Object Description
A demonstration or museum model of a civil defence traversing cannon. This bronze scale model of a defence cannon rests on a solid ebony carriage with working blocks and tackle to run the barrel out. It is set on a Derbyshire black marble base inset with a spoked pivot pin in the centre of a circular rail and a second curved rail for the two pairs of trucks to follow, thus allowing the gun to swivel or ‘traverse’ from side to side. It is mounted on its original walnut table with quadrant spandrels supported on four sturdy turned and reeded legs. There is a plaque reading ‘Model Carriage on Traversing Platform for Heavy Ordnance, Col. Tylden, R.l. Art.ly.’ English, circa 1847.
The gun represents a bronze smooth bore probably of the Napoleonic Wars period and afterwards up to around 1860. The carriage represents the type used for coast defence of the same period. Colonel John Tylden (commissioned 1819 – died 1866) would have witnessed the move from smooth bore to rifled artillery. It seems very likely that this model is related to a report by Colonel John Tylden (commissioned 1819 – died 1866) in 1847 about Archcliffe Fort in Dover ‘that the fort was armed with 6 x 32pdr guns mounted on traversing platforms, the masonry walls were in good order having the appearance of being recently restored. To aid the general artillery practice at the fort a 32pdr gun was mounted to fire over the rampart. 3 years later a local builder built an oak target to be used by the 12th Battalion Royal Artillery who were stationed at the Heights, it was moored a mile from shore and the local paper commented “that one shot passed through the mark.” Various Royal Artillery Battalions used the forts battery for practice, many of which were reported in the local papers, one such report read “unusually excellent” in 1852 when the 6th Battalion fired 240 rounds at the target, this was anchored 1000 feet away in the bay, the target was hit a total of 6 times.’