Alexander John Forsyth, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Alexander John Forsyth

gunsmith

Date of Birth: 28-Dec-1769

Place of Birth: Belhelvie, Scotland, United Kingdom

Date of Death: 11-Jun-1843

Profession: inventor, chemist

Zodiac Sign: Capricorn

Alexander John Forsyth (28 December 1769 – 11 June 1843) was a Scottish Presbyterian clergyman who invented the percussion ignition.Gunsmiths like Joseph Manton invented more reliable forms of ignition, like the tube lock in 1814.
The artist Joshua Shaw designed what is recognized 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.