The O'Connor Chief's Grade Wilson gun revisited

[Okwaho]

This gun has piqued my curiosity and I have some questions about its background.For those of you who may not be familiar with this gun,it is an 18th century trade level English gun shown in "Colonial Frontier Guns" by T M Hamilton {1986} PP.73 and 78-79.I have long wondered about its origin in this country. Did it come from the South or the mid Alantic states as did the Type G /Carolina guns or did it come from up North as was the case with the Northwest guns.How early is it,the date in beads notwithstanding? The gun bears the name "Wilson" which could be one of several members of the Wilson family which worked in London from the early 18th century on into the 19th century.I don't know the provenance of this gun so I I would like some thoughts on the matter. I have some thoughts of my own but I decided to run it up the flagpole so to speak and see what others thought.
Tom Patton

 

[tg]

I know little of then gun past what Hamilton mentions, I would suspect it to be from the time when the French were still bringing guns to the colonies as it is an obvious attempt to copy the lines of some of the popular French guns of the first half of the 18th century, then again it could have been an attempt to offer a French stlye gun no longer easily gotten in the post F&I period. One way or the other I think there is a definite "French connection"

 

Check out the notes on page 77. Hamilton alludes to or hypothisises that the Brittish after taking over after the F&I war wanted a trade gun that the Indians were familiar with and so developed this style for their trade. I can run up to Michilamackinac if you'd like me to to do a little more research for you. Oh please, please let me go, it's only a 45 minute drive. Please pretty please, I'll even eat my peas! :crackup:

 

[dlemaster]

Hamilton does offer the therory that the English introduced this style after the F&I War and offering a gun to the indians a style they were familiar with. He also offers proof of excavated parts from areas with post F&I period sites as proof.
I don;t think that this precludes the possibilities that this style actually begain in the F&I War. We know for a fact that English trade goods were more abundant and cheaper than the trade goods offered by the French. If the English wanted to move the French out of the gun market what better way than to offer a gun in the style the indians were familiar with and liked at a cheaper price?
Just something to think about.

Regards, Dave