This is an example of an 18th Century British Brown Bess musket with 1743-dated lock by "Farmer". The lock plate has the distinctive, "banana" shape characteristic of early Brown Bess lock plates and has a single bridle screw located beneath the goose neck hammer and delicate feather shaped hammer tang. The steel or frizzen has a distinct curl at the toe and the frizzen spring has a feather-shaped tip. The edges of the lock plate, hammer, top-jaw and steel all are engraved with double line borders. The integral iron pan has a high fence. The lock plate is engraved "FARMER / 1743" in two vertical lines behind the hammer. The "Crown/GR" Royal Cypher of King George II is engraved in front of the hammer and the lock is stamped with the "Broad Arrow" property mark below the pan. The stock has the flat brass short tang, screw-fastened buttplate, flat side plate and simplified brass trigger guard utilized on Marine or Sea Service Brown Bess muskets. The trigger guard has no provision for a sling swivel and there is no sling swivel on the stock. The stock wrist has the wide, relief-carved, "beaver tail" surrounding the barrel tang but lacks the brass wrist escutcheon found on the land pattern muskets. The pin-fastened stock has two brass ramrod pipes and a brass forearm cap. The stock lacks the flared forearm and wide butt with deeply notched comb found on Long and Short Land Pattern Brown Bess muskets. The barrel has a square bayonet lug/front sight, turned breech and is stamped with the Crown view and proof marks. The number "21" is engraved on the top of the barrel ahead of the view and proof marks. What appears to be a "Crown/V" inspection mark is stamped on the underside of the stock behind the lower trigger guard finial. A "V" stocker's mark and what appear to be two inspection marks are stamped in the ramrod channel. The musket has an iron, button head, ramrod with threaded tip. The ramrod is engraved with the number "25" near the top and is stamped with several illegible marks. The musket is complete with a British Brown Bess socket bayonet with 18-inch angular blade. The flat of the blade is stamped with the maker's name "DAWES" above the number "5". "E/97" is inscribed on the top of the bayonet socket and the regimental number "67" or "57" is engraved behind the locking groove..

Good as reconverted. The barrel has a smooth, silver gray, patina. There is no significant pitting on the barrel surrounding the flash-hole but there is pitting on the pan and adjacent portions of the lock plate and hammer. The lock plate shows moderate wear with faint markings and has substantially more wear than the barrel. The musket appears to be a very old reconversion that utilized the lock plate from an early Long Land Pattern Brown Bess musket. The brass furniture has been polished and the stock has been heavily cleaned and sanded. Never-the-less, this is a scarce example of a 18th Century British Brown Bess Marine or Militia pattern flintlock musket.