This musket, donated to the Historical Society by Asa K. Tyler back in 1934, was possibly  taken from a British soldier and over time it was modified and its barrel shortened to perhaps make it more suitable for squirrel hunting. 

The intake information notes “Old Flint Lock Gun. A.K.Tyler bought this gun when he was 14 years old (abt 1855) of Asa Lawton for $3.50. Mr. Lawton had it through his father who lived in Shirley. His father bought it of Ransom Page who ran the grist mill at Townsend Harbor when Mr. Tyler was a boy. It came to Ransom Page through the Page family by one who carried it in the fight at Concord and Lexington April 19, 1775. Mr. Tyler had a new stock put on it, but the barrel, the lock and the trimmings are the original ones. The barrel has been cut off 11 inches.”

According to information found with the musket: ‘The First Foot Guards’, a Revolutionary War reenactment group based in Boston, this musket was often called The ‘Brown Bess’. It was a short land service musket from about 1768, new pattern.

‘Brown Bess’ is the popular name of a series of flintlock muskets produced by or for the British Army. The term was used in America before and during the Revolutionary War, but it was a slang term. The musket borne by the First Foot Guards was officially referred to as the Short Land Service Musket. NCOs carried shorter versions, called Fusions. (c2004).

John Barrett, Capt. of the Townsend Minuteman Company, writes that the group was formed in 2006 to help celebrate Townsend’s 275th Anniversary in 2007. 

Capt. Barrett notes that in 1775, due to tensions with Great Britain, many towns had militia companies ready to march on a “minutes notice”, hence minutemen. Townsend had 2 companies, a north company and a south company (North of today’s Main Street, and South of today’s Main Street.)  Each man was expected to equip themselves with a musket, bayonet, canteen, powder and ball. 

On April 19, 1775 the Concord alarm was received that British Regulars had marched on Concord to capture arms and ammunition which the local militia had collected there.

73 men from Townsend answered the call and set out marching to Concord. They arrived too late to participate in any fighting that day. Some returned home to deal with the Tories (people sympathetic and loyal to the crown). Others stayed on and about 35 were in Captain Farwell’s company and fought alongside men from Groton and Pepperell at Bunker Hill. 

Many Townsend men fought at various points during the Revolutionary War. Some of these patriots are buried in the Old Burying Ground in Townsend including 7 of the  men who marched to Concord on April 19th 1775. 

Today, the 6th Middlesex Regiment composed of militia and minuteman companies from Northern Middlesex county towns, including Townsend, honor the memory of our fore bearers. The Townsend  Minuteman Company aims to re-enact what life was like in Townsend in 1775 through encampments, Patriots Day, Memorial Day, and 4th of July marches and activities. 

Capt. Barrett and his minutemen are at the ready to honor Townsend’s 73 patriots. On April 19th 2025 there will be a recreation of the march, this time from the Common along the Rail Trail, to the Reed House. 

Please  join us and be a part of Townsend’s history as we march in the footsteps of our Townsend patriots. 

This is part of the MA250 statewide celebration and events.

Join us on April 19th, 2025 at 11:00 on the town common. At the Reed House there will be refreshments, activities, and talks about our patriots. Meet the Townsend Minutemen Company and join fellow marchers honoring Townsend’s patriots.

“The 73 Townsend Men who answered the call and marched from Townsend to Concord on April 19, 1775.”

JAMES HOSLEY, Capt. 

RICHARD WYLER, 1st Lieut.

JAMES LOCKE , 2d Lieut.

PETER BUTTERFIELD, Sergt.

BENJAMIN BALL, Sergt.

LEMUEL MAYNARD Corpl.

EPHRAIM BROWN, Corpl.

NATH’L BAGLEY, Drummer

EBENEZER BALL

DANIEL HOLT

JAMES SLOAN

WILLIAM KENDALL

DANIEL CONANT

ASA HEALD

JOSEPH RUMRILL

OLIVER PROCTOR

DANIEL CLARK

RICHARD WARREN

ISRAEL RICHARDSON

ROBERT WAUGH

ELIJAH WYMAN

ELEAZER BUTTERFIELD

BENJAMIN HOBART

JOHN BROWN

DANIEL EMERY

EPHRAIM SHEDD

ZACHARIAH EMERY

JOSEPH BALDWIN

WILLIAM CLARK

DAVID GRAHAM 

THOMAS EATON 

EBENEZER BALL, Jr. 

JOSEPH SHATTUCK

THOMAS WEBSTER, Jr. 

LEVI WHITNEY

NOAH FARRAR 

JOSIAH RICHARDSON 

JONATHAN PATT 

ISAAC KIDDER 

JOSEPH RUMRILL, Jr. 

JONAS FARMER 

DANIEL SHERWIN 

ELEAZER BUTTERFIELD, Jr.

ISAAC BOYNTON 

EPHRAIM BROWN 

JOHN CLARK 

JEDEDIAH JEWETT 

DUDLEY KEMP

ABEL RICHARDSON

JOHN MANNING 

JOHN EMERY

THOMAS WYMAN 

HENRY DUNSTER 

Sawtelle records in his book that “It appears that there were two companies of minute-men in Townsend at that time. Massachusetts revolutionary rolls, volume 12, page 42: “A Roll of the travel and service of Capt. Samuel Douglas of Townshend in the county of Middlesex and belonging to Col, James Prescotts Regiment, and also of the men under his command, who in consequence of the alarm made of the 19th of April 1775, marched from home for ye defence of this colony against the ministerial Troops,, and continued in the service till called back to take care of the Tories in Townsend.”

SAMUEL DOUGLAS, Captain

JAMES HILDRETH, Drummer

OLIVER HILDRETH

JONA. HILDRETH

EPHM. ADAMS

JOEL DAVIS

ISAAC HOLDEN

ARNER ADAMS

ABNER BROKS

BENJAMIN WILSON

BENJAMIN BROOKS

ABEL FOSTER

DANIEL CAMPBELL

SAMUEL SCRIPTURE

ROBERT CAMPBELL

BENJAMIN ADAMS

JOSEPH GILES

ANDREW SEARLS

JONATHAN GOSS

   April 19, 1775     Marching In The Footsteps of Townsend’s  73 Minutemen     April 19, 2025