Research Press

The small flintlock pocket pistol that features in this article was once part of the collection of the late John Cooper, an authority on 17th century English pistols. The pistol is a magnificent example of the quintessentially English pistols that were produced during the middle decades of the 17th century and of which very few have survived. It was made by John Townson of London during the 1660s, a period when London was embroiled in a succession of the most dramatic and life changing events.