▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁well ▁after ▁the ▁term ▁had ▁come ▁into ▁general ▁use . ▁O thers ▁argue ▁that ▁mass - produ ced ▁weapons ▁of ▁the ▁time ▁were ▁co ated ▁in ▁brown ▁var n ish ▁on ▁metal ▁parts ▁as ▁a ▁rust ▁prevent ative ▁and ▁on ▁wood ▁as ▁a ▁se aler ▁( or ▁in ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁un sc rup ul ous ▁contract ors , ▁to ▁dis gu ise ▁inferior ▁or ▁non - reg ulation ▁types ▁of ▁wood ), ▁an ▁entirely ▁different ▁thing ▁from ▁rus set ing . ▁ ▁Similarly , ▁the ▁word ▁" B ess " ▁is ▁commonly ▁held ▁to ▁either ▁derive ▁from ▁the ▁word ▁arqu eb us ▁or ▁bl under b uss ▁( pre de cess ors ▁of ▁the ▁mus ket ) ▁or ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁reference ▁to ▁Elizabeth ▁I , ▁possibly ▁given ▁to ▁comm emor ate ▁her ▁death . ▁The ▁O ED ▁has ▁cit ations ▁for ▁" b rown ▁mus ket " ▁d ating ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁that ▁refer ▁to ▁the ▁same ▁weapon . ▁Another ▁suggestion ▁is ▁that ▁the ▁name ▁is ▁simply ▁the ▁counter part ▁to ▁the ▁earlier ▁Brown ▁Bill . ▁However , ▁the ▁origin ▁of ▁the ▁name ▁may ▁be ▁much ▁simpler , ▁if ▁vul gar . ▁ ▁Ki pling ▁may ▁have ▁based ▁his ▁poem ▁on ▁an ▁earlier ▁but ▁similar ▁" B rown ▁B ess " ▁poem ▁published ▁in ▁" F light s ▁of ▁F ancy " ▁( No . ▁ 1 6 ) ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 2 . ▁Of ▁course ,