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[[Image:0028 Fort Nelson gun.jpg|400px|]] [[Image:0029 Fort Nelson gun.jpg|400px|]]
BRONZE GUN '''Bronze Gun 2-pounder'''<br>
[[Image:0051 Moulmein-detail.jpg|400px|]] '''This smooth-bore cast iron gun''', dated 1826 and bearing the elaborate ‘Crown & P’ mark of George IV, signifying that 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 Trafalgar. 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.
CARRONADES '''Carronades''' were a revolutionary concept in naval gunnery, known by the sailors as ‘Smashers’. They were first produced at the Carron Ironworks at Falkirk, Scotland, in 1770. They fired a 32lb. hollow shell filled with 500 musket balls. The idea was to approach enemy shipping from the rear and, aimed at the stern, the shell would explode on impact causing a shower of bullets to fly along the decks towards the bow, killing as many enemy crew and troops as possible. The ultimate 18th century naval anti=personnel weapon!
General editing
'''Bronze 9 pounder. D Presgrave, Cossipore (East India Company) 1838/39'''
Produced by the East India Company’s gun foundry at [[Cossipore]] near Calcutta. This cannon was one of a set intended for presentation to [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.
:''The salute was fired by the howitzers that G. has had made to present to Ranjeet. They are very handsome, ornamented more than our soldiers think becoming, but just what Ranjeet would like; there is the bright star of the Punjab, with Ranjeet’s profile on the gun and Captain E. Says that thousand of Sikhs have been to look at these guns, and all of them salaam to Ranjeet’s picture as if it were himself.''
=== Sutlej Campaign 6-pounder ===
[[Image:0027 Fort Nelson gun.jpg|400px|]] [[Image:0028 Fort Nelson gun.jpg|400px|]]
'''Indian gun 6-pounder.''' Captured from the Sikhs during the [[1st Sikh War|Sutlej Campaign]] c1845. Field gun, British pattern- Horse Artillery. Acquired from the family of Sir Hugh Gough who finally defeated the Sikhs in the [[2nd Sikh War]] 1849 at [[Battle of Gujerat 1849|Gujrat]]. Carriage decorated with two figures of Sikhs, possibly representing Ranjit Singh himself.
'''Cutter''' from 6-pounder above in form of peacock.
[[Image:0033 7-pdr.jpg|400px|]] [[Image:0034 7-pdr.jpg|400px|]]
[[Image:0034a 7-pdr.jpg|400px600px|]]
Indian probably 18th century.
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 for the securing bolt.
Found with another in the fort of [[Kurnaul]], Madras Presidency, about 1838 (1859 Inventory, 137, No 85). Other pieces of ordnance from the same source are in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotunda_(Woolwich) Rotunda Museum Woolwich]. They were originally found concealed in the fort. From the Rotunda Catalogue 1864 it appears they were intended for the equipment of an insurrectionary force raised to drive the British out of India.
=== Bhurtpore 6-pounder ===
[[Image:0038a 6-pdr drg.jpg|400px|]]
'''Bronze Gun 6-pdrpounder'''<br>
Indian, early 18th century
[[Image:0039 Bronze 2-pdr.jpg|400px|]]
Indian, 18th century
[[Image:0044 Chinese guns.jpg|400px|]]
'''Two Chinese guns ''' incorrectly labelled at Chelsea as Sikh and taken at Chillianwalla during the 2nd Sikh war.
These guns were 2 of a set of 4 placed around the Chillianwala Memorial on the Embankment. 2 of the 4 were genuine Sikh guns and these 2 were ‘faked’ by the Armouries to appear Sikh simply because they were short of the genuine articles!
The Carriages carriages are of similar construction. Each has a solid trail with a hinged traversing lever and elevating screw. There are two axle-tree seats with chain foot rests. These carriages are based on English field carriage of around 1850 and are similar to the others, a distinctive feature on all being the axle hubs cast as stylised tigers heads.
Transferred to the Armouries Armories in 1925 but still on loan to the Royal Hospital, Chelsea. The original loan being in 1875 from the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich.
Father Ferdinand Verbiest 1623-88, a Jesuit priest of Flemish birth, was sent to China as a missionary in 1657 and, in 1677, became Vice-Provincial of the Order. He was held in great favour by the Emperor K’ang-hsi for whom he carried out many tasks of a scientific and mathematical nature. Amongst other achievements he designed and supervised the manufacture of three hundred cannon which he blessed giving each one the name of a saint. The fact that the date of the casting of no. 203 is a year later than Verbiest’s death may be explained by their being part of a series whose manufacture commenced the previous year. Another of Verbiest’s guns, also date 1689 and bearing a similar inscription, is in Hakozaki Shrine, Kiyushu, Japan (Shin-ichi Yoshioka, Collection of Antique Guns Tokyo 1965, 36)
L 4ft 4.5in (133.4cm); 4ft 9in (144.8cm) Cal 1.6in (4cm) Wt 1cwt 2 qtr (76.2kg)
'''Bronze Gun'''
Indian, probably 17th century
[[Image:0047 Taku gun.jpg|400px|]]
'''An ‘Armstrong’ rifled muzzle loader. ''' It was possibly placed in the old fort during the 3rd China War|Boxer Rebellion 1896-1901. Calibre estimated at 7-10 in. British guns of this type were not manufactured until the late 1870s.
The photograph was taken in 1928 by Terence Shields Marshall (b Calcutta 1904) in one of General Gordon’s Taku forts built at the time of the [[Taiping Rebellion]] 1850-64.
This gun is in the museum at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mawlamyine Moulmein], Burma.
[[Image:0049 Moulmein Mon Museum.jpg|400px450px|]] [[Image:0050 Moulmein.jpg|300px|]]
[[Image:0050 0051 Moulmein-detail.jpg|400px300px|right|]]
Below is a drawing and extract from ‘The story of the Gun’ Lt AW Wilson RA first published 1944.
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.
During the [[2nd Burma War]], 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 1,131 tons, built at Portsmouth in June 1821, re-fitted in September 1850, she was a 5th rate ship of the line, indicating a complement of 46 guns. On her quarterdeck she was armed with 10 32-pounder carronades, one of which corresponds exactly to the weight marked on the Moulmein piece.
