Brown Bess?

[Bricker]

I get the “brown” part. Why was the smooth-bore rifle called “Bess?”

[Johnny_L.A]

Alliteration?

[MikeG]

This sounds probable.

[astro]

@MikeG

This sounds probable.

I think that web page with the blue font on burlap background wins the most unreadable combo of the year award.

[Reeder]

They just covered this on Wild West Tech.

It’s because your rifle is like your wife. You live with it, go everywhere with it and fight with it.

[kanicbird]

I don’t know what that link says, it didn’t load yet. But I understand it was becasue the soldger are, slept, and everything else w/ that gun by his side, much like a wife.

[samclem]

I don’t entirely buy the “wife-musket” theory. For your enjoyment, here are some OED cites to help you think about it.

The name familiarly given in the British Army to the old flint-lock musket. (Brown Musket was in earlier use: both names existed long before the process of ‘browning’ the barrel (introduced in 1808), and apparently referred to the brown walnut stock.)

[1708 S. CENTLIVRE Busie Body I. i 13 My last Refuge, a brown Musquet. 1754 Connoisseur No. 31 The ceremony is performed by a brown musket.] 1785 GROSE Dict. Vulgar T. s.v., To hug brown Bess: to carry a firelock, to serve as a private soldier. 1797 Gent. Mag. LXVII. 1022 ‘Etymologus’ asks ‘Can you trace the application of the term Brown Bess to anything loading or fatiguing, such as a musket to soldiers tired on a long march or to a wooden pump? Or is it…derived from the colour of the material? Why is Bess the more favourite term than Nan or Moll? A brown musket is not an uncommon phrase, taking the part for the whole, the stock for the steel. But why is Bess brought in?’ 1809 R. PORTER Trav. Sk. Russ. & Swed. (1813) I. xxiv. 273 A good soldier…sleeping with his hand on his musquet, his wedded wife and dear brown Bess.

But, to muddy things, how about cites for “Brown Bill” antedating Bess.

A kind of halberd painted brown, formerly used by foot-soldiers and watchmen.
1589 Pappe w. Hatchet Ciijb, All weapons, from the taylors bodkin to the watchmans browne bil. 1678 BUTLER Hud. III. II. 541 Brown Bills levied in the City Made Bills to pass the Grand Committee. 1823 SCOTT Peveril III. ii. 38 A constable with three or four assistants, armed with the old-fashioned brown-bills. 1870 MORRIS Earthly Par. I. I. 316 There the porter stood, brown-bill in hand.

Alliteration is looking better and better.

[that_darn_cat]

A billhook is a type of polearm adapted from an agricultural tool. http://www.paul-binns-swords.co.uk/productthumbs/tn_billhook_L70.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.paul-binns-swords.co.uk/polearms.html&h=106&w=250&sz=26&tbnid=Ag9Za9q96VUJ:&tbnh=44&tbnw=103&start=26&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbillhook%26start%3D20%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DN]Billhook

So Brown Bill was just referrring to a brown painted polearm

[that_darn_cat]

I swear that worked in preview. Mods, please fix my link.

[Xema]

@Johnny L.A.

Alliteration?

Apposite answer; admirable.

[VernWinterbottom]

A couple of the members of our colonial reenacting group have reproduction Brown Besses. Our commander tells us, with no cite, the Bess part is from Elizabeth I.

[Rube_E.Tewesday]

@VernWinterbottom

A couple of the members of our colonial reenacting group have reproduction Brown Besses. Our commander tells us, with no cite, the Bess part is from Elizabeth I.

That seems unlikely, as she was dead well before the flintlock era.

[VernWinterbottom]

Yeah, we would be about a century or so off now that you mention it. . .

[Rube_E.Tewesday]

Right, we have a tendency in our minds to lump “history” together, but really, there would be no more reason for an 18th Century redcoat to name his musket after Elizabeth I, than there would be for a current day American soldier to name his assault rifle after Teddy Roosevelt.