The small arms assemblage recovered from the excavation of the Anse aux Bouleaux shipwreck, believed to be a casualty of Phips' ill-fated 1690 expedition, consists of over 1,100 weapon and weapon-related artifacts. Examination of this fascinating collection not only sheds light on a celebrated chapter in Canadian history but also provides an invaluable study into English colonial militia organization as well as late 17th-century warfare on the North American frontier.
Description
Long arms
Although lock plates and other iron components did not survive, owing to the metal's susceptibility to corrosion within the site's marine environment, mineralized fragments and lock impressions indicate that most firearms recovered possessed a flint lock or similar flint ignition system. Specifically, evidence indicates that one and possibly two firearms employed an “English” or “dog” style of lock. Developed during the first quarter of the 17th century, the term refers to the large external, dog-leg safety catch which engaged a notch at the rear of the cock. Although the flintlock, established by 1650, incorporated a more sophisticated internal half-cock safety system, dog locks were probably still manufactured to the end of the century as a cheaper alternative. The gun stocks examined were plain and robust, suggesting very functional pieces. A number of models may represent “carbines”, or smaller, light-weight weapons which proved invaluable in North American wilderness terrain. At least two long arms retained initials, indicating private ownership.
One fragmented stock containing a large rectangular lock plate cavity may be a matchlock. The matchlock, the standard firearm of early 17th-century Europe, employed a serpentine lock mechanism which held a match cord to ignite the charge. English colonial ordinances dating to the 1630s, requiring militia to possess quantities of match, also attest to the weapon's extensive use on the early North American frontier. Cheap yet reliable, such guns are believed to have persisted until ca. 1700. The plain, functional stock, coupled with the crescent-shaped configuration of the butt are characteristic of muskets of the early 1600s. The stock has been decorated with a curious series of white-glass seed beads, embedded on both sides of the butt and oriented in the form of a small cross followed by a larger one (Fig. 1). Eight additional beads also extend along the underside of the butt in a linear fashion.
Pistols
Pistols were specifically designed for personal protection and close combat. As with other weapons, a definite range in the quality of arms was detected in the artifacts examined. The stock of one pistol indicates a very small size. The well-defined handle incorporated into the pistol's design suggests that the firearm was relatively new at the time of the vessel's demise. Evidence of a flintlock ignition system, coupled with employment of such hardware as a butt-cap and an elaborate shield-shaped escutcheon plate at the wrist indicate an expensive piece.
The plain, functional design of the other pistol examined, coupled with the slight bend constituting the handle, suggests an early style of weapon, possibly dating to the 1650s. The large size also suggests a horse pistol designed originally for use by mounted troops. A large capitol letter “H” in typical 17th-century script is incised on the base of the forestock, suggesting individual ownership.
* (Shooting Accessories)
* (Historical Significance & Further Reading ...)
