Pistol

Object Name:

Pistol

Object ID:

1997.001.01.1 - .2

Creator:

Bunney, Joseph -- Gunsmith

Place of Origin:

London, England/Birmingham, England

Date:

circa 1776

Description:

Pistols. Flintlock; Identical pair (except overall length). Brass barrel, wood (walnut) handles inlaid with silver wire. Gray flints held in leather. Maker's mark on brass side plate: "BUNNEY" on left, "LONDON" on right. Hallmarks on silver butt caps and on brass near trigger: hallmarks on caps include lion, anchor, and "D" (Birmingham, England, 1776); hallmarks by trigger include two sets of crossed swords and crowns (Birmingham, England). Ornamental engravings in several locations: flower on trigger guard, heart on pan cover, flowers on screw heads. Caliber: .550 inches.
.1 Pistol. Red paint on handle. 12.75" long, 3.5" high at handle (5" overall), 1.75" deep.
.2 Pistol. 12.5" long, 3.5" high at handle (5" overall), 1.75" deep.

Material:

Metal
Wood
Brass
Walnut

Dimensions:

H-5.2 W-1.7 L-12.7 inches

Provenance:

Admiral Alan Bartlett Shepard, Jr. (1923-1998), born and raised in Derry, NH. Great-great-great-great-grandson of Gen. Joseph Cilley.
General Joseph Cilley (1734-1799), Nottingham, NH. Pair of pistols presented to him by the New Hampshire Assembly, March [16 or 19], 1779, by resolution "that the worthy Colonel Joseph Cilley be presented with a pair of pistols as a token of this State's intention toward merit in a brave officer." Colonel Cilley carried those pistols in the campaign against the Indians in New York, in which he was soon engaged (1779). (Scales 1921: 53). The pistols were awarded for acts of bravery during the American Revolution.
Joseph Bunney, London, England. Manufacturer of airguns and firearms, 1767-1814.

Credit Line:

Gift of Alan B. Shepard, Jr.

People:

Cilley, Joseph (1734-1799), Bunney, Joseph, Shepard, Alan B. (1923-1998)

Subjects:

Revolutionary War, Armament, Firearms, Handguns, Pistols