THE MASTER-GUNNERS OP ENGLAND. 
221 
SUCCESSION LIST OF THE MASTER-GUNNERS OF ENGLAND. 
Reign. 
Date of 
Appt. 
Name. 
War Services, &c. 
Hen. VIII. 
(Contd.) 
1513 
Wm. Black- 
enall (or 
Blakenal). 
< 
^ 1513 (June). Sir Sampson Norton, Master 
of the Ordnance , and Sir Nicolas Appleyard, 
in September. 
Invasion of Scotland, and battle of Flodden. 
The next day (10th September) a Scotch 
force appearing in the field, Wm. Blackenall, 
who had the chief rule of the British ord¬ 
nance, caused such a peal to be shot off at 
them that the Scots fled. Two-and-twenty 
pieces of ordnance were taken; amongst them 
seven culverins of large assize, called by King 
James the “ seven sisters.” 1 
The Master-G-unner of the English part 
opened his fire, slew the Master-Gunner of 
Scotland and beat all his men from their 
ordnance—so that the Scotch ordnance did no 
harm to the English, but the English artillery 
shot into the midst of the King’s battle and 
(_slew many persons. 
1528 
Christopher 
Morris 
(Knighted in 
1537.) 
< 
1523. SirWm. Skevington, Master of the 
Ordnance , 6th July. The Earl of Surrey, 
with an army, and artillery commanded by 
the Master of the King’s Ordnance, having 
landed the Emperor in Biscay, returned with 
his fleet and made a descent on the coast of 
France, near Morlies, marching thither and 
assaulting the town, won it—for the Master- 
Gunner, Christopher Morris, having there 
certain falcons, with the shot of one of them 
struck the lock of the wicket in the gate, so 
that it flew open, and then the same Chris¬ 
topher Morris and other gentlemen, with their 
soldiers, in the smoke of the guns, pressed to 
the gates, and, finding the wicket open, entered, 
and so finally was the town of Morlies won and 
put to sack. The army shortly after returned 
(to England. 
1 “ They saw, slow rolling on the plain 
Full many a baggage, cart and wain, 
And dire artillery’s clumsy car 
By sluggish oxen tugged to war. 
And there were Borthwick’s sisters seven, 
And culverins which France had given. 
Ill omen’d gift! the guns remain 
The conqueror’s spoil on Flodden’s plain.’ 
Marmion, Canto IV., Div. 27. 
The following extract will give an idea of the value of pieces of artillery at this period :—“ The 
King (James V.) went in person against it (Tantallon Castle), and for its reduction borrowed from 
the Castle of Dunbar, then belonging to the Duke of Albany, two great cannons whose names were 
Thracon-mouthed-Mow, and-her-Marrow ; also two great botcards and two moyans, two double¬ 
falcons, and four quarter-falcons, for the safe guiding and re-delivery of which three lords were 
laid in pawn at Dunbar.”— Marmion. Note 15 to Canto V. 
30 
