A Fine Short Land Pattern 1777 Brown Bess Musket.
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58” overall, 42” barrel with Ordnance proofs and engraved ‘69th Reg’. Double border line engraved lock, with Tower on the tail and Crown over GR under the pan, and ordnance mark. Swan neck cock, inspector’s marks stamped inside the lock plate. Walnut full stock with Ordnance stamps. Regulation brass furniture including long land flat sideplate, thumb piece engraved ‘G’ over ‘3’, with a Pratt ramrod pipe. Iron ramrod.
Circa 1780
See ‘The Brown Bess’ by Erick Goldstein & Stuart Mowbray page 112-121
Good Example in very good condition, ramrod an old replacement.
The 69th Regiment was formed by redesignating the 2nd Battalion of the 24th Regiment in 1758. That year it took part in the amphibious landings at St Malo and helped capture Belle Isle off the French coast in 1761. It also fought at Martinique in the West Indies in 1762.
During the American War of Independence (1775-83) it took part in the Battle of Saint Kitts (1782) and, while serving as marines, in the Battle of the Saintes (1782). The regiment was assigned South Lincolnshire as its county title in 1782.
The unit’s naval connection continued when detachments served as marines at the capture of Toulon in 1793 and the Glorious First of June in 1794. At the Battle of Cape St Vincent in 1797 men from the 69th were serving on board HMS ‘Captain’ and helped Commodore Horatio Nelson board and capture two Spanish ships. In recognition of this, the unit’s successor regiment was awarded the battle honour Cape St Vincent in 1891 and a naval crown in 1909.
Part of the regiment had deployed to St Domingo in the West Indies in 1796 but lost over 900 officers and men to disease and was pulled out in 1798. The following year, the re-strengthened 69th took part in the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland.