Identifying 18th-century trunnion marks on British iron guns: a discussion

Maritime Archaeology and the Early Atlantic Trade: research at Elmina, Ghana

“…Two guns also bore a cast raised ‘F’ on the face of the right trunnion, a mark indicative of ordinance manufactured at the Swedish ironworks at Finspång, commonly referred to as ‘Finbankers’. These were primarily manufactured for export, with the Dutch and French as the primary customers (Kennard, : 74; Brown, : 322; de Vries and Hall, : 9; Frantzen, : 19). The many mouldings and their patterns, low and tapered trunnions, and small muzzle swell indicate early model guns, likely dating from the mid 17th to early 18th centuries (G. de Vries, personal communication 2008).…”

Guns carried on East Indiamen, 1600-1800

“…It was not usual for an iron founder to put any marks on 17th-century guns, unless they came from Sweden. However 18th-century iron guns usually bore a single, double, or triple letter on the trunnion face and brass guns the name of the founder and a date, usually near the baseline of the gun (Brown, 1988;1989).…”

“…[I] For details of many of the founders and their marks mentioned here and below see Brown, 1988 andBrown, 1989. [2] The Browne guns of 1626 were probably those he supplied to the Navy Board which 'survived double proofing, though lighter than their bronze equivalents' (Cipolla, 1965: 65).…”

The production and consumption of bar iron in early modern England and Wales

“…27 27 As n. 23 compare John, ed., Walker family; Brown, ‘Trunnion marks’; Riden, ‘Unsuccessful blast furnaces’. This subject needs to be addressed more fully. …”