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Pair of “HMS Royal George” Miniature Bronze Barrel Naval Cannons

$3,412.66List Price

About the Item

This pair of cannons on oak carriages was made in 1840 from the recovered salvage of the wreck of HMS Royal George to commemorate the disastrous sinking of the ship in 1782. Both of the barrels are inscribed in copper-plate script, one reading: ‘Relic of Royal George, Sunk 1782, raised 1840’, the other: ‘Relic of the Royal George, Sunk 1782, Raised 1840’. These scale models have ring fittings. HMS Royal George (1756-1782): The HMS Royal George was a 100-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built at Woolwich Dockyard and launched on 18th February 1756. At the time she was launched, the Royal George was the largest warship in the world, and she took part in the Seven Years' War and the Battle of Cape St Vincent. During the summer of 1782, the Royal George was anchored at Spithead, just off the coast at Portsmouth, part of the fleet being assembled to relieve the Siege of Gibraltar. On 29th August, at seven o’clock in the morning, work was carried out on the Royal George’s hull. At the time, most of her crew was on board, in addition to workmen; merchants and traders; relatives visiting the crew; and women and children who were visiting the ship whilst it was moored in the harbour. In order to carry out the work to the hull, the ship had to be heeled over by rolling the ship's guns on one side into the centreline of the ship, causing the ship to tilt in the water. However, the ship was heeled over too far, and passed her centre of gravity, so orders were given to move the guns back into position to restore the ship's balance. But the lower gunports were not properly secured, creating an inrush of water and causing the ship to list, keel over and sink. Around nine hundred people were drowned in one of the most serious maritime losses to occur in British waters. Two hundred and fifty five people were saved, including eleven women and one child. Many of the victims were washed ashore at Ryde, Isle of Wight where they were buried in a mass grave that stretched along the beach. Several attempts were made to raise HMS Royal George, both for salvage and because it was a major hazard to navigation, lying in a busy harbour at a depth of only 65 feet (20 metres). The most successful salvage attempt was made in 1839 by Major-General Charles Pasley. In the 1850s, timber from the ship was used to make the billiard table, still in use today, for the North Wing of Burghley House. Several of the salvaged bronze cannons were melted down to form the base of Nelson's column in London's Trafalgar Square, and some of the timbers were used to create souvenir objects, such as this pair of cannons.

Dimensions:
Height: 4.53 in (11.5 cm)Width: 7.29 in (18.5 cm)Depth: 4.53 in (11.5 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 2
Materials and Techniques:
Bronze,Oak
Place of Origin:
England
Period:
Mid-19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
c.1840
Condition:
Seller Location:
Sutton Coldfield, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: 62721stDibs: LU122322010502

Pair of antique English naval cannon each with a tapering three stage barrel flanked by plain trunnions, with a knob shaped cascabel button before a shaped rectangular raised vent and ending in a 3 1/2” bore muzzle, enclosing a removable conforming wood plug, circa 1800. Stood upon a naval type bronze-mounted four wheeled wooden carriage, including its wedge shaped quoin with knob handle. The Earls of Lonsdale, Lowther Castle, Cumbria, presumably by descent to Hugh Cecil Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale (1857-1944), until sold by his heir and brother, Lancelot, 6th Earl, as part of the contents of Lowther Castle, Maple & Co. Ltd./Thomas Wyatt, Tuesday 14 April 1947 and two following days, lot 558: ‘A pair of Old Gun Metal Cannons on teakwood carriages, 3ft. 6in. long’. Mrs. P.M. Adie-Shepherd, sold Christie’s, London, 29 May 1970, lot 96. Lowther Castle is a castellated mansion built by Robert Smirke between 1806 and 1814 for William Lowther, 1st Earl of Lonsdale (1757-1844). It was constructed on the foundations of the former 17th century family seat, Lowther Hall, but it was only in the early 19th century that it was afforded the name ‘castle’ in keeping with the Europe-wide fashion for romanticism and which was promoted by influential characters such as William Beckford at Fonthill Abbey, Wiltshire in England and by the writer Sir Walter Scott at Abbotsford, Roxburghshire, Scotland. While it’s not known when these naval cannon were acquired for Lowther they would have been entirely fitting in the castle or its approaches and it’s likely that they were in place soon after the castle was completed, or perhaps acquired later by the 5th Earl. A tantalising possibility is that the cannon were originally aboard the East Indiaman Lowther Castle which was active in the early 19th century. HUGH CECIL LONSDALE, 5TH EARL OF LONSDALE (1857-1944) AND THE DEMISE OF LOWTHER CASTLE In 1882 at the age of 25 Hugh Lonsdale (1857-1944) unexpectedly inherited the earldom and with it the extensive Lonsdale estate, including tens of thousands of acres of Cumberland and Westmorland and coalfields at Whitehaven. However, despite his spectacular inherited wealth – he was suddenly one of the wealthiest men in England, over the course of his lifetime he managed to decimate the family fortune. He led a full and colourful life, one of adventure and luxury. An early intrepid escapade took place in July 1888 when, as part of an expedition called the Scotch Naturalist Society, he set embarked on horse sleigh...

Category

Antique Early 1800s English Arms, Armor and Weapons

Materials

Bronze

Pair of Antique English Naval Cannon

$180,188 / set

H 22.5 in W 27 in D 48 in

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