Description
British Brown Bess Pattern 1757/1759 Militia/Marine Musket.Regimentally marked to the 45th regiment. Top of barrel marked ‘MIL COM NOTT’. The marking refers to the Militia Company Nottingham which was organized in 1775 and later re-named the Nottinghamshire Regiment of Militia and the Sherwood Foresters Interesting literature now digitized can be found about the 45th regimental history.The Nottingham history goes back to the 1400’s and associatesto Robinhood and the Sherwood Forest. It was once an archer company. This musket was approximately fifteen years old by the outbreak of the Revolutionary War and the markings on the butt plate are probably those of an earlier regiment. The mark is Roman numeral II and 25.The barrel is stamped “IW” for either John Willet 1743-1758 or John Wood 1748-1757. Inside the lock is stamped with the inspector “Crown 2” and the contractor’s initials “WG” for William Grice, ordnance contractor. Themusket has a bench number of XIIII on the stock, underside of the barrel, side plate and lock tumbler.The musket shows heavy war time use and at one time was damaged and cracked under the side plate and barrel tang damaged. The hammer is animproper replacement.In the regimental history it is mentioned that the 45th returned home to Nottingham from New York in 1778 with only one hundred men surviving.At this time the 45th was re-organized and given the secondary title of theNottinghamshire Regiment and a new army was raised.This musket has been in a three generation collection of the J P Morgan family.The meaning of the regimental markings have been unknown until recently.
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