Casgliadau Arlein

18 pounder cast iron carronade. On replica wooden shipboard carriage.

[Description developed in collaboration with members of Chai & Chat (Swansea CVS), July 2024] Many Welsh ironworks made cannonballs, while a small number produced cannons. Carronades were a type of cannon, invented by the Scottish Carron Iron Company in the early 1770s. They were lighter than ordinary cannons and fired at a shorter range of around 500m. Like all cannons, carronades were loaded with gunpowder and cannonballs or a large number of musket balls. Carronades were used on a range of ships, including the Royal Navy, East India Company and slaving ships, but were particularly popular with merchant or trade ships. Due to their limited range, carronades were often used to fire musket balls at people. This cast iron carronade came from Cyfarthfa Ironworks, which was owned by the Crawshay family. It was made in 1802, at which point Cyfarthfa was the largest ironworks in the world. This one in particular was likely created for a merchant or trade ship, or to be exported overseas, as it doesn’t have the usual Royal Navy inscription. However, it was never sold and was eventually used as a garden decoration in one of the Crawshay family’s homes. It is inscribed with the following: 18 P (18 pounder) P 1802 (proofed [tested] in 1802) Charge K Proof (the weight of gunpowder used to proof the gun) Charge service (the weight of gunpowder used in action) 9-3-14 (its weight – 9 hundredweights, 3 quarts, 14 pounds – which is equivalent to 502kg)

[Disgrifiad wedi'u datblygu ar y cyd ag aelodau Chai & Chat (CGG Abertawe), Gorffennaf 2024] Roedd llawer o weithfeydd dur Cymru yn cynhyrchu pelenni canon, a nifer llai yn cynhyrchu canonau. Math o ganon oedd y carronade, a ddyfeisiwyd gan y Scottish Carron Iron Company ddechrau'r 1770au. Roedden nhw'n ysgafnach na chanonau cyffredin, gyda phellter tanio o ryw 500m. Fel pob canon, byddai carronade yn cael ei lwytho â phowdwr gwn a phelen, neu nifer fawr o belenni mysged. Byddai'r carronade yn cael ei ddefnyddio ar longau o bob math – gan gynnwys y Llynges Frenhinol, yr East India Company, a llongau cludo caethweision – ond roedden nhw'n arbennig o boblogaidd ar longau masnach. Oherwydd y pellter tanio llai, byddai carronade yn aml yn cael ei ddefnyddio i danio pelenni mysged. Cynhyrchwyd y carronade haearn bwrw hwn yng Ngweithfeydd Cyfarthfa. Y perchnogion oedd y Teulu Crawshay, ac erbyn 1802 dyma’r gweithfeydd haearn mwyaf yn y byd. ⁠ Cynhyrchwyd y carronade penodol hwn ar gyfer llong fasnach, neu i'w allforio dramor, gan nad yw symbol traddodiadol Llynges Prydain arno. Ond cafodd y carronade erioed ei werthu, a cafodd ei ddefnyddio yn y pen draw fel addurn yng ngardd un o'r teulu Crawshay. Arno mae'r arysgrifiad: 18 P (gwn 18 pwys) P 1802 (profwyd yn 1802) Charge K Proof (pwysau'r powdwr gwn a ddefnyddiwyd i brofi'r gwn) Charge service (pwysau'r powdwr gwn gweithredol) 9-3-14 (pwysau'r gwn – 9 canpwys, 3 chwart, 14 pwys – tua 502kg)