▁the ▁name ▁could ▁have ▁been ▁initially ▁inspired ▁by ▁the ▁older ▁term ▁of ▁the ▁" B rown ▁Bill " ▁and ▁perhaps ▁the ▁bar rel s ▁were ▁originally ▁var n ished ▁brown , ▁but ▁it ▁is ▁well ▁known ▁in ▁literary ▁circles ▁that ▁the ▁name ▁" B rown ▁B ess " ▁during ▁the ▁period ▁in ▁question ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁to ▁early ▁ 1 9 th ▁centuries ▁is ▁not ▁a ▁reference ▁to ▁a ▁color ▁or ▁a ▁weapon ▁but ▁to ▁simply ▁refer ▁to ▁a ▁want on ▁prost itute ▁[ or ▁har lot ]. ▁Such ▁a ▁nick name ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁delight ▁to ▁the ▁soldiers ▁of ▁the ▁era ▁who ▁were ▁from ▁the ▁lower ▁classes ▁of ▁English ▁and ▁then ▁British ▁society . ▁So ▁far , ▁the ▁earliest ▁use ▁noted ▁so ▁far ▁of ▁the ▁term ▁" B rown ▁B ess " ▁was ▁in ▁a ▁ 1 6 3 1 ▁publication , ▁John ▁Done ' s ▁" P OL Y D OR ON : ▁OR ▁A ▁Mes cell ania ▁of ▁Mor all , ▁Philosoph ic all , ▁and ▁The ological ▁Sent ences ." ▁at ▁Page ▁ 1 5 2 : ▁ ▁The ▁Land ▁Pattern ▁Mus k ets ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁sevent e enth ▁century ▁to ▁the ▁early ▁years ▁of ▁the ▁eigh teenth ▁century , ▁most ▁nations ▁did ▁not ▁specify ▁standards ▁for ▁military ▁fire ar ms . ▁Fire ar ms ▁were ▁individually ▁proc ured ▁by ▁officers ▁or ▁reg iments ▁as ▁late ▁as ▁ 1 7 4 5 , ▁and ▁were ▁often ▁custom - made ▁to ▁the ▁t ast es