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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|650px600px|thumb|left|The Barracks of the Royal Arsenal Woolwich]] <div style="clear:both"></div> == The Celebrated Bhurtpore Gun at Woolwich==

 == The Celebrated Bhurtpore Gun at Woolwich==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.

[[Image:0005 Bronze Gun.jpg|400px350px|thumb|Bhurtpore gun]] [[Image:0006_Bronze_Gun.jpg|400px350px|thumb|right|Bhurtpore gun]]This gun captured during the [[Siege of Bhurtpore 1826|Siege of Bhurtpore]] in 1826, was cast in 1780 and stands outside the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Arsenal Royal Arsenal] at Woolwich. The extreme length of this gun is 168.6ins and the estimated weight 6.5 tons, calibre 5.5ins. The workmanship is both elaborate and beautiful; there are three inscriptions on this cannon, shown below as 1, 2 and 3

[[Image:0007Mulharrao.jpg|thumb|left|250px200px|The Mulharrao Howitzer ]] [[Image:0008 Bronze howitzer.jpg|thumb|right|250px200px|The Mulharrao Howitzer ]]

<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

Captured at [[Tipu Sultan’s Sultan]]’s fortress at the [[Battle of Seringapatam 1799|Battle of Seringapatam]] in 1799.

Produced by the East India Company’s gun foundry at [[Cossipore]] near Calcutta. This cannon was one of a set intended for presentation to Maharaja [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranjit_Singh Maharaja Ranjit Singh]] by George Eden, Lord Auckland, and Governor General, on the conclusion of treaty negotiations in 1838. The guns were presented with 200 rounds of shot and shell intended for a planned Anglo-Sikh invasion of Afghanistan.

<gallery caption="Indian brass gun on its carriage." widths="450px300px" heights="300px200px" perrow="3">Image:0013 Brass 4.75.jpg|'''Indian brass gun on its carriage'''Image:0014 Brass 4.75.jpg|Alternative viewImage:0014a Sikh drawing.jpg|'''Elevation''' as drawn by Capt. Ralph Smyth, Bengal Artillery, in 1848 after its capture during the [[1st Sikh War]] 1845-6, Bronze 8.33 lb (7 seers), Panjab, prob Lahore, late 18th to early 19th century, Calibre 4.1

 [[Image:0014b Sutlej guns.jpg|thumb|left|400px300px|Sikh Horse Artillery Light 6-pounder]]

This cannon (belowabove) is one of the finest surviving examples and clearly shows the exceptional technical and artistic expertise in the Sikh foundries and workshops. The barrel, produced in Lahore in 1838, is based on the British Light 6 pounder; the carriage on the Bengal artillery pattern introduced in 1823, but lavishly decorated with brass, copper, steel and mother-of-pearl inlay.

[[Image:0015 Sikh gun.jpg|400pxthumb|left|300px|Sikh guns captured 1845]] '''Two bronze guns''' captured from the Sikhs at the [[Battle of Moodkee]]on the Sutlej, 19th December 1845. Probably made at Lahore. Complete with carriages, limbers with boxes, buckets, rammers, port-fire holders, axes, etc.  Beautifully made of mahogany richly mounted with pieced brasswork and inlaid with brass, copper, steel and mother-of-pearl. Calibre, 3,25in; length, 5ft 6in.

'''Two bronze === Other guns''' captured from the Sikhs at the ===[[Battle of MoodkeeImage:0016 2 bronze guns.jpg|thumb|left|300px|]] on the Sutlej, 19th December 1845. Probably made at Lahore. Complete with carriages, limbers with boxes, buckets, rammers, port-fire holders, axes, etc. Beautifully made of mahogany richly mounted with pieced brasswork and inlaid with brass, copper, steel and mother-of-pearl. Calibre, 3,25in; length, 5ft 6in.

[[Image:0016 2 '''Two bronze guns''' (one shown front) from India, elaborately decorated on the upper surface. On the reinforce are the arms of the East India Company and the motto ‘AUSPICIO REGIS ET SENATUS ANGLIAE,’ on the reinforce ring is the makers name ‘G HUTCHINSON, 1838, COSSIPORE.’ And on the second gun (not shown) the makers name ‘D PRESGRAVE, 1839, COSSIPORE’ appears on the ring. On the chase of both is a collar with star, round the collar runs an Oriental inscription; they also bear inscriptions of the same character on the reinforce, as well as on another part of the chase. The vent of the second gun is enlarged to 0.5in. Calibres, 4.49 in and 4.23 in; length of bore 44.2 in; total length 51.3 in.jpg|400px|]]

[[<gallery caption="'''One of three Indian bronze guns''' " widths="300px" heights="200px" perrow="3">Image:0019 Mughal bronze gun.jpg|200px|]] [[Might date from about 1675 ( late Mughal) but the carriage with its elevating screw dates from 1859. (Brig. Young). No further information available.Image:0021 Mughal bronze gun.jpg|200px|]] [[Image:0018 Mughal bronze gun.jpg</gallery>  [[Image:0023 Bronze 1629.jpg|left|400pxthumb|200px|Bronze Gun from India]]

'''One of three Indian bronze gunsBronze gun from India''' which might date from , slightly ornamented about 1675 ( late Mughal) but the carriage with its elevating screw dates from 1859cascable and chase. (BrigCalibre 4. Young)86 in; length of bore, 7ft 10. No further information available5 in; total length 8ft 9 in; weight 15cwt 19lbs. The gun is supposed to have been carried into Assam by the Musselmans at the time of the invasion of the province by the Mahomedan power, and to have been taken from them by the Assamese at the time of their expulsion, or rather disastrous retreat from the malarias effects of the climate. It is well known they left a number of guns behind them.

[[Image:0023 Bronze The guns seem to have been manufactured by a European, as it has an inscription in the roman character, ‘EVERHARDVS. SPLINTER.ME. FECIT ENGHVSAE. ‘The date on the reinforce is 1629.jpg|300px|]]In Persian there is also an inscription which bears the name of the reigning Mahomedan sovereign, with the date of the manufacture. There is a third inscription on the gun in either Assamese or Ahom, stating the name of one Assam King, by whom, and the date when the gun was taken by the Assamese.<div style="clear:both"></div>

<gallery caption= widths="300px" heights="300px" perrow="2">Image:0022 Chainmail.jpg|'''Bronze gun from IndiaFine chainmail coat with hood.''', slightly ornamented about the cascable Would have been worn with armour and chase. Calibre 4.86 helmet in; length of boremediaeval style, 7ft 10.5 in; total length 8ft 9 in; weight 15cwt 19lbs. The gun is supposed to have been carried probably by fanatical Sikh horsemen called Gorchuras who went into Assam by the Musselmans at the time of battle, drug crazed, during the invasion Punjab Campaigns of the province by the Mahomedan power, 1840s and to have been taken from them earlier. Also worn by the Assamese at the time MULRAJ-Diwan of their expulsion, or rather disastrous retreat from Multan in the malarias effects first battle of the climate[[2nd Sikh War]] 1848. It is well known they left a number '' 'Sometimes he talks of guns behind them. The guns seem to have been manufactured by a Europeannight attack, as it has an inscription and sits up all night in a Hindu temple near the roman character, ‘EVERHARDVSbridge cased in his chain armour from head to foot……. SPLINTER.ME. FECIT ENGHVSAE. ‘The date on the reinforce is 1629. In Persian there is also an inscription which bears the name of the reigning Mahomedan sovereign, with the date of the manufacture. There is a third inscription on the gun in either Assamese or Ahom, stating the name of one Assam King, by whom' ''<ref>from ''Six Battles for India: Anglo-Sikh Wars, 1845-46 and the date when the gun was taken 1848-49'' by the AssameseGeorge Bruce 1969 ISBN 10: 021317796X ISBN13: 978-0213177966.

[[Image:0033 0034a 7-pdr.jpg|400px|]] [[Image:0034 7-pdr.jpg|400px|]] [[Image:0034a 7-pdr.jpg|600px|]] 

[[Image:0035 Bronze 9-pdr.jpg|400px300px|thumb|The 9-pounder Howitzer]][[Image:0036 Bronze mortar.jpg|thumb|400px300px|Bronze Tiger Mortar]][[Image:0037 Bronze 24-pdr.jpg|thumb|400px|24-pounder from Kurnaul]][[Image:0038 Bronze 6-pdr.jpg|thumb|400px|6-pounder ]][[Image:0039 Bronze 2-pdr.jpg|400px|thumb|2-pounder]]

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 ===

 0037a [[Image:0037 Bronze 24-pdr drg.jpg|thumb|300px|24-pounder from Kurnaul]]

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:0038 Bronze 6-pdr.jpg|thumb|300px|6-pounder ]] 

[[Image:0040 Dragon gun.jpg|400px200px|thumb|left]]

This gun at 14ft 4.5 in bore 9.5in cast at Lahore in 1757 and used by Ahmed Shah Abdali, the Afghan, against the Marathas in a combined operation with the Mughals in 1761 at the Battle of Panipat , and subsequently by Ranjit Singh in 1818 in his final successful effort to subdue Multan, City and Fort. The gun blasted the walls with 80lbs shot.<div style="clear:both"></div>  == 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="350px" heights="350px" perrow="2">File:0075-Furnace-House-Waldern.jpg|'''Furnace Farm, Waldron.''' This was the site of Harrison's Foundry and Furnace. Gun trunnions were marked with a 'W'.File:0076-Large-furnace-pond.jpg|'''Large furnace pond in front of the house'''</gallery> <gallery caption= widths="350px" heights="350px" perrow="2">File:0077-Cannon-proving-bank.jpg|'''Cannon proving bank'''. Many cannon balls have been found at the foot of the bank by metal detectors. There was an older proving bank in a nearby wood.File:0078-Upstream-from-boring-mill.jpg|'''Site of the Boring Mill upstream.''' There are 20 tons or so of iron borings in the stream at the Boring Mill site. In the photo: Douglas Anderson, wheelwright, and Peter Davies, retired civil servant and assistant to landowner Peter Reed. Mr Davies has a special interest in muzzle loading guns such as Brown Bess.</gallery> Most landowners, particularly the Fullers, had interests in iron founding and they managed their woodland as coppice to produce the enormous amounts of charcoal needed for the blast furnaces. It has been estimated that between four and five thousand acres of coppice was needed to keep each forge and furnace combination in 1761continuous use.<br /> 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' bank at the base of which many cannonballs have been found. It also had a small quarry for test firing cannon and two boring mills on the stream. As at Waldron, these streams still run red with iron oxide from the massive deposits of congealed borings left in the stream beds. <br /> The Fullers also employed a Master Wheelwright among other highly skilled craftsmen, 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 the Colonel of the Royal Engineers.<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 San Severino, who was pressing for a firm delivery date for some guns he had ordered, John Fuller wrote: ''my furnace is a fickle mistress and must be humoured, her favours are not to be depended upon''.  == The Manufacture of Gunpowder == ''''To understand guns you must understand gunpowder' - Adrian B.Caruana'''<br />

== Naval Gun at Moulmein ==This gun is in the museum at [http[File://enProduction of gunpowder.wikipedia.orgjpg|750px|left|]]<div style="clear:both"></wiki/Mawlamyine Moulmein], Burma.div>

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 name of Royal Saltpetre Men, who collected excrement specifically for the making of gunpowder. This was manufactured using a formula of 75 parts saltpetre, 15 parts carbon (charcoal) and 10 parts sulphur, or brimstone as it was once called. This last name is very evocative as the bright yellow sulphur was indeed collected in lumps from the brims of volcanoes 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 /> <gallery caption= widths="300px200px" heights="350px200px" perrow="3">ImageFile:0080 Weir.jpeg|WeirFile:0081 Millstone.jpeg|MillstoneFile:0082 Millstones.jpeg|MillstonesFile:0049 Moulmein Mon Museum0083 Remains of wharf.jpgjpeg|Remains of wharfImageFile:0050 Moulmein0084 Mill.jpgjpeg|MillImageFile:0051 Moulmein-detail0085 Remains of Corning House and Mixing House.jpgjpeg|Remains of Corning House and Mixing House

'''This smooth-bore cast iron The quantities of gunpowder loaded onto an 80 gun''', dated 1826 and bearing ship varied according to the elaborate ‘Crown & P’ mark theatre of George IV, signifying that the gun had passed proof in the Royal Navy yards as fit war but would be about 288 barrels of cannon powder and ready for service, is 41 barrels of the Blomefield patternfine powder. Each barrel weighed 90lbs. Gunpowder was not used loose, named after Thomas Blomefieldbut made up into cartridges, Inspector first of Artillery at Woolwich between 1780 parchment and 1822later of special cartridge paper. It has the characteristic breeching loop above the button, typical The method of naval guns priming a cannon was as follows: The cartridge of this patterngunpowder would be placed down the muzzle, also carried by Nelson’s VICTORY at Trafalgar. The loop had rammed home using a heavy duty hawser passed through itramrod, wadded, lashing and then the cannonball similarly. A sharp-pointed metal rod would be inserted into the gun vent to pierce the ship cartridge and the vent would then be filled up with fine powder. A portfire rod would be used to prevent too much unpredictable recoil demolishing ignite the mast and occasionally demolishing members of fine powder in the gun crew as wellvent. Formerly masts were padded at This in turn ignited the base using ‘soft substance’ but this was never satisfactorycartridge, especially the resultant 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 case barrel thereby risking the destruction of very heavy the cannonand probably most of those attending upon it.<br />

Below is 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. There were, of course, accidents at Chilworth but it was not a drawing and extract heavily populated area. On one occasion a spark from ‘The story a workman's hobnailed boot striking on a stone path caused an explosion which killed six men. The mills used the fast-flowing Tillingbourne stream to power the heavy grinding stones of the Gun’ Lt AW Wilson RA first published 1944incorporating process. There were many stages involved in the manufacture and thus it was very labour-intensive. [[Image:0052 VictoryAs far as the ingredients were concerned, local alder trees provided the finest charcoal, sulphur was imported from Sicily, and saltpetre imported from India cost £45 per ton. A sufficient supply to last seven years in July 1752 cost £9,000. The discovery that saltpetre could be manufactured from earth gathered from dovecots, to which dung, urine and lime were added, meant that it could be collected locally.jpg|300px|]]

The 12th to 13th century chapel of St. Martha''‘The drawing shows s built on a 32pr. on board 600ft hill above the VICTORY. Compare it with any piece of 200 years before mill and notice the similarity. Elevation half a mile distant, was still obtained considerably reduced by means successive explosions, finally to a heap of the quoin or wedgestones, while the and only advance rebuilt in 1850. A massive explosion later on checking recoil by means of ‘soft substance’ around split the mastmill walls open, seems to be that shattered the glass in the windows of anchoring the piece to ancient manor and even severely damaged the ship by village of Albury a breeching passed through short distance away, not to mention the eye deaths of the cascable. The number in workmen and the detachments for these guns was decided terrible injuries caused by allowing one man for each 500lbs of metal. The 32-pounder weighed 32 cwt (3the volatile black powder,584 lbs) ignited by the slightest friction and therefore had a crew of seven. It is interesting to consider that were we to use the same system today we should require a detachment of 70 for one of our modern heavy gunsspark.’''

The gun at Moulmein is marked as 17== Sources and advice obtained for research =='''People'''<br />*Mr Philip McGrath -1Curator, Royal Armories, Fort Nelson.*Mr Derek Gurney -0'Explosion', indicating a weight Museum of 17cwt 1 qtr and 0lbsNaval Firepower. Which is a much lighter weight that might be expected for an approximately 9ft long*Mr Paul Evans - Librarian, 32Firepower Museum.*Mrs Bridget Clifford -pounder cannonKeeper of Records (South) Tower of London. This is indicative *Mr David Brown - Wealden Iron Research Group.*Ms Zoe Edwards - Information and Local Studies Librarian, Hastings Library.*Mr Peter Reed, Farmer and owner of a carronadethe site of the Fullers furnace and foundry. *Mr Peter Davies, Assistant - special interest - smooth bore muzzle-loading small arms.*Mr Douglas Andrews - Wheelwright<br />

'''CarronadesBooks''' were a revolutionary concept in naval gunnery, known <br />*The Age of the System 1715-1815 by Adrian B. Caruana*Arming the sailors as ‘Smashers’Fleet - U. They were first produced at S. Navy Ordnance in the Carron Ironworks at FalkirkMuzzle-Loading Era by Spencer Tucker*The Wealden Iron Industry by Jeremy Hutchinson, Scotland, in 1770and his Dissertation for M. They fired a 32lb. hollow shell filled with 500 musket ballsA. - Brighton*The idea was to approach enemy shipping from the rear Arming andFitting of English Ships of War, aimed at the stern1600-1815 by Brian Lavery*Wealden Iron by Ernest Straker*Weale Manuscript*The Art of Gunfounding by Carol de Beer*The Fuller Family Archive - Lewes Record Office*The Fullers of Waldron, Heathfield and Brightling by Alec Parks*Waldron, the shell would explode on impact causing Portrait of a shower of bullets to fly along the decks towards the bowSussex Village by Susan Russell, killing as many enemy crew Rosalie Parker and troops as possible. Valerie Chidson*The ultimate 18th century naval anti=personnel weapon!History of the Ironmongers Company by Elizabeth Glover*Walks into History by David Weller<br />

During the [[2nd Burma War]]'''Libraries'''<br />*Science Library, 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 a vessel of 1Imperial College,131 tonsLondon*Public Record Office, built at Portsmouth in June 1821, re-fitted in September 1850, she was a 5th rate ship of the lineKew*India Office Library and Records, indicating a complement of 46 guns. On her quarterdeck she was armed with 10 32-pounder carronadesBritish Library, one of which corresponds exactly to the weight marked on the Moulmein piece.London