English All Brass Box-Lock Flint Pistol, Owner Marked Samuel Platt Broome, 1785 (A New York City Merchant), BUNNEY, LONDON, #631 Firearms

A Good English all brass box-lock flint pistol by; "BUNNEY, LONDON", circa. 1765 and dated "1785". 2.75", .42 cal. round brass three-stage barrel w/cannon muzzle. Brass frame marked w/(2) Tower proofs and engraved; "BUNNEY" on one side and "LONDON" on the other. Stock has a chip missing from the lower edge on the right side by frame, otherwise, sound w/normal scratches and dings from years of service. The stock is inlaid w/silver wire scrolls (98% intact) and the silver oval escutcheon is period engraved; "SAMUEL PLATT BROOME" and dated "1785". 8.25" overall length. A very interesting pistol that should be researched in untouched condition. In good working order.

Ref: See; GUNMAKERS OF LONDON 1350-1850. by, Howard L. Blackmore. c. 1986, p. 64.

History on SAMUEL PLATT BROOME; Was a merchant in New York City and his father was Samuel Broome who was also a very well known merchant who left NYC just before the Revolutionary War and went to live in New Haven, Conn. Very prominent family, Samuel's brother John was the Mayer of NYC and then Lt. Governor of New York State until he died in 1810. Broomes were also trustees of the coffee house that later became the New York Stock Exchange.
Samuel Pratt Broome graduated Yale College in 1786 - the year after this Flintlock Pistol was apparently engraved for him.
Moved to New Haven in the summer of 1784. His mother was Phebe, daughter of Dr. Zophar and Rebecca (Wood) Platt, of Huntington, Long Island. John Broome, Lieutenant-Governor of New York in 1804, was his uncle. The first two years of his College course were spent at Prinston. On taking his Master's degree at Yale in 1789, he delivered an English Oration "On the literary and political improvements of the present age." He was in business in New York City for a time after graduation. His health then failed, and most of his later life was spent abroad, chiefly in France. His father's large property was erly dissipated, and he became and adventurer. He died by his own hand in England in 1811. *It is interesting that he committed suicide in England just one year after his father died.
He is also found in a London England driectory:
Directory of London and Westminster, & Borough of Southwark.
1794 Source: Kent's Directory for the year 1794. Cities of London and Westminster, & Borough of Southwark: Broome Samuel-Platt, Mercht. 9, Lime Street.
He also sold real estate in NYC with a partner, the land he was selling was in Ohio and was one of the original Ohio Company Stockholders (1 February 1796)

We would like to give credit for this family history provided kindly by; Robert Hoadley., Thank You !