COLONIAL PERIOD HUDSON VALLEY FOWLER Ca 1730-1760

This is the type of fowler/musket used by militia men during both the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. It is an early Hudson Valley fowler measuring 66 1/2 inches overall with a 50 1/2" round .69 cal smooth bore barrel with 5 decorative bands encircling the breech and a filed rear sight slot on the barrel tang.  This American fowler follows the design patterns of fowlers made in Holland and brought to New Netherlands by early Dutch settlers in the Hudson and Mohawk River valleys as well as New Jersey.  Typical features include quite long smooth bore barrels measuring 48' to over 6 feet, full tiger maple stocks with profuse raised carving and well engraved brass mounts.  This particular fowler has early features which include stock architecture to include a flat panel running from the comb nose back 4" or so and broading down to the wrist; and early convex Dutch rococo engraved lock (with "I PC" in a cartouche on the inside of the lock plate (see pics); rounded non-faceted ramrod ferrules; and a rounded triggerguard.  NOTE:  For an extensive discussion of Hudson Valley fowlers see Tom Grinslade's excellent book "FLINTLOCK FOWLERS The First Guns Made in America", Pgs 129-165.  This fowler shows extensive use with in-period repairs most notably a hammered brass cuff reinforcing the wrist. I have owned a half dozen of these HV fowlers, some with wrist repairs and this repair is unique in that the cuff is scalloped to outline (save) the carved shell around the barrel tang. The cuff is also "buried" under the comb via a cut between the wrist and the bottom of the comb (see pics). Also, about 19" of the forestock is replaced from the muzzle cap back, which I believe was done in-period because no effort was made to disguise it and the replaced wood is walnut and not tiger maple which would match the rest of the stock. The flintlock is early with a convex plate, no frizzen bridle, and an internal (rather than a later external) frizzen screw. The lock side of the buttstock has the initials "GVH" with the V and H conjoined, which typically stands for a Dutch surname such as Van Horn, Van Hoesen, or Van Houten. There are two Revolutionary War Soldiers who fit these initals who served in New York militias during the American Revolution:  Garret Van Hoesen, born 5/24/1742, died New York 1815 , Pvt NY militia, and Garret Van Houten, born 11/7/1718 New York, died 6/7/1786 New York Pvt New York milita. (DAR Patriot Index Centenial Edition Part III; Pg 3027-8).  The tiger maple stock has an early dark reddish historic surface which has beautiful raised carving behind the barrel tang and behind the entry ferrule (see pics). This fowler's carving is nearly identical to carving on fowler HV 27, Pg 159 in Grindlade's book.  All in all, if you have early Dutch ancestry or want a nice representative dual use musket/fowler for the F&I War and Rev War periods,  this would be a great addition to pass on to heirs.

Condition:  Good for it age and use.  The flintlock is in its original configuration but the hammer is probably an early replacement.  The stock comb is scooped out to reflect the Amercan pension for "aiming rather than pointing" a firearm. The wrist was probably cracked and a brass cuff was added in period to reinforce the crack. The forestock was probably shattered near the end of it and replaced in period (19").

References: 

"FLINTLOCK FOWLERS The First Guns Made in America" by Tom Grinslade Pg 129-165.                                         

DAR Patriot Index Centenial Edition Part III Pg. 3027-8.