BUCKFIELD — It all started two years ago when a descendant of the Parris family took an interest in an old musket displayed behind glass at the Zadoc Long Free Library.

Genealogical research led two separate branches of Parris descendants from opposite ends of the East Coast to Buckfield earlier this summer to see and participate in the annual firing of The King’s Arm musket. The impromptu reunion resulted in a plan for the modern-day families to return to Buckfield the next summer.

Library Director Bonnie Santos said she received a call from Dale Parris of New Jersey, a Parris family descendent, two years ago. He did genealogical research after his cousin, Karen Hayes, discovered the gun.

“It has been fired every year since 1776 to celebrate Independence Day,” Santos said at the historic library at 5 Turner St. “I just find it so remarkable that that tradition kept going over the years. They didn’t forget about it.”

Last year, Dale Parris planned to bring his family to witness the annual event. The problem is, they never showed.

But the tale doesn’t end there.

The 1683 King’s Arm Musket “came from England with the first settlers of Massachusetts,” according to Santos. Maine was part of Massachusetts at that time.

According to Dale Parris, it was Thomas Parris who brought it to the colonies.

The weapon was used during the French and Indian War by Elkanah Parris.

“For some reason something happened during the war (and) he refused to ever fight again,” Dale Parris said.

Elkanah Parris later became the only Quaker to live in Danby, Vermont. “Quakers are pacifists and it is most likely why he did not fight in the Revolutionary War. He decided fighting was against his beliefs.”

Another Parris tried to use it during the colonies’ bid for independence from England, but when the gun was examined, safety issues were discovered, Santos said.

The musket was kept in the family for a number of years. “It was always being passed down to the oldest son,” Santos said. But that ended circa 1950.

Enter Marion Parris Smith, the daughter of Edward Lowden Parris Jr., born in 1887.

“She didn’t have anyone to pass it on to,” Santos said.

So Smith decided she wanted to safeguard the musket and donated it to the Zadoc Long Free Library on Armstice Day, Nov. 11, 1950.

Dale Parris joked about wishing Marion had waited a little longer to donate the musket.

“All she had to do is wait three years and I was born,” he said. “She could have passed it to me. I don’t know why she couldn’t hold off. Then again, she would have probably passed it off to my eldest brother … because I was the baby of 15.”

A few days before the Fourth of July this year, Parris and his wife, Julie, met Santos at the library. While the couple visited in town, long-lost relatives Dale and Phyllis Parris of Florida showed up at the library. More Parris relatives showed up as well.

On July 4, Dale from Florida was allowed to fire the musket.

“It was still a great thrill to sit there and watch a Parris fire the gun,” Dale from New Jersey said.

After the American Legion commander learned there were two Dale Parrises in attendance, he “immediately walked down to me and handed me the gun. (I) just sat there holding it thinking 333 years ago an ancestor of mine brought this over from England (and) it’s still working today,” Dale of New Jersey said.

“We still have pieces of the family tree still alive and coming back to Buckfield,” Santos said. “They’re going to have to start taking numbers for who’s going to fire the musket.”

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