Jonathan Browning (inventor)
| Jonathan Browning | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born |
October 22, 1805 Sumner County, Tennessee, United States |
| Died | June 21, 1879 (aged 73) |
| Resting place | Ogden City Cemetery 41°13′59″N 111°57′43″W / 41.233°N 111.962°W |
| Home town | Ogden, Utah, United States |
| Known For | Harmonica gun |
| Occupation | Blacksmith and Gunsmith |
| Spouse(s) | 3 Ann Emmett Elizabeth Stalcup Elizabeth C. Clark |
| Children | 24 including: John M Browning |
| Parents | Edmund Browning Sarah B. Allen |
| Relatives | Including: Val A. Browning (grandson) |
Jonathan Browning (October 22, 1805 – June 21, 1879) was an American inventor and gunmaker.
Born in Sumner County, Tennessee, he started earning a living as a blacksmith and later switched to become a lock and gunsmith. He invented a 'sliding breech' repeating rifle also called a Harmonica gun between 1834 and 1842 while living in Quincy, Illinois. He achieved success with the Harmonica gun and he received many orders. It is estimated that each Harmonica gun took 2 weeks to make, and Browning sold the guns for twenty-four dollars.
With his local prominence in Quincy, Browning was elected the justice of the peace. He came to know a young lawyer by the name of Abraham Lincoln who was an overnight guest in his home on at least two occasions.
In October 1838, Governor Lilburn Boggs issued the Extermination Order that caused the followers of Joseph Smith to flee Missouri. In his capacity as a judge, Browning came into contact with many of the Latter Day Saint exiles. Curious about the new settlement in the swampy lands of Nauvoo, Illinois, Browning paid a visit to Nauvoo. His meeting with church president Joseph Smith led Browning to convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.. His conversion led to him being ostracized by the community in Quincy. Browning sold his gun shop and land in Quincy.
He moved to Nauvoo, Illinois and joined the community in 1842, where he established a gun shop. Guns that Browning produced during these times were labeled "Holiness to the Lord - Our Preservation." The Browning Gun Shop has been restored as a museum, and is open to the public at no charge.
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