Jim - I am wondering if this is not something that has been 'added' to the attractions of the Tower in recent years as strangely, I find no mention of it in a history of the Tower that I have (The Tower of London by Younghusband) published in 1924. There is a full chapter on the arms and armoury on display but nothing relating to this cannon. I suppose it may have become buried and been found in excavations since then (they dug out the moat in the 90's) but I would hazard a guess that it is an import.
I was just at the Tower the first week in February and your picture doesn't ring a bell so I can't add any info. I was going to add 2 pictures of my favorite cannon at the tower: first a long shot( I guess pun intended) and then a close up of a wheel carriage, but I can't figure out how to add them to this note. Oh well! And, by the way, the Tower definitely lived up to expectations. The tour was great!
Posts: 7 | Location: Tempe, AZ | Registered: 20 December 2007
I got a note from the Keeper of Collections (South) at the Royal Armouries Museum about the cannon. It is Turkish, dated 1464, originally part of a battery on either side of the Dardanelles, and brought to London in 1868.Thanks for your help.
This is a little off topic, but it's something I've been wondering about and actually discussed with my husband the other day. Before he was such (my husband), he actually visited the Tower of London. I, however, have never done so on the several occasions I have been in London. With all the other things to see and do there, it's never been a high priority for me. I have been content to see it from the Thames, by boat.
On the other hand, one of the things we have done a couple of times is to visit Old Bailey, but I don't recall any mention of doing that on any of the threads about London. We actually attended a trial in progress once or twice. I found it fascinating, and neither of us are lawyers. Perhaps it appealed to us because we were/are such big fans of "Rumpole at the Bailey," but I don't think that's the only reason.
Are our tastes just that different from others? As much as I like history, I also really enjoy getting a taste of life in action wherever I go.
