Beschreibung:

A George III 24-pdr iron naval cannon Samuel Walker & Co. Ltd, late 18th century From Nelson's flagship the Foudroyant launched in 1798 The plain cascabel with ring surmount, the vent patch mounted with a reproduction steel gunlock with flint, the barrel with six moulded turns and swamped muzzle, with applied GR Royal monogram, above plain trunnions inscribed W Co and 93, 9ft 10in long, 5.8in bore, on a later stepped wooden carriage built by the late James Close Provenance: Christie, Manson and Woods, London, 10th May, 1972, lot 58, sold on behalf of the Foudroyant Trust. The James Close Collection of Historic Naval Cannon. Historical Notes This cannon was amoungst those allocated to Nelson's flagship in the Mediterranean, HMS Foudroyant, considered to be the finest ship afloat at the time. Mounting eighty guns on two decks, including thirty 32-pounders on the lower deck and thirty-two 24-pounders on the main deck, she was launched at Southampton in 1798. During her service career she took part in the capture of Le Genereux and Guillame Tell in 1800 and in 1807 of Marengo and Ben Poule. She returned home in 1812 and remained in harbour service at Devonport until 1891. She was later restored as a museum ship but was wrecked in a gale on Blackpool sands in 1897. Her cannon were recovered from the wreck in 1897 and transferred for ballast to HMS Trincomalee, the ship that replaced her and took her name. In 1972 twenty-six of the cannon were sold to the City of Portsmouth to set up on the City walls. After the Christie, Manson and WoodsÆ sale in May 1972, James Close was approached by the producers of the BBC children's programme ôBlue Peterö as they wanted to televise a feature on the cannon. Subsequently the cannon was taken to the ôBlue Peterö studio for a live feature presented by Peter Purves and John Noakes, after which it was delivered to James Close's home.