I've become fascinated with the Lee Speed's history and would love to find about the original owner. A little bit of internet research reveals that Avate is an Indian name. However, I've found instances of people with the same name who clearly aren't of Indian descent. If the 'Col.' is an abbreviation for colonel, its unlikely that he was Indian as there were few, if any, Indian officers of such rank at the time the rifle was most likely to have been made. The fact that it was supplied by the Junior Army & Navy Stores in London would support this. But then why would a colonel buy goods from the Junior store? I suppose he could have been a member from when he was a junior officer.