December 13-15, 2022 Collectible Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/14/2022
Only a couple British muskets exist that are marked to Sir William Pepperell. Another example can be found in the recent February, 2021 article by Erik Goldstein in "Man at Arms" magazine, Volume 43, No. 1, titled "King's Muskets for the Two American Regiments" on pages 10 to 20. The tapered round barrel has a bayonet lug on top towards the muzzle. There is a script "2" on the left side of the breech. Banana lockplate is convex and marked "TOWER / 1740" at the tail. Large crown over "GR" in the center and a crown over broad arrow mark below the pan, denoting British ownership. Standard Pattern 1742 brass furniture, wrist escutcheon engraved "1 / 96". Plain walnut stock of classic early British form. Left side of buttstock branded with 5/8" tall "SrWP" for Sir William Pepperell. The upper corner on the same side is branded with a "2". Complete with brass-tipped wooden ramrod. According to the owner of musket: "I acquired this musket while on vacation in Nova Scotia from a surveyor from Caledonia, Queens County, Nova Scotia. This was in the mid 1990’s after hearing about it visiting with the owners of the local sporting goods/gun store. The surveyor had accepted the gun and others (nothing of interest) a few years earlier as partial payment to he and his father for a survey on an old Queens County farm. This part of Nova Scotia was settled in the 1700s and a large number of settlers were loyalists who fled to Canada at that time. I was fortunate that he was getting married and had told his friend at the gun store that he wanted to raise some money. When I acquired the musket, the wood was a weathered barn wood grey in appearance, had the forward 10 inches of the stock missing, had a cracked wrist, and the holes for the pins to hold the barrel were enlarged due to rot. It was in original flint and the metal parts were all intact and original except for the brass side plate, which was a crude flat blacksmith or armourer replacement. Unfortunately, I did not realize the historical significance of the markings and I did not photograph the gun prior to taking it for restoration. The restorer repaired the cracked wrist, filled the expanded pinholes, and added the missing part of the forestock. He also replaced the crude side plate (original included with gun) with a reproduction plate. He then darkened the stock to blend the repairs. Sir William Pepperell who was knighted for the capture of Louisburg in 1744 raised and commanded the 51st Regiment of Foot in the French Indian Wars and his regiment surrendered to the French at Fort Oswego in 1757 and the regiment was disbanded." CONDITION: See owner's statement above. Barrel retains a pleasing brown patina with some scuffs. Lock retains a lightly pitted surface with grey patina, lock markings in center show some wear. Lock is in its original flintlock configuration and functions well. Brass retains a mustard patina. Period sideplate from when musket was found is included. Stock looks very homogenous, see noted restoration listed above. Barrel tang apron worn. A very rare and historically important branded musket. NOTE: A sword marked to Sir William Pepperell's Regiment recently sold for $45,600 as lot 1034 at Morphy Auctions on May 18, 2021. DMG
Accessories
Extra sideplate
Caliber/Bore
.80 Smoothbore