Wollaton Hall Brown Bess flintlock musket No.139.

 In 1803 the war against Napoleon's France reignited. Fears in Great Britain grew about the possibility of a full scale invasion by Napoleon who commanded an extremely large and powerful navy, and had around 150'000 troops at his disposal. A call was made for the formation of volunteer units across the nation to defend the country in case such an invasion happened. As a result, around 300'000 men volunteered and were formed into volunteer infantry units across the country including a strong contingent in Nottinghamshire.

In 1803 the Wollaton Hall estate was the seat of Henry Willoughby, the 6th Baron Middleton (1761-1835). In response to the Napoleonic emergency, Lord Middleton raised and commanded The Loyal Wollaton, Lenton and Beeston Volunteer Infantry. As part of the nation's defence, and to protect his own estate in the event of war. 

To arm his troops, Lord Middleton purchased 200 India Pattern (Brown Bess) muskets, the current service weapon of the British Army. Purchased from Ketland & Co of Birmingham, and delivered in 1803, made to the exact regulation pattern, each supplied with a socket bayonet. The muskets and bayonets were numbered individually, a number engraved to the middle of the barrel, and the socket of the bayonet. 

The Napoleonic wars passed with no threat to the Wollaton Estate, to be replaced with civil unrest in Nottingham. 1831 saw the Reform Bill Riots across the country including Nottingham. The rioteers had already burned Nottingham Castle, and then set their sights on Wollaton Hall, knowing that Lord Middleton, a staunch Conservative had personally opposed the reform bill. At the time, experienced army veteran Colonel Hancox was resident in Wollaton Hall. Colonel Hancox assembled a force made up of local loyal colliers and was garrisoned at the Hall. Armed with cannon which were property of Lord Middleton, and presumably with  the Wollaton Hall muskets. At the entrance to the Wollaton estate, the South Nottinghamshire Yeomanry Cavalry, the Wollaton Troop under the command of Captain Webb--Edge were stationed. On Tuesday 11th October, the mob arrived and attacked the gate house, forcing open the gate. The Wollaton Troop charged at, and repelled the mob, taking several prisoners, the mob later dealt with by the 15th Hussars. It is fair to assume that the Wollaton Hall muskets were made available to the Wollaton Yeomanry Troop who were otherwise armed with swords and pistols, a musket with bayonet attached very useful for dispersing crowds. 

In later times, local defence against civil unrest was less necessary, and the old obsolete flintlock action Wollaton Hall muskets were put into store in the Hall. As the decades went by, the 200 muskets found themselves stored away in a wooden shed on the roof of the Hall. 

In the early 1970's, it was decided to restore and display some of the muskets. One of the people involved in this was Bill Curtis, a Crimean War historian, well known in the field of antique arms and military history. By this time, the shed on the roof was dilapidated and the muskets mostly in a very sorry state. Some of the muskets were no more than a pile of loose locks, barrels, and broken wood. Local antique gun collectors and enthusiasts were given the task of restoring the muskets, and they were to be paid, with muskets. Bill Curtis who did a lot of the work was paid with two of the muskets for his own collection. Renowned local antique arms and militaria dealer, Michael Long was also involved in the task with contacting enthusiasts for the work, and selling off musket parts.As a result of these efforts, 62 good muskets were returned to the Hall. These can be seen today displayed in two opposing fans in the upper part of the main Hall complete with their bayonets. 


India Pattern Wollaton Hall musket number 139 with its matching bayonet found its way into the collection of Alan MacCormick (1938-2022). Alan was an archeologist and Museum Curator at the Nottingham Castle Museum from 1964 to 1998. He was also an antique arms collector. Possibly Alan contributed to the works at Wollaton Hall in the 1970's. Being in the position he was in as part of Nottingham's historical community, he was able to acquire one of the finest remaining examples of Wollaton Hall muskets, number 139 with its matching bayonet. Alan owned the musket for over 50 years before his passing in 2022 when the family started to pass on his collection of arms to other collectors via Mellors & Kirk auctioneers in Nottingham including musket number 139 which has never left Nottinghamshire since it arrived in 1803.









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