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{{Template:Origin|text=This article describes some famous artillery pieces with connections to the era of the British in India. See also article [[British Guns in Burma]].<br>The information and images have been provided by Elizabeth Hancox, a FIBIS member with a special interest in artillery, and acknowledged expert on gunsthe [http://www.angloburmeselibrary.com/ Anglo-Burmese Library].}} [[Image:0001 Woolwich Barracks.jpg|600px|thumb|left|The Barracks of the Royal Arsenal Woolwich]]<div style="clear:both"></div>

Named '''‘’’"The Father of Victory"''' this gun, captured during the [[Siege of Bhurtpore 1826|Siege of Bhurtpore]] in 1826, stands stood for many years outside the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Artillery_Barracks Royal Artillery Barracks] at Woolwich. It is 16ft 4ins long and weighs about 17.5 tons; the calibre is 8ins. Tradition has maintained that precious metals were included in its composition; but analysis of metal taken from three places dispelled this idea. The metal is variable; it contains 9% to 15% lead, with traces of arsenic and antimony; the other components are 3% to 5% of tin, and the remainder copper. It is remarkable, however, that the exterior of the breech is of a totally different metal from the body of the gun, being in fact brass, containing nearly 37% of zinc, and has been cast over the body of the gun subsequently to the first completion of it, as one of the ornamental scrolls is partly covered by it.

<gallery caption= widths="300px250px" heights="300px250px" perrow="3">Image:0010 Tiger howitzer.jpg|Tiger howitzerImage:0009 Tiger howitzer.jpg|Tiger howitzerImage:0010a Tipu artillery.jpg|Capture of Seringapatam showing one of Tipu Sultan's Tiger guns

<gallery caption= widths="300px" heights="200px" perrow="3">

Transferred from the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich 1968. This gun together with a similar one now in the Rotunda Museum Woolwich which may have formed part of another gift, is similar in form and decoration to the above but bears the name D PREGRAVE . Presgrave and is dated 1839 (its companion at Woolwich is illustrated as fig, 85 in ‘plans of ordnance captured by the Army of the Sutledge during the campaign of 1845-46’. Drawn by Capt Ralph Smyth, Bengal Artillery.n.d)

=== Bronze Tiger Mortar ===

The muzzle, trunnion ends and cascable button are formed as ‘tigers heads’. Two tigers stripes appear on the chase and the reinforce rings are edged with engrailed bands in relief. The gun is unfinished, the vent has never been drilled, a cartouche on the second reinforce intended for inscription is blank, and a lump of metal below the cascable button intended to provide a fixing for an elevating screw has never been pieced pierced for the securing bolt.

[[Image:0046 Belvoir gun.jpg|300px|right|thumb|Gun at Photo courtesy of Belvoir Castle]]

== Background to the Casting of Iron Guns in the Weald of Sussex == ''See you the dimpled track that runs all hollow through the wheat?''<br /> ''Oh, that was where they hauled the guns that smote King Philip's fleet.''<br /> from 'PUCK'S SONG' by Rudyard Kipling<br /> As the population of England doubled between 1520 and 1620 more tradespeople connected with the iron industry moved into Waldron. For 150 years the Sussex Weald, known to the Romans as the Forest of Anderida, was possibly the foremost industrial area in the country. Blast furnace techniques using water-powered bellows to heat the iron ore had been imported from France and the high temperatures obtained allowed molten ore to be poured into moulds. From 1540 the first English cannon were cast in wealden furnaces. This freed the Royal Navy from dependence on foreign guns. Most of the ordnance produced had to be dragged on rough and muddy tracks on sleds or special carts drawn by teams of oxen to small coastal ports from whence they would be transported by sea to the naval dockyards at Portsmouth or Chatham. It could take over a year to cast and deliver guns, allowing for several months for a newly fired furnace to reach 'full blast'.<br /> Waldron furnace, constructed at Furnace Farm, was in operation by 1560 and remained in business for some 200 years, producing first cannonballs and iron bars ready for the forge (known as pig-iron) but by the 18th century, cannon. The water wheel powering the furnace bellows was driven by a pond fed by the millstream, and the large pond, or dam, can still be seen.<br /> <gallery caption= widths="300px350px" heights="300px350px" perrow="32">ImageFile:0049 Moulmein Mon Museum0075-Furnace-House-Waldern.jpgImage:0050 Moulmein|'''Furnace Farm, Waldron.''' This was the site of Harrison's Foundry and Furnace. Gun trunnions were marked with a 'W'.jpgImageFile:0051 Moulmein0076-Large-furnace-detailpond.jpg|'''Large furnace pond in front of the house'''

<gallery caption= widths="350px" heights="350px" perrow="2">File:0077-Cannon-proving-bank.jpg|'''This smooth-bore cast iron gunCannon proving bank''', dated 1826 and bearing . Many cannon balls have been found at the elaborate ‘Crown & P’ mark foot of George IV, signifying that the gun had passed proof bank by metal detectors. There was an older proving bank in a nearby wood.File:0078-Upstream-from-boring-mill.jpg|'''Site of the Royal Navy yards as fit and ready for service, is Boring Mill upstream.''' There are 20 tons or so of iron borings in the Blomefield pattern, named after Thomas Blomefield, Inspector of Artillery stream at Woolwich between 1780 and 1822the Boring Mill site. It has In the characteristic breeching loop above the buttonphoto: Douglas Anderson, typical of naval guns of this patternwheelwright, also carried by Nelson’s VICTORY at Trafalgar. The loop had a heavy duty hawser passed through itand Peter Davies, lashing the gun retired civil servant and assistant to the ship to prevent too much unpredictable recoil demolishing the mast and occasionally demolishing members of the gun crew as welllandowner Peter Reed. Formerly masts were padded at the base using ‘soft substance’ but this was never satisfactory, especially Mr Davies has a special interest in the case of very heavy cannonmuzzle loading guns such as Brown Bess.[[Image:0052 Victory.jpg|300px|right|thumb| A 32pr. on board the VICTORY]]</gallery>

Below is a drawing and extract from ‘The story of the Gun’ Lt AW Wilson RA first published 1944:<blockquote> ''‘The drawing shows a 32pr. on board the VICTORY. Compare it with any piece of 200 years before and notice the similarity. Elevation was still obtained by means of the quoin or wedgeMost landowners, while particularly the only advance on checking recoil by means of ‘soft substance’ around the mastFullers, seems had interests in iron founding and they managed their woodland as coppice to be that of anchoring produce the piece to the ship by a breeching passed through the eye enormous amounts of charcoal needed for the cascableblast furnaces. The number in the detachments for these guns It has been estimated that between four and five thousand acres of coppice was decided by allowing one man for needed to keep each 500lbs of metal. The 32-pounder weighed 32 cwt (3,584 lbs) forge and therefore had a crew of seven. It is interesting to consider that were we to furnace combination in continuous use the same system today we should require a detachment of 70 for one of our modern heavy guns.’''<br /blockquote> The gun at Moulmein is marked as 17-1-0, indicating a weight of 17cwt 1 qtr and 0lbs. Which is a much lighter weight that might be expected for an approximately 9ft long, 32-pounder cannon. This is indicative of a carronade.

The Fuller's forge at Old Heathfield was built in 1693 and lasted about a hundred years. The site is very large and has a huge man-made 'proving'Carronades''' were bank at the base of which many cannonballs have been found. It also had a revolutionary concept in naval gunnery, known by small quarry for test firing cannon and two boring mills on the sailors as ‘Smashers’stream. They were first produced at the Carron Ironworks As at FalkirkWaldron, Scotland, in 1770. They fired a 32lb. hollow shell filled these streams still run red with 500 musket balls. The idea was to approach enemy shipping iron oxide from the rear and, aimed at the stern, the shell would explode on impact causing a shower massive deposits of bullets to fly along congealed borings left in the decks towards the bow, killing as many enemy crew and troops as possiblestream beds. The ultimate 18th century naval anti=personnel weapon!<br />

During the [[2nd Burma War]]The Fullers also employed a Master Wheelwright among other highly skilled craftsmen, Commodore Tarlton was in charge of the naval operations at the [[Battle of Martaban]] (on the opposite bank of the Salween River to Moulmein) and also at [[Capture of Pegu June 1852|Pegu]]. His ship was HMS Fox. This ship was interestingly there is still a vessel of 1,131 tons, built at Portsmouth in June 1821, refully-fitted in September 1850functioning wheelwright's shop on the site today, she was a 5th rate ship of the lineoperated by Douglas Andrews, indicating who has himself constructed a complement of 46 guns. On her quarterdeck she was armed with 10 32new gun-pounder carronades, one carriage for an Islamic trophy gun ordered by the Colonel of which corresponds exactly to the weight marked on the Moulmein pieceRoyal Engineers.<br />

== Guns found at Mandalay Palace ==The Fuller''For s forge and foundry was constructed on a particularly difficult site. If it rained too much the wind is site would flood and if it was too dry there was a lack of fast-flowing water in the palm trees and stream to generate power. In a reply dated 17th October 1754 to the temple bells they say "come you back you British soldierPrince of San Severino, come you back to Mandalay".who was pressing for a firm delivery date for some guns he had ordered, John Fuller wrote: ''<br />from my furnace is a fickle mistress and must be humoured, her favours are not to be depended upon'MANDALAY' by Rudyard Kipling.

These two guns are similar, but cast by different foundries. They are Royal Navy cast iron smooth bore muzzle-loading cannon, as are the other pair, and the bear the Crown and 'P' signifying they have passed proof, that is to say test fired, and they are stamped with the Royal Cipher of George ll (reigned 1727-1760). One gun has a weight of 57cwt-0qrs-8lbs. Quarters refer to one quarter of one hundredweight (20cwt. equals one ton). == The other gun would seem to be of very similar weight. Both are 32pdr. demi-cannon Manufacture of nine and a half feet.<br />Gunpowder ==

The cannon at Entrance 1, marked W on the trunnion (the trunnions are short iron protuberances which balance the cannon on the gun carriage enabling it to be tilted upwards as necessary) was cast at the Waldron foundry near Heathfield in Sussex, at the time of John Harrison, Ironmaster. The cannon at Entrance 2 was cast a short distance away at the Heathfield foundry by John Fuller (marked JF on the trunnion). This trunnion mark was used between 1722 and 1745. Gun founders were a tight''''To understand guns you must understand gunpowder' -knit community, often inter-related, and were in the habit of sub-contracting work to a neighbouring foundry if they were over-committed with orders. This may well have happened with these two cannon Adrian B.Caruana'''<br />

The question that we all want to know, [[File:Production of course, how did these two pairs of Royal Navy cannon find themselves guarding a Burmese potentate's palace in Mandalay ? Well, that will be another story .........gunpowder. work in progress!jpg|750px|left|]]<div style="clear:both"></div>

''''Gold is for Sanitary arrangements were still primitive in the reign of Henry Vlll and latrines were dug out at night by dung farmers and scavengers, but in the reign of Elizabeth l they were superseded by officials dignified by the mistressname of Royal Saltpetre Men, silver who collected excrement specifically for the maidmaking of gunpowder. This was manufactured using a formula of 75 parts saltpetre, 15 parts carbon (charcoal) and copper for the craftsman10 parts sulphur, cunning at his tradeor brimstone as it was once called. "Good" said This last name is very evocative as the Baron, sitting bright yellow sulphur was indeed collected in his hall, "but iron, cold iron, is master lumps from the brims of them allvolcanoes in extremely hazardous conditions."The first two materials produced the explosion and the third added ignition and consistency to the grains of black powder which was milled to the size of corn, hence the name 'corned'powder, as opposed to fine powder. Fine powder was needed to prime the cannons and was also used for small arms.<br />from 'COLD IRON' by Rudyard Kipling

<gallery caption=widths="200px" heights="200px" perrow= The Pair of Guns found at the Palace Exits ===="3">These are the oldest Royal Navy guns seenFile:0080 Weir. They are marked with the Rose @ Crown insignia which was used by the Board of Ordnance from 1690 to 1725jpeg|WeirFile:0081 Millstone. The design of the crest varied slightly as the years progressedjpeg|MillstoneFile:0082 Millstones. The guns are marked respectively 8009 and 8012 and the marks on the buttons are L7 and S11. These last refer, I believe, to the guns' position on board ship, Larboard No.7 and Starboard No.11. The word Larboard was subsequently changed to Port to avoid confusion. The serial numbers are recorded in Col. Browne's Survey and refer to a date jpeg|MillstonesFile:0083 Remains of 1695. From this Survey it can be established that they are nine and a half ftwharf. 32 pounder demi-cannon, cast by Thomas Weston, Ironmaster jpeg|Remains of the Ashburnham forge near Battle, East Sussex, for HMS NEWARKwharfFile:0084 Mill. She was a Third Rate ship of the line mounting 76-80 guns of various weights. Each of these 32 pdrs would be serviced by 14 men and a 'powder monkey', (a small boy who could easily run up and down ladders carrying bags jpeg|MillFile:0085 Remains of gunpowder from deep in the ship's hold). HMS NEWARK was refitted in 1717 and in 1745. At each refit, Corning House and possible alteration to the ship's hull, it was usual to remove and assess which guns would still be neededMixing House. Those surplus to requirements, but still in good condition, would be transferred to the ordnance stores and placed on another ship as needed. Well founded cannon, if used with the correct amount jpeg|Remains of powder, single-shotted and not fired at extreme elevation, could be expected to last 1000 firings and a few were recorded as lasting for 3000 before becoming worn out Corning House and useless.Mixing House == Background to the Casting of Iron Guns in the Weald of Sussex ==</gallery>

'''See you The quantities of gunpowder loaded onto an 80 gun ship varied according to the dimpled track that runs all hollow through theatre of war but would be about 288 barrels of cannon powder and 41 barrels of fine powder. Each barrel weighed 90lbs. Gunpowder was not used loose, but made up into cartridges, first of parchment and later of special cartridge paper. The method of priming a cannon was as follows: The cartridge of gunpowder would be placed down the muzzle, rammed home using a ramrod, wadded, and then the cannonball similarly. A sharp-pointed metal rod would be inserted into the vent to pierce the cartridge and the vent would then be filled up with fine powder. A portfire rod would be used to ignite the fine powder in the vent. This in turn ignited the wheat ? Ohcartridge, that was where they hauled the guns that smote King Phillip's fleetresultant heat causing the gases generated to speedily build up into an explosive power sufficient to propel the cannonball up the barrel towards the target at high speed. The optimum amount of gunpowder needed per cartridge for a 32-pounder cannon would be 14lbs (1 stone). Any excess could cause such a massive build-up of gases in the barrel thereby risking the destruction of the cannon and probably most of those attending upon it.'''<br />from 'PUCK'S SONG' by Rudyard Kipling<br />

As The gunpowder mills at Chilworth near Guildford were founded by the East India Company in 1625. They were forced to leave their previous site near Woolwich because frequent explosive accidents caused havoc among the local population of England doubled between 1520 and 1620 more tradespeople connected with the iron industry moved into Waldron. For 150 years the Sussex WealdThere were, known to the Romans as the Forest of Anderidacourse, accidents at Chilworth but it was possibly the foremost industrial not a heavily populated area in . On one occasion a spark from a workman's hobnailed boot striking on a stone path caused an explosion which killed six men. The mills used the country. Blast furnace techniques using waterfast-powered bellows flowing Tillingbourne stream to heat power the iron ore had been imported from France and heavy grinding stones of the high temperatures obtained allowed molten ore to be poured into mouldsincorporating process. From 1540 the first English cannon There were cast many stages involved in wealden furnacesthe manufacture and thus it was very labour-intensive. This freed As far as the ingredients were concerned, local alder trees provided the Royal Navy finest charcoal, sulphur was imported from dependence on foreign guns. Most of the ordnance produced had to be dragged on rough Sicily, and muddy tracks on sleds or special carts drawn by teams of oxen to small coastal ports saltpetre imported from whence they would be transported by sea India cost £45 per ton. A sufficient supply to the naval dockyards at Portsmouth or Chathamlast seven years in July 1752 cost £9,000. It The discovery that saltpetre could take over a year be manufactured from earth gathered from dovecots, to cast which dung, urine and deliver gunslime were added, allowing for several months for a newly fired furnace to reach 'full blast'meant that it could be collected locally.<br />

Waldron furnace, constructed at Furnace FarmThe 12th to 13th century chapel of St. Martha's built on a 600ft hill above the mill and half a mile distant, was in operation considerably reduced by 1560 successive explosions, finally to a heap of stones, and remained only rebuilt in business for some 200 years1850. A massive explosion later on split the mill walls open, producing first cannonballs shattered the glass in the windows of the ancient manor and iron bars ready for even severely damaged the forgevillage of Albury a short distance away, known as pig-iron,but not to mention the deaths of the workmen and the terrible injuries caused by the 18th centuryvolatile black powder, cannon. The water wheel powering the furnace bellows was driven by a pond fed ignited by the millstream, slightest friction and the large pond, or dam, can still be seenspark.<br />

Most landowners== Sources and advice obtained for research =='''People'''<br />*Mr Philip McGrath - Curator, Royal Armories, Fort Nelson.*Mr Derek Gurney - 'Explosion', particularly the FullersMuseum of Naval Firepower.*Mr Paul Evans - Librarian, had interests in iron founding Firepower Museum.*Mrs Bridget Clifford - Keeper of Records (South) Tower of London.*Mr David Brown - Wealden Iron Research Group.*Ms Zoe Edwards - Information and they managed their woodland as coppice to produce the enormous amounts 0f charcoal needed for the blast furnacesLocal Studies Librarian, Hastings Library. It has been estimated that between 4 *Mr Peter Reed, Farmer and 5 thousand acres owner of the site of coppice was needed to keep each forge the Fullers furnace and furnace combination in continuous usefoundry.*Mr Peter Davies, Assistant - special interest - smooth bore muzzle-loading small arms.*Mr Douglas Andrews - Wheelwright<br />

'''Books'''<br />*The Fuller's forge at Old Heathfield was built Age of the System 1715-1815 by Adrian B. Caruana*Arming the Fleet - U.S. Navy Ordnance in 1693 the Muzzle-Loading Era by Spencer Tucker*The Wealden Iron Industry by Jeremy Hutchinson, and lasted about a hundred yearshis Dissertation for M.A. - Brighton*The site is very large Arming and has a huge manFitting of English Ships of War, 1600-1815 by Brian Lavery*Wealden Iron by Ernest Straker*Weale Manuscript*The Art of Gunfounding by Carol de Beer*The Fuller Family Archive -made 'proving' bank at the base Lewes Record Office*The Fullers of which many cannonballs have been found. It also had a small quarry for test firing cannon Waldron, Heathfield and two boring mills on the stream. As at Brightling by Alec Parks*Waldron, these streams still run red with iron oxide from the massive deposits Portrait of a Sussex Village by Susan Russell, Rosalie Parker and Valerie Chidson*The History of congealed borings left in the stream beds. Ironmongers Company by Elizabeth Glover*Walks into History by David Weller<br />

The Fullers also employed a Master Wheelwright among other highly skilled crafsmen, and interestingly there is still a fully-functioning wheelwright's shop on the site today, operated by Douglas Andrews, who has himself constructed a new gun-carriage for an Islamic trophy gun ordered by a Colonel in the Engineers.''Libraries'''<br />The Fuller's forge and foundry was constructed on a particularly difficult site. If it rained too much the site would flood and if it was too dry there was a lack of fast-flowing water in the stream to generate power. In a reply dated 17th October 1754 to the Prince of Severino*Science Library, who was pressing for a firm delivery date for some guns he had orderedImperial College, John Fuller wrote London*Public Record Office, 'my furnace is a fickle mistress Kew*India Office Library and must be humouredRecords, British Library, her favours are not to be depended upon'.London