By the late 18th century, the East India Company became a powerful trading organisation. The Company’s ships transported its goods around the world. Their vessels would be armed with weapons to protect its valuable cargo during attacks from enemy crew, such as pirate raids. This East India Company flintlock musketoon was made by William Henshaw, a London-based gunmaker recorded as having business premises at The Strand. His association with the Company was a financially significant one, having been awarded EIC contracts from 1772 to around 1807.
