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CAIN'InTOIN' A. T CEES8Y. 
— by — 
LIB [JT.-COLONEL H. W. L. HIMB, late R.A. 
V 
I T has been often asserted, and as often denied, that we brought two 
or three small guns, or bombards, into the field at the battle of 
Cressy. Were the evidence as evenly balanced now as when Gibbon 
pronounced an opinion upon it, it would be a waste of time to restate 
it; but since new matter has been brought to light by MM. Rigollot, 
Cayrol, Polain and Kervyn de Lettenhove, it is time to reconsider the 
whole question. 
It is admitted on all sides, I believe, that guns were used at sieges 
before the year 1346. “ In the year 1338 we come upon unquestion¬ 
able testimony that cannon, both of iron and brass, were employed at 
that date on board English ships of war.”* It is certain that Edward 
the Third, brought gunners with him on his second expedition against 
France :—- i£ Ingyners LVII., artellers VI., gonners VI.It is equally 
certain that, long before his expedition, the King had been collecting 
materials for the manufacture of gun-powder. Entries of payments 
for these materials are found in the Wardrobe Accounts on dates 
ranging from 25th December, 1344, to 18th October, 1347. One 
extract will suffice here. Payment was made for 912 lbs. of saltpetre 
and 886 lbs. of sulphur on the e( 10th May of the said 20th year of his 
reign.”J The 10th May of the 20th year of Edward the Third's reign was 
10th May, 1346 : Cressy was fought on the 26th Aug. of the same year. 
Finally the King must have taken guns with him on this expedition; 
for he had to our knowledge twenty guns ” at the siege of Calais 
which immediately followed the battle of Cressy§. These facts do 
not, of course, prove that we had guns at Cressy; but they show that 
we might have had them. They remove any antecedent improbability, 
which might otherwise exist, of the use of guns at that battle. To 
ascertain whether guns were actually used there or not, we must fall 
back on the earliest accounts of the battle. 
* “ Ancient Cannon in Europe,” by Lieut, (now G-eneral Sir H.) Brackenbury, in ‘ ‘ Proceedings *’ 
R.A. Institution, Woolwich, Yol. IY. He quotes “ Roll T.G. 11,097.” 
f Ibid. He quotes “ Harleian MS. 782, fol. 63.” 
J Rev. Jos. Hunter, P.S.A., in “ Archeology for 1847 ” ; XXXII., 381. 
§ “ Ancient Cannon, etc.” 
3.Z VOL, XX VL 
