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]
Jan Verbruggen - Artist, Inventor and Master Gun-Founder 