Important 17th-century cannon find

Archaeologists. . . have found a 17th-century iron cannon, thought to be the only one of its kind still in existence.

It was recovered from the wreck of the Swan, a small Cromwellian warship lost off Mull while attacking the royalist stronghold of Duart Castle in 1653.

Dr [Colin] Martin [of the University of St Andrews] said the cannon had the initials of John Browne, King Charles I's royal gunfounder, on it.

"In the 1620s Browne developed a completely revolutionary new type of gun - one which was much lighter for the weight of shot it fired, allowing more to be carried on the king's ships," said Dr Martin.

"These stronger and lighter new guns were called 'drakes', and the secret of their success was a tapered end to their bores, where the pressure of the gunpowder explosion was greatest."

St Andrews University said conservationists hope to find out soon whether the cannon is indeed a drake. Work is expected to reveal that it is probably the only iron example of this type of gun known to have survived into modern times.

Posted by David on January 10, 2003 10:42 AM