagstaff hill, maritime museum, maritime village, warrnambool, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, firearm, gun, percussion, carbine, .577 cal, colonial tasmanian issue, artillery carbine, military gun, pattern 1861, muzzle-loading, muzzle-loading musket, cap and ball, musket, wood stock, 1861, percussion breech-loading guns, richard and william hillis, herbert & co., herbert & co. london, hollis & sons, isaac hollis & sons, isaac hillis & sons ltd., hollis bentley & playfair., isaac hollis, frederick hollis, isaac brentnall sheath, isaac sheath, william tranter, gun manufacturer, pistol manufacturer, gun and pistol maker, birmingham, j aston armourer, hythe, hythe armoury, military supplies

The proof marks on the barrels (a crown and letters BV) denote that the shotgun design was made from the year 1904, and that it was nitro-proof tested in Birmingham, England. David Melville Carrison (1895 to 1960) of Port MacDonnell was the previous owner of this Isaac Hollis & Sons double-barrel shotgun. His grandfather, Adam Kerrison Carrison (1833-1903), was an early settler who worked as a fisherman in that once-bustling seaport. His uncle John was a a horse-breaker, a boat hand, and a member of the lifeboat crew, receiving a medal for his part in saving the crew of a French barque. Currently, no connection has been made between the gun, its owner, and the note with the word “Enterprise”: a New Zealand-built, two-masted schooner that was wrecked in Lady Bay, Warrnambool, in 1950. Gun makers, ISAAC HOLLIS & SONS: The Hollis Brothers were first recorded as operating from 11 Weaman Row in 1840, although evidence suggests the business may have commenced before then. Over time, the firm became known as Isaac Hollis & Sons, with claims of its establishment dating back to 1814. This earlier date is supported by records of Richard and William Hollis trading in Bath Street, Birmingham, between 1814 and 1818, which raises the possibility that Isaac and Frederick Hollis were their descendants. The principal brothers involved in the business were Isaac Hollis, born in 1815, and Frederick Hollis, whose birth date remains unknown. Frederick’s life was cut short when he died on 20 December 1839. According to the 1841 census, Isaac Hollis resided in Weaman Row and was listed as a 25-year-old gun and pistol maker. He was married to Emma, who was born in 1821, and together they had two children: Isaac, born in 1837, and Henry, born in 1839. Following Frederick’s death, Isaac continued to operate under the name Hollis Brothers until 1845, after which he renamed the business Hollis Brothers & Co. This entity remained active up to 1848. In 1844, Isaac Hollis entered a brief partnership with William Tranter at 10 & 11 Weaman Row, likely to fulfil a specific contract or to supply parts. This partnership continued until 1849. In 1848, Isaac Hollis formed a partnership with Isaac Brentnall Sheath, establishing the firm of Hollis & Sheath and expanding their operations into 10 Weaman Row. The partnership saw Hollis & Sheath become licensed manufacturers of percussion breech-loading guns, positioning the company as a notable presence in the industry. In 1861, Sheath left the partnership and emigrated to New Zealand, where he conducted several enterprises and was elected as a provincial councillor. He died in Christchurch on 19th May 1897. In 1861, after Isaac Sheath left, the business name became Isaac Hollis & Sons. By approximately 1870, Isaac Hollis and Henry Hollis had assumed responsibility for the daily management of the firm, with Isaac overseeing the overall management and marketing of the company's products, and Henry managing the manufacturing processes. During this period, the company became known for producing large volumes of affordable trade guns and sporting guns, catering to customers in South Africa and the British colonies. In 1870, Isaac Hollis & Sons opened a retail location at 44a Cannon Street in London, and in 1871, it operated at 83 Cheapside Street. Isaac Hollis Jnr passed away in October 1875 in Birmingham at the age of 37, having never married. In 1876/1877, Henry Hollis registered a limited liability company under the name Isaac Hollis & Sons Ltd. However, by 1879, trading resumed under the name Isaac Hollis & Sons, and the London shop moved to 6 Great Winchester Street. From 1932 to 1933, the business operated in London as Hollis, Bentley & Playfair. The final closure of Hollis, Bentley & Playfair occurred in Birmingham in 1953. The shotgun was manufactured by Isaac Hollis & Sons, a firm with a strong reputation for producing firearms. This early 1900s example represents a standard pattern that was produced in large quantities for everyday use. This double-barrel shotgun is 12-gauge, complete with a cleaning rod and a wooden storage box. The firearm has been altered from its original configuration: the right barrel has been cut shorter, resulting in sharp edges at the muzzle, and a metal extension has been fitted to the stock. The cleaning rod consists of three separate segments that screw together for use. The shotgun is housed in a black-painted wooden case with a hinged lid showing inscriptions for the maker and Serial Number. Maker was I. HOLLIS & SONS, Serial Number SN 84245. David Melville Carrison of Port MacDonnell was the previous owner. A handwritten note that had the word 'Enterprise' was with the gun. "I. HOLLIS & SONS". SN on stock “84245”. Badge on both sides “Crown [symbol] / BV”. “Crown [symbol] / NP”, “12G inside Diamond [symbol]”, “NITRO PROOF”, “STEEL 84245” Paper note included with gun, written in felt tip pen “ENTERPRISE”. flagstaff hill, maritime museum, maritime village, warrnambool, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, firearm, gun, double-barrel, shotgun, cleaning rod, gunsmith, smithed, 12 gauge, sn 84245, serial number 84245, david melville carrison, early 1900s, richard and william hillis, herbert & co., herbert & co. london, hollis & sons, isaac hollis & sons, isaac hillis & sons ltd., hollis bentley & playfair., isaac hollis, frederick hollis, isaac brentnall sheath, isaac sheath, william tranter, gun manufacturer, pistol manufacturer, gun and pistol maker, birmingham, military supplies, enterprise, 1904

This Day or Night telescope, made by John Dollond, was designed for use in a range of lighting conditions, as its name suggests. Telescopes are optical instruments that make distant objects appear larger and closer, thereby extending the range of what the human eye can observe. The development of the telescope was gradual, shaped by a series of important advances in optical science. In 1608, the Dutch spectacle-maker Hans Lippershey discovered that when two lenses were held apart in a particular way, distant objects appeared closer. He applied for a patent for this invention, creating the first documented telescope. In 1668, Isaac Newton produced the first successful reflecting telescope, using a two-inch concave spherical mirror. This marked a major step forward, demonstrating that mirrors could overcome some of the limitations of lenses and greatly improve magnification. Further progress followed in the eighteenth century. In 1729, Chester Moor Hall developed the achromatic lens by combining two types of glass with different refractive properties. This reduced colour distortion and produced a sharper image, although some edge distortion remained. That same year, the Scottish instrument maker James Short developed parabolic and elliptical mirrors that were better suited to reflecting telescopes because they reduced optical distortion. Building on these advances, John Dollond improved the achromatic objective lens by placing a concave flint-glass lens between two convex crown-glass lenses, considerably enhancing image quality. Maker’s information. John Dollond (1707–1761), of London, was a maker of optical, scientific and astronomical instruments best known for developing the achromatic refracting telescope. He also introduced a practical heliometer, a telescope fitted with a divided lens that could be used to measure the Sun’s diameter and the angular distance between celestial bodies. The son of Huguenot refugees, Dollond first learned the family trade of silk weaving before turning his attention to optics and astronomy, in which he became highly skilled. In 1753, Dollond patented his improved lenses, the same year he had introduced the heliometer. In 1761, John Dollond was appointed as optician to George III and the Duke of York. He was also elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in May 1761, but died suddenly later that year in November. His share of the patent then passed to his eldest son, Peter. In later disputes between Peter Dollond and rival London opticians who challenged the patent, Peter consistently argued that, whatever earlier precedents may have existed, his father had independently developed a practical method for producing achromatic lenses through his command of Newtonian optics. By successfully defending the patent, the Dollond firm became one of the leading manufacturers of optical instruments. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the name ‘Dollond’ was at times used almost generically to mean ‘telescope,’ reflecting the firm’s reputation. Genuine Dollond telescopes were regarded as among the finest available. Peter Dollond (1731–1820) was the driving force behind the family business. He had founded a small optical business in 1750 on Vine Street, Halton Garden, with his father's guidance. The success of the business led to his father joining him in partnership in 1752. In 1959, J Dollond and Son opened a shop on The Strand, London. Dollonds appear to have produced both reflecting and refracting telescopes, and they possessed the technical skill to manufacture significant numbers of lenses largely free from chromatic aberration. In 1766, Peter went into partnership with his younger brother, John, and they traded under the name P and J Dollond. They supplied optical instruments for Captain Cook and George Hadley, an English lawyer and Meteorologist. In 1769, Captain Cook travelled with a Dollond telescope on the voyage to observe the Transit of Venus. Other notable customers included Thomas Jefferson and Admiral Lord Nelson. In 1781, Peter Dollond made bifocal spectacles. In 1804, young John Dollond passed away. The following year, Peter Dollond went into partnership with his nephew, George Huggins, and Huggins legally changed his surname to Dollond, and the firm remained P and J Dollond. In the early 20th century, the company sold film cameras. The firm remained in the hands of Dollond family members until 1927, when Dollond & Co. merged with James Aitchison & Co. to form Dollond & Aitchison, the well-known high street chain of opticians, which continued making and selling prescription spectacles. Now fully part of Boots Opticians, the company no longer manufactures instruments and operates exclusively as a retail business. The telescope in the collection is an excellent example of one of Dollond’s early library telescopes. Its association with one of eighteenth-century England’s leading innovators in optical development gives it considerable historical significance and makes it an important object within the collection. John Dollond’s experiments in optics advanced the understanding of the divergent properties of lenses and made a lasting contribution to the development of practical optical science. His work helped lay the foundation for major improvements in the design and performance of optical instruments. In his own time, Dollond was celebrated as the “Father of practical optics” and received widespread recognition for his achievements in the field. Dollond telescopes were associated with the renowned mariners, Captain James Cook and Admiral Lord Nelson Telescope: Dollond's Telescope, Day or Night model navigational instrument. Telescope is mounted on wooden tripod stand that has folding legs. Brass telescope with leather sheath over barrel, adjustable angle fitting with brass wing nuts that join the legs to the top frame, which is then joined to the telescope pole by an adjustable screw fitting. Manufactured by Dollond, London. Inscription reads "Dollond London, Day or Night" and "DOLLOND LONDON"flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, warrnambool, optical instrument, achromatic telescope, heliometer, light refraction, instrument maker, lens, transit of venus, astronomical telescope, concave lens, scientific instrument, navigation, navigational instrument, astronomy, dollond, dollond london, john dollond, peter dollond, dollond telescope, day or night telescope, floor-standing telescope, library telescope, hans lippershey, isaac newton, chester moor hall, james short, captain cook, thomas jefferson, admiral lord nelson, dollond & co, aitchison & co, dollond & aitchison, boots opticians, george iii, duke of york, george huggins, george dollond, p and j dollond, j dollond and son, spectacles, cameras