Henry Deringer

A derringer pistol. The inscription reads DERINGER/PHILADEL[PHI]A. Henry Deringer (October 26, 1786 – February 28, 1868) was an American gunsmith, inventor, and businessman. He is best known as the eponymous inventor of the derringer pistol.

Early life Henry Deringer was born in Easton, Pennsylvania, on October 26, 1786, to colonial gunsmith Henry Deringer Sr. (1756–1833) and Catherine McQuety (1759–1829).

The family moved to Philadelphia, where his father continued work on the Kentucky rifle, developing both an ornate sporting model and a basic version for the United States Army. and the Model 1817 Common Rifle. He produced trade rifles, designated for the Native American tribes, to fulfill the U.S. treaty obligations.

There was widespread copying of his designs, including outright counterfeiting, with even his proofmarks being copied. One company even hired a tailor named John Deringer so that it could put the Deringer name on its firearms. Some of Deringer's workmen also left the company to set up their own duplicates, while others copied his pistols as closely as possible, with some even using its Deringer name and trademark. Deringer fought these infringements for most of his business life. The Deringer v. Plate ruling, in which the California Supreme Court ruled in the company's favor, became a landmark in trademark law.

Personal life and death

He married Elizabeth Hollobush at the First Reformed Church in Philadelphia on April 5, 1810. They had three sons and a daughter: Theophilus T. Deringer (1811–1874), Bronaugh McClain Deringer (1819−1868), Calhoun Mason Deringer (1824−1907), and Eliza Deringer (1831–1907).

Deringer died in Philadelphia on February 28, 1868, at the age of 81. He is buried in Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia.