Falconet Question

[B.Habermehl]

I am currently reading a fictional book set in the early 18th century. There is a reference to a swivel gun used on a long boat called a falconet. Fireing a load of grape shot. Is the author missnaming the gun? The only reference to a falconet gun I can find is a large piece with a 2 1/4 in bore and a weight of around 400lbs. Seems aweful heavy to mount om the bow of a long boat. Is the author using the wrong nomenclature. I don't profess to know a thing about cannon :cry: BJH

 

[bezoar]

By early 18th century i assume you mean the early 1700s. Can you give us the paragraph in question as that will help us to figure out the term the author means to use.

Pulling out my copy of "The book of old ships" by Henry B. Culver i get the following information

Falconet:
feet long, 2 inch bore, weight of shot is unlisted; but the next size up is the "minion" which was also rail mounted on vessels of the 15/1600s which fired a 3 to 4 pound ball from a 2.75 inch bore.

Now look at the weight of the gun itself. A railing piece is designed to be small and light and easily lifted onto its railing mount by 2 men without the use of rope and tackle.
Consider the "saker" which was a 9 foot 3.5 inch bored cannon firing a 6-8 pound cannon ball, yet in the 1500s they used a riling mounted gun called a saker.

And if your book is set in the napoleonic wars, look at the british armed launches carried by british men of war. they would have a few swivel guns firing up to 4 pound balls. And they would have a small carronade that was on a type of rotating carraige to support troops onshore.

Please send more info on the boook, sounds interesting.

 

[B.Habermehl]

Of course the book does not give any dates to help out. But it is set in the reign of King William. I think he preceded Queen Anne??? Which would be about circa 1700?? The title of the book is Monsoon. I forget the author's name and the book is my lunch break read at work. The conputer is at home :curse: I should have taken a couple of notes. The author definately is speaking of a rail mounted swivel gun in this case. Hope this scetchy description helps. BJH

 

[robinghewitt]

set in the reign of King William. I think he preceded Queen Anne???

There were 4 Williams starting with William the conqueror 1066-1087, his son William II (William Rufus)who was killed by a stray arrow in a hunting accident 1087-1100, Dutch William III (William and Mary) 1689-1702, who was imported to oust the obnoxious James II. He died in another hunting accident when his horse stumbled on a mole hill and he was followed by Queen Anne 1702-1714. Finally William IV 1830-1837 who preceeded Queen Victoria.

 

[B.Habermehl]

Thanks Robin I was refering to the Dutch William. On further reading of the book the dates for the setting of the story are around 1690 or so. BJH