Why was a British Musket called a "Brown Bess"?

MANY HISTORY BOOKS EXPLORE VARIOUS THEORIES in an attempt to answer this question. However, certain historians were cautious about potentially offending their readers or sought to portray the early British soldier in a more favorable light.  On commonly proposed explanation is that the British soldier's affaction for the first Queen Elizabeth led them to nickname their musket "Bess" after her, even thought this sentimental theory lacks factual support.  Other historians propose that the term bess is from the Dutch or German words bus or busse meaning "barrel."  According to the theory, "brown bess" would then translate to "brown barrel."  However, this theory overlooks the fact that the British soldier's musket did not have a brown barrel; rather, it boasted a brightly polished appearance. (read about polished barrels here).

At the beginning of the 18th Century when the nickname immerged, soldiers came from the lower orders of society.  "Bess" was the nickname for a common woman, much like the name "Sheila" has been used in Australia.  For example in 1683 Henry Purcell composed a popular song that came to be known as "Bess of Bedlam, or Mad Bess."  Bedlam was a reference to the insane asylum of London. Below is a reprint of  the song in 1725:

So who was "Brown Bess"?  A poem by Thomas Brown in 1730 starts to unlock the answer:

Poor naked Tom in bed was left.
In this most sharp and strange distress;
'Twas then I thought on trusty Bess;
Who, tho' I knew she was but poor,
I always found a faithful whore.

A few lines from a poem in the The Norfolk poetical miscellany in 1744 solves the mystery:  "Ne'er balk his Amours - let him kiss all he meets - from Fanny the Fair - to brown Bess in the Streets..." Even earlier a satirical hymn in 1718 noted:

At London Town There was a Wedding,
All in this Golden Age,
'Twixt fine Squire John with his Breeding,
And Bonny brown bess of the Stage.

This requires a little context. The Hymn is based on a 1707 pamphlet by Richard Kingston about a Elizabeth Gray who performs the role of "whore of Babylon" at a Playhouse: hence the "a Bonny brown bess of the Stage."  Later she steals Squire John Lacy away from a "true" lady and gets married.  

"Brown Bess" was the lowest order of street prostitute, darkened by exposure to the sun while she sold her wears.  Soldiers regularly mingled with and used the services of these women in the 18th century.  The Bailey court records offer numerous cases of soldiers being robbed by "brown Besses" or fights with them.

A common slang expression by 1785 was to "Hug Brown Bess" which meant to join the army. There were variations of this like "married to Brown Bess" meaning you were a soldier. These sayings have a whole new humorous dynamic when you consider the true meaning of the name "Brown Bess".

The 18th century "Leaping over the Sword" military marriage tradition captures the crassness of the soldiery. In 1785, it was described as an "ancient ceremony" where the engaged couple would hold hands and jump over a sword laid on the ground.  While doing so the sergeant of the company would say:

Leap rogue, and jump whore,
And then you are married for evermore.

 After that the couple were considered man and wife in the eyes of the soldier's comrades.  Of course this was not a legal marriage, rather a social celebration.  In the same period, the slang expression "Punk" meant both a whore or a soldier's female companion.  While "brown bess" meaning whore disappeared after 1750, its association with the British soldier's musket has stood the test of time.  

 
A Rake's Progress by William Hogarth (1735) illustrating higher class prostitutes at the time
the name "Brown Bess" became the nickname for the British musket.

This was the more typical Brown Bess or Common Prostitute -  by William Hogarth 1747.

The same Prostitute in the previous image betrays the man to the authorities.
Note the British Grenadier smoking his pipe in the image to the right.

Prostitute being drummed out of a British camp in 1780 (Royal Collection)

(Since writing this short article, I came across a similar work on the subject:  Jonathan Ferguson, ‘Trusty Bess’: the Definitive Origins and History of the term 'Brown Bess' (Arms and Armour, 2017).  He quotes other sources and it is a good read.)

Many types of Brown Bess for sale. The musket that is.

 

 

Author Robert Henderson enjoys unearthing and telling stories of military valour, heritage, and sacrifice from across the globe. Lest we forget.

 

MORE FREE ARTICLES like this one can be found here: