| Alexander John Forsyth | |
|---|---|
| Born | Alexander John Forsyth December 28, 1768 Belhelvie |
| Died | June 11, 1843 (aged 74) Aberdeensheer, Scotland |
| Occupation | Inventor, clergyman |
| Religion | Presbyterian |
| Children | Mary Forsyth Reid |
Alexander John Forsyth (1768-1843) was a Scottish Presbyterian clergyman who invented the percussion ignition.[1]
Gunsmiths like Joseph Manton invented more reliable forms of ignition, like the tube lock in 1814. The artist Joshua Shaw designed what is recognised today as the percussion cap, which he patented in the United States in 1822, since Forsyth had threatened his rivals in Britain with legal action. These new forms of ignition proved popular among hunters during the Regency period, who had their old reliable flintlocks converted.[2]
He was educated at King's College, Aberdeen, and succeeded his father as minister of Belhelvie in 1791.[3]
While hunting wild duck, he was dissatisfied with his flintlock fowling-piece due to its hang-fire; by the time the pellets were discharged the duck had time to dive before the shot reached them.[2] He patented his scent-bottle lock in 1807; this was a small container filled with fulminate of mercury[4]
During the Napoleonic Wars Forsyth worked on his design at the Tower armories. But when a new Master General of Ordnance was appointed he was dismissed; other experiments had had destructive results and the new master general did not wish to see Britain's main arsenal destroyed.
Napoleon Bonaparte offered Forsyth a reward of £20,000 if he took his invention to France, but Forsyth declined. The French gunsmith Jean Lepage developed a similar form of ignition in 1807 based on Forsyth's design, but this was not pursued.