Percussion revolver owned by Captain William Kelly circa 1855. The stock consists of a chequered walnut grip with a steel butt plate incorporating a hinged trap. There is a solid steel frame and steel trigger guard, all lightly decorated with engraved scrolls. The lock is double action, the squeezing of the trigger rotates the five-chambered cylinder, cocks the action and then releases the hammer. The barrel is of octagonal external section, rifled with three grooves. A notched rear sight above and slightly forward of the top of the hammer lines up with a blade foresight.

The revolver is in a wooden box with a screwdriver, a nipple wrench, a ramrod, a nipple primer, a steel patch cutter, a ball and bullet mould and a wooden tompion.

The revolver is inscribed 'DEANE ADAMS & DEANE (MAKER TO HRH...' (the rest is indistinguishable) and '30 King Wiliam Street, London Bridge'; below the trigger guard '1090'; on the right hand side of the frame 'ADAM'S PATENT 1090'. The brass plate on the lid of the box is inscribed 'Captn Wm Kelly Miles Barton'.

Captain William Kelly was a merchant captain who commanded the sailing ship 'Miles Barton' in 1854. Launched in St John, New Brunswick in 1853 she belonged to J Beazley & Son of Liverpool. She carried passengers to Australia and was wrecked off South Africa 8 February, 1861. Another sailing ship commanded by William Kelly was the 'Merrie England', launched in 1856. He bought the ship in 1867 and she was later abandoned off Cape Horn.