Pewter whistle

[Whatdayagot]

Hi found this yesterday at a site that clearly was occupied during at least mid -700s it was purchased in 1790 and they raised and trained champion trotting horses . The guy who purchased it in 1690 was a rev war soldier and also the guy he purchased it from I believe was a capt in the local militia of co t army . Yesterday I dug this beauty a pewter whistle as I researched them I see many look alike from different time periods can anyone tell me anything about the one I found ? If needed I will take measurements thanks I also found this cross which was peeling apart and eventually broke into two pieces ! Oh well trying to figure out how old or what kind of whistle it was . They also had a horse race track someone here nonone seems to know exactly where it was . I’ve read this guy stopped the horse training around the end of civil war approx 1872

 

[johnnyjohnson2043]

Very nice!

 

[RVRoamer76]

No help on the whistle, but it's a cool find. GL out there.

 

[Digger RJ]

Very Cool Find!!! Congrats!!!

 

[Truth]

Those are two beautiful old relics. Impressive finds

 

[A2coins]

Wowza great relics the whistle is really cool hope you get more info on it Tommy

 

[CRUSADER]

It's an 18th C Pewter Whistle. It's use is anyone's guess.

 

[tinpan]

Hi James Dixon & Sons Britannia Metal Whistle made of britannium a pewter alloy . Second generation with a Sheffield Mouthpiece . Ball top or Pillar top design . 49 types and sizes 1860 till 1950 TP

 

[Hawks88]

Very nice find. Congrats

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

My first thought was your whistle might be a Hawking or Falconry Whistle?

"Falconry is the hunting of wild animals in their natural state and habitat by means of a trained bird of prey. Small and larger animals are hunted; squirrels and rabbits often fall prey to these birds. There are two traditional terms used to describe a person involved in falconry: a Falconer flies a falcon; an Austringer flies a hawk or an eagle. In modern falconry, the red-tailed hawk, the Harris's hawk, and the peregrine falcon are some of the more commonly used birds of prey. The practice of hunting with a conditioned falconry bird is also called hawking or game-hawking, although the words hawking and hawker have become used so much to refer to petty traveling traders, that the terms falconer and falconry now apply to most use of trained birds of prey to catch game."

A date of late 18thc or early 19thc would make sense based on it's condition.
Here are a couple of examples of 'Hawking Whistles' I found online.

Dave

 

[xcopperstax]

That whistle is amazing! Congrats. I hope it still works. It's kind of neat to think of an artifact that was originally made to make noise sits in the ground for 2-300 years and could relive it's life by making a noise!!!

 

[Blak bart]

Incredible find....congrats....nice piece of history you have there.

 

[tinpan]

My first thought was your whistle might be a Hawking or Falconry Whistle?

"Falconry is the hunting of wild animals in their natural state and habitat by means of a trained bird of prey. Small and larger animals are hunted; squirrels and rabbits often fall prey to these birds. There are two traditional terms used to describe a person involved in falconry: a Falconer flies a falcon; an Austringer flies a hawk or an eagle. In modern falconry, the red-tailed hawk, the Harris's hawk, and the peregrine falcon are some of the more commonly used birds of prey. The practice of hunting with a conditioned falconry bird is also called hawking or game-hawking, although the words hawking and hawker have become used so much to refer to petty traveling traders, that the terms falconer and falconry now apply to most use of trained birds of prey to catch game."

A date of late 18thc or early 19thc would make sense based on it's condition.
Here are a couple of examples of 'Hawking Whistles' I found online.

Dave

Hi The history of falconry in North America can be found on North American Falconers Association . A number 9 Stevenson & Sons was a Scottish Police issue in 1880. Funny must had attack eagles . This design is common round britannium whistle also sold to children as penny toy . Some production under patients in Germany until WW1 . I and others have found this design in shallow beach water in areas that where not populated until 1920. The first document published on this subject was by brothers John and Frank Craighead in 1930,s in North America . TP

 

[CRUSADER]

https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/702110
Above is a 18th C ID. I think I've seen them in books as well.
Below is a late 19th C type;
https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/964164

 

[3cylbill]

what state was this found in ?

 

[crossfire631]

That's pretty cool. Nice find!

 

[Bodkin]

That's really cool! Nice find!

 

[A2coins]

Amazing info cant ask for more than that

 

[Whatdayagot]

Thanks everyone I appreciate your effort . Yes it still works !!! Pretty cool I found it on a property that was owned pre -790 by I think a guy who served as a capt in the local militia of the rev war I think he sold part of his land in 1790 to this guy who also was a soldier in the rev war . While doing the property I located a unknown homesite I believe that maybe the son (born 1790) lived in he was a soldier in the war of 1812 hence why I found three war of 1812 buttons he raised trained and eventually became pretty famous for producing champion bloodline trotting horses and opened a stable o 7th ave and broadway in Manhattan and the rich and famous took a great liking to his services . He must have invested his money cause I can’t find any silver ! Lol tons of coppers though . Only in that house site area. The original house his parents owned is long gone and on property that’s many private residences now working on them ! Oldest copper so far is 1749 farthing? 1766 Hibernia two 1786/887 nj coppers and large cents 1802-1817

 

[Whatdayagot]

I was actually able to find a photo of him later in life he died 1877 or 1887 born 1790View attachment 1750713