High quality officer's flintlock fusil made by London gunmaker William Wilson circa 1777. The Brown Bess style fusil has a 42 inch smoothbore barrel with bayonet lug/front sight. Military sling swivels are mounted on the stock above the second ramrod pipe and on the trigger guard. The fusil has a wedge fastened walnut stock with bright forearm cap, ramrod pipes, side plate, trigger guard and buttplate. The bright finished lock plate has a integral, fenced, iron pan, graceful gooseneck hammer and sliding bar safety. "WILSON" is engraved on the lock plate in front of the hammer and on the top of the barrel. The left side of the barrel is stamped with oval London "Crown/CP" and "Crown/V" proof and inspection marks and a faint Wilson maker's mark which consists of a five-pointed star above the initials "RW" (Richard Wilson active circa 1767-1780). The buttplate is boldly engraved with the initial "SN" in block letters followed by "Jenkins/Georgia/1779" in script. Much of Georgia was controlled by the British in 1779 and became the only state/colony to be formerly redeclared in allegiance to Great Britain. Franco-American forces, assisted by Haitian volunteers, attempted, and ultimately failed, to dislodge the British during the Second Battle of Savannah (Siege of Savannah) that year. The British held the city until nearly the end of the war. At least three British officers and one or more Georgia loyalist volunteers during the Revolution had the surname Jenkins, and a Sterling Jenkins of Wilkes, Georgia, served with Col. Elijah Clark's Georgia Volunteers on the rebel side of the war. Jenkins was a fairly common Welsh surname meaning "Son of John" and thus used as an abbreviated form of Jenkinson, and SN is often used as abbreviation for seaman. "TUTENAGUE" is engraved in block letters on the trigger guard finial. Tutenague was a "white" metal used to imitate silver by Chinese metal workers in the 18th and early 19th centuries. The fore pipe and second ramrod pipe are the "Pratt Improvement" pattern introduced on Brown Bess muskets circa 1777. The stock configuration is very similar to the military Brown Bess musket with slightly flared forearm and finger notch on the comb. However, the portions of the stock surrounding the barrel tang are relief carved in a shell pattern. The stock wrist is inlaid with a rococo thumb-piece engraved with a crest which depicts a lion on a crenelated turret above a shield bearing a rampant lion. The stock has a flat-faced side plate decorated with scrollwork and a military drum and banner motif. The trigger guard has an acorn-shaped front finial. The bottom of the trigger guard is engraved with a banner and crossed sword, pike, arrows and banner surmounted by a British shield. The tip of the Brown Bess style buttplate is engraved with scrollwork and line borders and the top of the buttplate heel is decorated with a detailed stand of arms that features crossed banners, a cannon barrel and crossed pikes. Light, military style fusils like this example were popular with British infantry officers serving in North America where the terrain and irregular style of warfare made the spontoons traditionally carried by company grade officers a liability. This fusil is a high quality military firearm of the type privately purchased by a British officers for service in the American colonies and was likely carried by a Loyalist officer from Georgia. The inscription on the buttplate matches the engraving on the other components and appear to be contemporary with the fusil.

Fine. The fusil is in fine overall condition and is in exceptional shape for a Revolutionary War firearm. The barrel has a smooth brown patina. The Wilson markings on the barrel are faint but the London proofs are clear. There is an old vice mark on the top of the barrel about 3 inches ahead of the tang. The portion of the barrel surrounding the flash hole has been milled flat and is bright. The flash hole has been freshened. There is moderate flash pitting on the top of the barrel, the face of the steel, the top of the pan and protected areas of the hammer. The lock plate has been cleaned and polished and the "Wilson" marking is faint. The stock is in very fine condition with light-moderate handling wear and no chips, cracks or repairs. The "tutenague" furniture is in excellent condition with extremely sharp engraving. The ramrod is an early 19th century replacement. This is an outstanding example of a high quality Revolutionary War British Officer's fusil!