Detail of musket belonging to the Edinburgh Town Guard

Category

Museums & Galleries Item

Item no

43651

Title

Detail of a lock from a 1730 musket belonging to the Edinburgh Town Guard with carved initials

Description

A view of the outside of a lock, or firing mechanism, from a 1730 Long Land type of musket used by the Edinburgh Town Guard. The outside of the lock consists of the hinged cock with the adjustable jaws which would have held a flint in place, and a slightly curved, hinged striking platform, or "frizzen", against which the flint strikes to create a spark. Between the cock and frizzen is the hollowed out pan where the priming shot powder is placed. Once ignited by the spark, the priming powder then ignites the powder inside the barrel and fires the gun. To the left of cock is a shield shaped section with the very faint engraved text "Es. Cole 1730", the name of the lock maker, Elias Cole, from Birmingham. To the right of the cock on the lock plate are the two marks showing the musket is King's Ordnance (passed for official use in the British army). The mark on the left is King George II's initials (GR) under a crown, and to the right is the "Broad Arrow", the mark of government property. Below the lock is the trigger with its brass guard plate. To the right of the lock and supporting the steel barrel on the right, is the wooden stock.

Date

1745

Size

157 x 13 cm

Type

Metal; Wood

Location

Museum of Edinburgh

Accession number

HH50/01/1901

This musket is one of a set of 39 muskets which the Town Guard of Edinburgh acquired in 1744-1745. They were assembled at the Tower of London, the headquarters of the Board of Ordnance which provided all the artillery for the British Army. Documentary evidence strongly supports the theory that the muskets were sent to Edinburgh as part of a shipment of 5000 small arms to various cities in Scotland in 1744-1745 to help defend them from the anticipated Jacobite rebellion led by Charles Edward Stuart (known as Bonnie Prince Charlie).

The various components of muskets were made by different specialists, and assembled by either the gunsmiths who made the lock, or from components sent separately to the Tower for assembly. This musket has the name Elias Cole and the date 1730 on the outside of the lock, but the initials of the successful gunsmith Edward Jordan on the inside, suggesting that the lock was made by Jordan but the musket assembled by Cole. The King's Ordnance marks on the outside of the lock (a GR monogram surmounted by a crown and a crowned arrow) and on the barrel indicate the musket was approved for official military use by the Army and property of the government.

It is believed that the muskets were either sent to Edinburgh Castle where they remained until after the Rebellion had been suppressed following the Battle of Culloden, or that they had been supplied to the Town Guard before the occupation of Edinburgh by the rebel army. By 1747, the Town Guard were in possession of these 39 muskets to replace a set of older firelock muskets. The guns remained in the Guard's care until November 1817 when the Guard was disbanded and their equipment, arms and uniforms deposited at the City Chambers.

Most muskets of this type were lost in battle, where they were fired once or twice before being abandoned on the battlefield. Because the Town Guard muskets did not see much (or any) action in battle, they are astonishingly well preserved, and may be the largest collection of early standard issue firearms in the world.

While none of the locks show any evidence of regular firing, the brass strip protecting the butt (the part which rested against the shoulder, or on the floor when carried) is often worn down to the wood. This is evidence of many hours of drill and parading on Edinburgh's hard cobbles. Indeed in the 1780s the Guard was complemented on their organised marching formations, but also their target practice which they carried out on Calton Hill.

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