WHYTE'S THE ECLECTIC COLLECTOR 15/16 MAY 2021

18 18th Century 29 ‘Brown Bess’musket found in Achill Island. Probably ‘liberated’ from a landlord or his agents during the Land Wars. Discovered in 1975 in an Achill Island cottage’s thatched roof. Condition: Due to poor storage the metal has corroded, stock holed by woodworm, missing trigger and guard, lacking ramrod, but a decorative piece of great historical interest. “Brown Bess” is a nickname of uncertain origin for the British Army’s muzzle-loading smoothbore flintlock Land Pattern Musket and its derivatives. This musket and its derivatives, all 0.75 inch calibre flintlock muskets, were the standard long guns of British land forces from 1722 until 1838, when they were superseded by a percussion cap smoothbore musket. A fire in 1841 at the Tower of London destroyed many muskets before they could be converted. Still, the Brown Bess saw service until the middle of the nineteenth century. Due to the unreliability of the first issue - after much use they over heated and sometimes killed or injured soldiers - of these muskets some were sent to Ireland for use by the banks and landlords as security weapons that wouldn’t see as much use as the military and therefore would not overheat. See also lot 280. Estimate €200-€300 (approx £170-£260) Click here for more images and to bid on this lot 29 30 1799, Satirical cartoon: A Peep into The Retreat at Tinnehinch. Published by T. Whittle for The Anti-Jacobin Review. British Museum Caricatures 9370. Sheet size: 9.50 by 11in. (24.1 by 27.9cm) Condition: Fine, no apparent faults, mounted. Literature: Dorothy M George Catalogue of Caricatures in British Museum online at britishmuseum.org Estimate €100-€150 (approx £90-£130) Click here for more images and to bid on this lot 30 31 1799. An Irish Howl. Satirical cartoon. Published by T. Whittle for The Anti-Jacobin Review. British Museum Caricatures 9350. 10 by 12in. (25.4 by 30.5cm) Condition: Very fine, no apparent faults, mounted. Literature: Dorothy M George Catalogue of Caricatures in British Museum online at britishmuseum.org Estimate €100-€150 (approx £90-£130) Click here for more images and to bid on this lot 31