Woodson musket (nonpolarized image) By Woodson family tradition, this gun has been known as the one used by a man named Ligon, who helped Sara Woodson defend her Prince George County home on April 18, 1644, from an Indian attack. According to this tradition, the name Ligon was consequently carved on the stock. No such name appears on the current American maple stock, which however is the third one on this weapon and only dates to about 1800. The barrel is much older, possibly seventeenth century, although most expert opinion places it as the latter rather than the mid-1600s. The lock is no lat
Woodson musket (nonpolarized image) By Woodson family tradition, this gun has been known as the one used by a man named Ligon, who helped Sara Woodson defend her Prince George County home on April 18, 1644, from an Indian attack. According to this tradition, the name Ligon was consequently carved on the stock. No such name appears on the current American maple stock, which however is the third one on this weapon and only dates to about 1800. The barrel is much older, possibly seventeenth century, although most expert opinion places it as the latter rather than the mid-1600s. The lock is no later than 1760 and the other hardware also dates to that period. Therefore, only the barrel may remain from a seventeenth century firearm. Proof marks on the breech are London Gunmakers Guild stamping of the period 1650-1750, but no narrower dating is possible. The Woodson firearm was designed as a fowling firearm and generally is called a long fowler, used for shooting birds, although it could also be used as a wall-mounted gun. The octagonal to round barrel is approximately .80 caliber or 12 gauge and has a slight swell at the breech and also a light flare at the muzzle. The flintlock has an exterior bridle and is engraved with a floral pattern and is marked "Collicot," the name of a lock maker in Bristol, England, about 1750. The brass furniture, of the same date, consists of a cast butt plate with a graduated four-step tang, a convex side plate with tail, an unmarked escutcheon plate at the wrist, a trigger guard, and three ramrod pipes of equal length, with a fourth possessing a tail where the ramrod enters the lower stock. The current stock lacks the decorative comb and bilbous fore end that is typical of this pattern of firearm during the early to mid-eighteenth century.
Size: 7232px × 1234px
Photo credit: © Virginia Museum of History & Culture / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords:
