Known surviving pieces

Over the past decade, Dr. JanThade van Doesburgh and Mr. Nico Brinck have traced and registered as many remaining 18th century pieces of ordnance as possible. This registry includes the known list of Verbruggen pieces produced in Woolwich shown below.

In spite of their indestructible nature, only a few pieces of ordnance from the 18th century have survived. There are some explanations for this phenomenon. In times of war bronze was a strategic material, usually in short supply. It was a widespread practice to remelt captured and condemned pieces.

Secondly the armament of naval and merchant ships tended to end either at the bottom of the sea or in the fortresses of merchant settlements where the ship was declared unfit for the journey home. Until recently little effort was made to bring back newly discovered or recovered historic ordnance to form a representative collection of ordnance from the 18th century.

The registry measures over 150 pages registering all known founders and their still existing pieces. Below please find an excerpt of the registry listing the pieces of ordnance produced by the Verbruggens in Woolwich between 1773 and 1781 and their current location.

 

Further information on the registry can be provided if needed.

 

+1773-82 13″ mortar SS,                                                                                                                                             Battle of the Saints Spanish Town Jamaica[12-13]

              +1774    6 pdr Heavy Desagulier

                                L:2424+190   cal: 95 mm, 19>2>6, f at vent: 306 mm, other marks: A                                    Rotunda Museum Woolwich, UK     [12-14,8-54]

              +1775    recast, 3 pdr  

                                L:   ?   cal:  ?   ,  1>3>10, LT: N° 2,

                                casting from an original by South Bend Castings ± 1930                                                            Fort George, Niagara, Ontario, Can           [12-15]

              +1775    3 pdr Light Pattison? 

                                L: 3′ 0″  cal: 74 mm,  1>2>20  other marks: arrow

                                issued to Perth by James Ramsay, Gov in Chief Can. 1820                                             Lanark County Court Hse Perth Ontario Can       [12-16]

              +1775    3 pdr Light ?,

                                L: 2′ 7″,  cal: 79 mm,  1>3>11, LT: N°2 other marks: arrow

                                SURRENDERED BY THE CONVENTION OF SARATOGA OCT 17 1777                         Smithsonian Inst., Washington, USA          [12-17]

              +1775    3 pdr Light, 

                                L: 2’9 ¼”,  cal: 73 mm,  1>3>12,  other marks: arrow, 838

                                SURRENDERED BY THE CONVENTION OF SARATOGA OCT 17 1777                         US Mil. Academy, West Point NY, USA   [12-18]

              +1776    1 pdr Amus old patt., 

                                L:2096+109 cal: 51 mm,  3>1>12, RT: J/Y, f at vent 140 mm                                                  Rotunda Museum Woolwich, UK      [12-19,8-63]

              +1776    recast, 3 pdr, 

                                L:   ?,  cal:  ?   ,  1>3>12, LT: N°14

                                recast from an original by South Bend Castings ±1930                                                              Fort George, Niagara, Ontario, Can           [12-20]

              +1776    3 pdr Light Townsh.?, 

                                L: 3′ 0″,  cal: 74 mm,  1>3>17,  other marks: arrow

                                Issued to Perth by James Ramsay, Gov. in Chief Can. 1820                                           Lanark County Court Hse Perth Ontario Can        [12-21]

              +1776    3 pdr Light Townsh.?, 

                                L: 933+95 cal: 74 mm,  1>3>10, LT: N°4 RT:T other marks: arrow

                                SURRENDERED BY THE CAPITULATION OF YORKTOWN OCT 19 1781         Colonial Nat. Hist. Park,Yorktown Va,USA         [12-22]

              +1776    3 pdr Light Townsh.? , 

                                L: 3′ 1″,  cal: 76 mm,  1>3>17,  other marks: arrow

                                TAKEN FROM THE GERMANS AT BENNINGTON AUG 16 1777                                   Bennington House, Bennington Vt, USA    [12-23]

              +1777    3 pdr Heavy Amstrong, 

                                L:2125+149 cal: 74 mm,  6>3>3 , f at vent: 206 mm

                                LT: D2 RT: N°.2/93 other marks: 3                                                                                             Rotunda Museum Woolwich, UK      [12-24,8-55]

              +1777    3 pdr Light common,

                                L:1067+124 cal: 75 mm,  2>3>0 , RT: 56, f at vent 173 mm                                                     Norwich Castle, Norwich, UK           [12-25,8-60]

              +1778    1 pounder , L: 1527+100, cal: 50, f at vent 139, 2-2-12

                                I.&P. VERBRUGGEN FECERUNT A° 1778 embleen George III                                           Fort Nelson                                  [XIX-308,8-911]

              +1778    6 pdr Medium,Amstrong Brass pattern 1760 ,

                                L:1522+152 cal: 96 mm, 10>1>26, RT: Z/6, f at vent: 276 mm                                                Rotunda Museum Woolwich, UK    [12-26,8-159]

              +1778    6 pdr Medium,Amstrong Brass pattern 1760,

                                L:1524+154 cal: 95 mm, 10>0>20, RT: G2 14, f at vent: 278 mm                                            Rotunda Museum Woolwich, UK    [12-27,8-162]

              +1778    10″ Howitzer          

                                L: 3′ 11¼” cal:251 mm, 25>2>12,                                                                                    Eliott Memorial, Almeda Gardens, Gibraltar        [12-28]

              +1778    10″ Howitzer    

                                L: 3′ 11¼” cal:251 mm, 25>2>4 ,                                                                                     Eliott Memorial, Almeda Gardens, Gibraltar        [12-29]

              +1779    6 pdr Light      

                                L:  ?,  cal:  ?   ,  5>0>21, RT: N° 41  ?Eastern Cmd Army Hq Sydney, Austr.?                       huidige verblijfplaats niet bekend               [12-30]

              +1779    6 pdr Light Belford

                                L:1530+,  cal: 98 mm,  5>2>24, LT: N° 7                                                                                  Govt House Charlestown Nevis                  [12-31]

              +1779    Cohorn mortar    

                                L: 1′ 1″,  cal:112 mm,    ?   , LT: G2 12 damaged in grand store fire 1841                                HM Tower of London Armouries              [12-32]

              +1779    Cohorn mortar

                                L: 1′ 1″,  cal:112 mm,  0>3>2 , LT: E3 46 other marks N°:1:14                                                 HM Tower of London Armouries              [12-33]

              +1779    Cohorn mortar

                                L: 340,  cal:115 mm,  0>2>26, other marks: *N° 5*, f at vent 172 mm                                    private collection UK                                  [12-34]

              +1779    Cohorn mortar, 

                                L: 342,  cal:115 mm,  0>2>26, LT: F2 5 other marks: N° 3,                                                      collection J.Th van Doesburgh         [12-35,8-617]

              +1779    13″ mortar LS

                                L:1107,  cal:332 mm, 25>0>0 , LT: A3/1 other marks: N° 31, f at vent 461 mm                     HM Tower of London Armouries    [12-36,8-478]

              +1780    3 pdr Light common   

                                L:1060+133 cal: 74 mm,  2>2>27, RT: N° 64, f at vent: 173 mm                                  Off  Mess RAOC Deepcut Aldershot UK  [12-37,8-511]

   +1780    12 pdr old Medium,Amstrong Brass pattern 1760

                                L:1984+177 cal:118 mm, 21>2>9 , LT: Q3 61 RT: N° 1, f at vent 351 mm                             RAOC Segt Mess Deepcut               [12-38,8-567]

              +1780    12 pdr Amstrong

                                L: 6′ 6″,  cal:119 mm, 21>2>3 , RT: N° 75                                                                                  Govt House, Bridgetown Barbados            [12-39]

              +1780    10″ Howitzer

                                L: 3′ 11¼ cal:251 mm, 25>2>23,                                                                                                 Eliott Memorial Almeda Gds Gibraltar      [12-40]

              +1781    13″ mortar LS

                                L:1108,  cal:330 mm, 25>1>14, f at vent 461 mm, T (Townsend), left trunnion 1, T3 5

                                Stond oorspronkelijk op de Beresford Gate, Royal Arsenal, Woolwich

                                    zie Ordnance Society Newletter No 35, july 1996         Fort Nelson Fareham Hants. UK [12-41,8-468]