The well-known Rhode Island gunmaker Welcome Mathewson (b. 1778) was active in the early 19th century in Burrillville, Rhode Island, but the elegant style of this pistol, including the lock and furniture, is stylistically appropriate for the first half of the 1700s suggesting this pistol was from an earlier maker, perhaps his great uncle Winchester Mathewson (1721-1778) who moved to the Wyoming Valley and where his son Nero died in the Wyoming Massacre. Another son, Constant, was killed at the Battle of Mud Fort, and his third son, Elisha, survived the war and was discharged after seven years of service in 1783. The smoothbore, octagon to round barrel is signed "W MATHESON" and has simple incised bands at the transition point and no sights. Changes in the spelling of names in the period were common, and the block letter style markings are more common on earlier firearms. It is built with an early bridle-less lock with stepped tail and "banana" profile. The furniture is mostly brass aside from the lightly engraved silver thumbpiece attached by delicate nails and showing the faint dotted marking "IC". The ramrod entry pipe has some nice engraving on the finial, and the trigger guard has a shell finial. The stock appears to be cherry and has a gracefully sculpted hexagonal wrist, nice molding, raised floral carving by the upper tang. The wood ramrod tapers to the rear. Comparisons have been drawn between this pistol and the Matthew Sadd pistol shown in Merrill Lindsay's "The New England Gun" that is estimated to date to the mid-1700s, but American pistols of this vintage are very rare making wider comparisons very difficult.

Good with light gray patina and minor pitting on the lock and barrel, aged patina on the brass furniture and silver escutcheon, distinct designs, and moderate wear. The stock has a repaired crack visible in the wrist, distinct carving and molding, and general mild wear. Mechanically fine.