F. J. BITTERLICK
#261 Contrary to most derringers made in the South, Bitterlick marked his on both the barrel and the lock. All furniture is of plain, not engraved, German silver and the escutcheon plate under the forearm embraces the screw that attaches the forearm to the barrel. The forearm nose is fluted. The barrel is full octagon, and its caliber is .400.
The markings are to be found identically on the lock and the barrel in two lines with one hand stamp marked as follows:
Fr. J. Bitterlick
Nashville, Tenn.
Franz J. Bitterlick was born July 16, 1829 and died July 12, 1880 at 51 years and 6 days old. His daughter Ann Elizabeth married Charles Evers and their descendents and great grandchildren are living in Nashville today, 1971.
Joseph Legler was born October 21, 1837 and died June 15, 1931 at the age of 93 years and 8 months. His descendents by the name of Legler still live in Nashville today.
Franz Bitterlick and Joseph Legler were brothers-in-law, having married sisters Mary and Helen Lochmann respectively.
There is no record of when Bitterlick first started operating but if he was born in 1829 and started the business when he was 25 years old, that would mean that the Bitterlick Company started about 1854.
The first record of a business using either of these two names is found in King’s City Directory of 1867, the earliest available, and is listed as Bitterlick & Legler, Gunsmiths, 22 Deaderich Street. No City Directories are available before 1867 so it is entirely possible that the combination of the two names originated before that date.
Considering that in 1867, Legler was 30 years old and considering the point that he could have been a partner of Bitterlick as early as 25 years of age means that the Bitterlick & Legler Company could have started around 1862.
In an interview in 1970 with Mr. Bernard Evers, Sr., the grandson of Bitterlick, he stated he believed the gunsmith business started in 1854, give or take a year, and that Bitterlick made himself scarce during the War Between the States by taking a four year “Round the World” trip.
All in all it would average up that the company of Bitterlick operated from perhaps 1854 to 1862 or 1865.
Bitterlick and Legler without a doubt operated from 1862-65 til the last listing of the combination company in the King’s City Directory of 1879.
In 1880 Joseph Legler is listed as a gunsmith and Frank Bitterlick as a grocer at two different addresses.
Thus from these dates that we have accumulated here you can tell approximately when your gun was made according to the name on the barrel, and that no derringers were produced after 1879 because none are known marked “Legler.”
According to a news clipping dated March 1, 1963 of the Nashville Tennessean newspaper, the J. Legler, Gunsmith business was sold on that date and it is noted that the operation was started 95 years ago on Deaderich Street which would make the business starting in 1868. To me this does not quite add up since the City Directories state that they were operating in 1867. I would say that the business started sometime between 1854 and 1867.
Joseph Legler is buried in the Mt. Olive Cemetery near Nashville, Tennessee.
It is interesting to note that the Legler descendents with the same name operated this business as a gunsmith at 321 Deaderich Street until December 31, 1962 when the business was closed out. The building was sold to a real estate agent on March 1, 1963.
All their pistols were high quality. In addition to derringer type pieces it is known that Bitterlick produced and manufactured shotguns and a few target rifles marked “FR. J. Bitterlick & Co., Nashville, Tenn.”. Early double breechloading shotguns with outside hammers are known that are marked “J. Leghler, Nashville, Tenn.” and will you please note the new spelling of Legler in this later breechloading period.