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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]]

<gallery caption= widths="250px" heightsBackground to the Casting of Iron Guns in the Weald of Sussex ="250px" perrow="3">Image:0049 Moulmein Mon Museum.jpgImage:0050 Moulmein.jpgImage:0051 Moulmein-detail.jpg</gallery>

''See you the dimpled track that runs all hollow through the wheat?'This smooth-bore cast iron gun'<br /> ''Oh, dated 1826 and bearing the elaborate ‘Crown & P’ mark of George IV, signifying that was where they hauled the gun had passed proof in the Royal Navy yards as fit and ready for service, is of the Blomefield pattern, named after Thomas Blomefield, Inspector of Artillery at Woolwich between 1780 and 1822. It has the characteristic breeching loop above the button, typical of naval guns of this pattern, also carried by Nelson’s VICTORY at Trafalgarthat smote King Philip's fleet. The loop had a heavy duty hawser passed through it, lashing the gun to the ship to prevent too much unpredictable recoil demolishing the mast and occasionally demolishing members of the gun crew as well. Formerly masts were padded at the base using ‘soft substance’ but this was never satisfactory, especially in the case of very heavy cannon.[[Image:0052 Victory.jpg|300px|right|thumb| A 32pr. on board the VICTORY]]''<br />

Below is a drawing and extract from ‘The story of the Gun’ Lt AW Wilson RA first published 1944:<blockquote> 'PUCK'S SONG'‘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 wedge, while the only advance on checking recoil by means of ‘soft substance’ around the mast, seems to be that of anchoring the piece to the ship by a breeching passed through the eye of the cascable. The number in the detachments for these guns was decided by allowing one man for each 500lbs of metal. The 32-pounder weighed 32 cwt (3,584 lbs) 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 guns.’''Rudyard Kipling<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.

'''Carronades''' were a revolutionary concept in naval gunneryAs 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 by to the sailors Romans as ‘Smashers’. They were first produced at the Carron Ironworks at Falkirk, ScotlandForest of Anderida, was possibly the foremost industrial area in 1770the country. They fired a 32lbBlast 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. hollow shell filled with 500 musket ballsFrom 1540 the first English cannon were cast in wealden furnaces. The idea was to approach enemy shipping This freed the Royal Navy from dependence on foreign guns. Most of the rear ordnance produced had to be dragged on rough and, aimed at the stern, the shell would explode muddy tracks on impact causing a shower sleds or special carts drawn by teams of bullets oxen to small coastal ports from whence they would be transported by sea to fly along the decks towards the bow naval dockyards at Portsmouth or Chatham. It could take over a year to cast and deliver guns, killing as many enemy crew and troops as possibleallowing for several months for a newly fired furnace to reach 'full blast'. The ultimate 18th century naval anti=personnel weapon!<br />

During the [[2nd Burma War]]Waldron furnace, constructed at Furnace Farm, Commodore Tarlton was in charge of the naval operations at operation by 1560 and remained in business for some 200 years, producing first cannonballs and iron bars ready for the [[Battle of Martaban]] forge (on known as pig-iron) but by the opposite bank of 18th century, cannon. The water wheel powering the Salween River to Moulmein) and also at [[Capture of Pegu June 1852|Pegu]]. His ship was HMS Fox. This ship furnace bellows was driven by a vessel of 1pond fed by the millstream,131 tons, built at Portsmouth in June 1821, re-fitted in September 1850, she was a 5th rate ship of and the linelarge pond, indicating a complement of 46 guns. On her quarterdeck she was armed with 10 32-pounder carronadesor dam, one of which corresponds exactly to the weight marked on the Moulmein piececan still be seen.<br />

== Guns found at Mandalay Palace == ==== The Pair of Guns at the Entrance ====''For the wind is in the palm trees, and the temple bells they say:''<br />''"Come you back, you British soldier; come you back to Mandalay!".''<br /> from 'MANDALAY' by Rudyard Kipling<br /> <gallery caption= widths="330px350px" heights="250px350px" perrow="2">File:00530077-mandalayCannon-palaceproving-entrance-1bank.jpegjpg|Palace entrance gun 1'''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:00570078-mandalayUpstream-palacefrom-entranceboring-2mill.jpegjpg|Palace entrance gun 2'''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.

These two guns are similar but cast by different foundries. They are Royal Navy cast iron smooth bore muzzle-loading cannonMost landowners, as are the pair at particularly the exitFullers, had interests in iron founding and they bear the Crown and 'P' signifying they have passed proof, that is managed their woodland as coppice to say been test fired, and they are stamped with produce the Royal Cipher enormous amounts of George ll (reigned 1727-1760)charcoal needed for the blast furnaces. One gun It has a weight been estimated that between four and five thousand acres of 57cwt 0qrs 8lbs (cwt = hundred weight = 112lbs; qrs = quarter = 28lbs). The other gun would seem coppice was needed to be of very similar weight. Both are 32-pounder demi-cannon of nine keep each forge and a half feetfurnace combination in continuous use.<br />

<gallery caption= widths="150px" heights="150px" perrow="4">File:0054-mandalay-palace-entrance-1-detail 1The Fuller's forge at Old Heathfield was built in 1693 and lasted about a hundred years.jpeg|Palace entrance gun 1 detail 1File:0055-mandalay-palace-entrance-1The site is very large and has a huge man-detail 2made 'proving' bank at the base of which many cannonballs have been found.jpg|Palace entrance gun 1 detail 2File:0056-mandalay-palace-entrance-1-detail 3 (2)It also had a small quarry for test firing cannon and two boring mills on the stream.jpg|Palace entrance gun 1 detail 3File:0058-mandalay-Fuller-initialsAs at Waldron, these streams still run red with iron oxide from the massive deposits of congealed borings left in the stream beds.jpeg|Palace entrance gun 2 detail<br /gallery>

Palace entrance gun 1 was cast at the Waldron foundry near Heathfield in SussexThe Fullers also employed a Master Wheelwright among other highly skilled craftsmen, at the time of John Harrison, Ironmaster. It and interestingly there is marked W still a fully-functioning wheelwright's shop on the trunnion which is site today, operated by Douglas Andrews, who has himself constructed a new gun-carriage for an Islamic trophy gun ordered by the short iron protuberance each side which balances the cannon on Colonel of the gun carriage enabling it to be tilted as necessaryRoyal Engineers.<br />

Palace entrance gun 2 The Fuller's forge and foundry was cast constructed on a short distance away at particularly difficult site. If it rained too much the Heathfield foundry by John Fuller (marked JF on site would flood and if it was too dry there was a lack of fast-flowing water in the trunnion)stream to generate power. This trunnion mark In a reply dated 17th October 1754 to the Prince of San Severino, who was used between 1722 pressing for a firm delivery date for some guns he had ordered, John Fuller wrote: ''my furnace is a fickle mistress and 1745must be humoured, her favours are not to be depended upon''.

== The question that we all want to know, Manufacture 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 .......... work in progress!<br />Gunpowder ==

==== The Pair of Guns at the Exit ====''Gold is for the mistress, silver for the maid''<br />To understand guns you must understand gunpowder''Copper for the craftsman cunning at his trade - Adrian B.Caruana''<br />''"Good!" said the Baron, sitting in his hall,''<br />''"but Iron, Cold Iron, is master of them all."''<br />

from 'COLD IRON' by Rudyard Kipling[[File:Production of gunpowder.jpg|750px|left|]]<div style="clear:both"><br /div>

<gallery caption= widths="330px" heights="250px" perrow="2">File:0059 Mandalay Palace Exit gun 8009Sanitary 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.jpeg|Palace exit gun 8009File:0061 Mandalay Palace Exit gun 8012Fine powder was needed to prime the cannons and was also used for small arms.jpeg|Palace exit gun 8012<br /gallery>

These are the oldest Royal Navy guns seen. They are marked with the Rose & Crown insignia which was used by the Board of Ordnance from 1690 to 1725. The design of the crest varied slightly as the years progressed. 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 of 1695. From this survey it can be established that they are nine and a half foot 32-pounder demi-cannon, cast by Thomas Weston, Ironmaster of the Ashburnham forge near Battle, East Sussex, for HMS NEWARK. She was a Third Rate ship of the line mounting 76-80 guns of various weights. <gallery caption= widths="150px200px" heights="150px200px" perrow="43">File:0060 Mandalay Palace Exit 8009 detail0080 Weir.jpeg|WeirFile:0081 Millstone.jpeg|MillstoneFile:0082 Millstones.jpeg|Gun 8009 detail 1MillstonesFile:0063 Palace exit Rose & crown button0083 Remains of wharf.jpeg|Gun 8009 detail 2Remains of wharfFile:0062 Mandalay Palace Exit 8012 detail0084 Mill.jpeg|Gun 8012 detail 1MillFile:0064 Palace exit button top detail0085 Remains of Corning House and Mixing House.jpeg|Gun 8012 detail 2Remains of Corning House and Mixing House

Each of these 32-pounders would be serviced by 14 men and a 'powder monkey' (a small boy who could easily run up and down ladders carrying bags The quantities of gunpowder from deep in the loaded onto an 80 gun ship's hold). HMS NEWARK was refitted in 1717 and in 1745. At each refit, and possible alteration varied according to the ship's hull, it was usual to remove and assess which guns would still be needed. Those surplus to requirements, theatre of war but still in good condition, would be transferred to the ordnance stores about 288 barrels of cannon powder and placed on another ship as needed. Well founded cannon, if used with the correct amount 41 barrels of fine 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 and useless.  == Pair of Guns at Maymyo Forest Department ==These neat bronze guns, cast at the East India Company’s gun foundry at [[Cossipore]], in the district known as the 24 Purganas, not far north of [[Calcutta]] on the way to [[Barrackpore]]Each barrel weighed 90lbs. They were cast by by Capt A Broome of the [[Bengal Artillery]] who Gunpowder was in charge of the foundry from 1846 to 1864. This pair of guns were cast in 1851not used loose, but made up into cartridges, just at the beginning first of the best period of his production, parchment and would appear to be 9-pounders. They were undoubtedly cast for a small vessel later of some sort, probably intended for mounting on the bow. These 2 most unusual guns have breeching loops - but underneath the buttons, which I have not seen beforespecial cartridge paper.  The [[3rd Burma War]] was prosecuted using large gun vessels such as “IRRAWADY” and “KATHLEEN”, barges, flats, small pleasure craft and the like, in order to move troops and equipment up river to complete the subjugation method of Upper Burma. All these vessels carried guns of various calibres. “IRRAWADY” did carry priming a 64-pounder cannonade amongst other guns. One of the barges “WHITE SWAN”, is noted as being “bristling with guns” Apparently the Maymyo cannon have been placed on carriages suitable for use on the railway.    == 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 follows: The cartridge 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 gunpowder would be transported by sea to placed down the naval dockyards at Portsmouth or Chatham. It could take over a year to cast and deliver gunsmuzzle, allowing for several months for rammed home using a newly fired furnace to reach 'full blast'.<br /> Waldron furnaceramrod, constructed at Furnace Farmwadded, was in operation by 1560 and remained in business for some 200 years, producing first cannonballs and iron bars ready for then the forge, known as pigcannonball similarly. A sharp-iron,but by pointed metal rod would be inserted into the 18th century, cannon. The water wheel powering the furnace bellows was driven by a pond fed by vent to pierce the millstream, cartridge and the large pond, or dam, can still vent would then be seenfilled up with fine powder.<br /> Most landowners, particularly the Fullers, had interests in iron founding and they managed their woodland as coppice A portfire rod would be used to produce ignite the enormous amounts 0f charcoal needed for the blast furnaces. It has been estimated that between 4 and 5 thousand acres of coppice was needed to keep each forge and furnace combination in continuous use.<br /> The Fuller's forge at Old Heathfield was built fine powder 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 foundvent. 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 This in turn ignited the stream beds. <br /> The Fullers also employed a Master Wheelwright among other highly skilled crafsmencartridge, 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.<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 resultant heat causing the stream gases generated to generate speedily build up into an explosive power. In a reply dated 17th October 1754 sufficient to propel the cannonball up the barrel towards the Prince of 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'target at high speed.  == The Manufacture optimum amount of Gunpowder == 'To understand guns you must understand gunpowder' - Adrian B. Caruana<br /> 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 needed per cartridge for the making of gunpowder. This was manufactured using a formula of 75parts saltpetre, 15parts carbon 32-pounder cannon would be 14lbs (charcoal1 stone) and 10parts 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 Any excess could cause such a massive build-up of volcanoes gases in extremely hazardous conditions. The first two materials produced the explosion and barrel thereby risking the third added ignition and consistency to the grains destruction of black powder which was milled to the size cannon and probably most 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 armsthose attending upon it.<br />

The quantities of gunpowder loaded onto an 80 gun ship varied according 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 theatre local population. There were, of war course, accidents at Chilworth but would be about 288 barrels of cannon powder and 41 barrels of fine powder. Each barrel weighed 90lbs. Gunpowder it was not used loose, but made up into cartridges, first of parchment and later of special cartridge papera heavily populated area. The method of priming On one occasion a spark from a workman's hobnailed boot striking on a cannon was as follows: stone path caused an explosion which killed six men. The cartridge of gunpowder would be placed down mills used the muzzle, rammed home using a ramrod, wadded, and then the cannonball similarly. A sharpfast-pointed metal rod would be inserted into the vent flowing Tillingbourne stream to pierce power the cartridge and heavy grinding stones of the vent would then be filled up with fine powderincorporating process. A portfire rod would be used to ignite the fine powder There were many stages involved in the ventmanufacture and thus it was very labour-intensive. This in turn ignited As far as the cartridgeingredients were concerned, local alder trees provided the resultant heat causing the gasses generated to speedily build up into an explosive power finest charcoal, sulphur was imported from Sicily, and saltpetre imported from India cost £45 per ton. A sufficient supply to propel the cannonball up the barrel towards the target at high speedlast seven years in July 1752 cost £9,000. The optimum amount of gunpowder needed per cartridge for a 32pdr. cannon would discovery that saltpetre could be 14lbs. (1 stone). Any excess could such a massive build-up of gasses in the barrel thereby risking the destruction of the cannon manufactured from earth gathered from dovecots, to which dung, urine and probably most of those attending upon lime were added, meant that itcould be collected locally.<br />

The gunpowder mills at Chilworth near Guildford were founded by the East India Company in 1625. They were forced 12th to leave their previous site near Woolwich because frequent explosive accidents caused havoc among the local population. There were, 13th century chapel of course, accidents at Chilworth but it was not a heavily populated areaSt. On one occasion a spark from a workmanMartha's hobnailed boot striking built on a stone path caused an explosion which killed six men. The mills used 600ft hill above the fast-flowing Tillingbourne stream mill and half a mile distant, was considerably reduced by successive explosions, finally to power a heap of stones, and only rebuilt in 1850. A massive explosion later on split the heavy grinding stones of mill walls open, shattered the incorporating process. There were many stages involved glass in the manufacture windows of the ancient manor and thus it was very labour-intensive. As far as even severely damaged the ingredients were concernedvillage of Albury a short distance away, local alder trees provided not to mention the deaths of the finest charcoal, sulphur was imported from Sicily, workmen and saltpetre imported from India cost £45 per ton. A sufficient supply to last seven years in July 1752 cost £9the terrible injuries caused by the volatile black powder,000. The discovery that saltpetre could be manufactured from earth gathered from dovecots, to which dung, urine ignited by the slightest friction and lime were added, meant that it could be collected locallyspark.

*Mr Paul Evans - Librarian, Firepower Museum.

*Mr Peter Davies, Assistant - special interest - smooth bore muzzle-loading smallarmssmall arms.