222 
THE MASTER-GUNNERS OP ENGLAND. 
SUCCESSION LIST OF THE MASTER-GUNNERS OE ENGLAND. 
Reign. 
Date of 
Appt. 
Hen. VIII. 
(Contd.) 
1523 
Name. 
War Services, &c. 
Christopher 
Morris 
(Kniqhted in 
1537). 
r 23rd August. Admiral Sir Wm. Eitz 
William, with his fleet, soldiers, and field 
artillery under the Master-Gunner, Christopher 
Morris, sailed for the French coast and landed 
near Treyport: after severe fighting they re¬ 
embarked, after burning seven fine ships, 
destroying their bulwarks and capturing 27 
pieces of ordnance, 
1524. Siege and capture of Calais. The first 
enterprise was the winning the castle, called 
Belle Castle, by the power of battery ; and 
Sir Wm. Skevington was directed to raze it to 
the ground. Siege and capture of Bray, by 
assault after five hours battery with the 
ordnance. Capture of Mondelier : after four 
hours battering the walls were overthrown 
and made assaultable, then the garrison 
surrendered. Siege of Boghan Castle, wherein 
were found 7 6 pieces of artillery, as bombardes, 
curtaux, demi-curtaux, slings, cannon, volgers, 
and other ordnance. 
1530. Pacification of Kildare. 
-{ 1532. Removal of the Ordnance Office , 
under the Master of the King’s Ordnance (Sir 
Wm. Skevington) to the “Bryck Tower ” of 
the Tower of London. 1 2 
1537. In this year the Master-Gunner of 
England was appointed, also Master of the 
Ordnance , and continued to be so described 
until 1544, when he was Lieutenant at 10s. 
a-day, with Sir Thomas Seymour as Master 
of the Ordnance at T1 6s. 8d. per diem. 
Sir Christopher Morris appears to have re¬ 
tained the Master-Gunner ship of England 3 in 
addition to his other functions—for according 
to Stowe’s Surrey , folio 196, page 211, art. 
“ Morrice,” Sir C. Morris was interred in St. 
Peter’s Church, Cornhill, by the title of 
“Master-Gunner of England to Henry VIII.” 
To the many laws, ordinances, and regula¬ 
tions issued for the support of archery may 
be added the institution of the Artillery Com¬ 
pany, which was incorporated by the Patent 
, of Henry VIII., in the year 1537, to Sir 
1 This is what Sir Philip Hoby fELarlean MSS. 623) refers to as the “incorporation” of the 
office of the ordnance by Henry VIII., but it will be observed that the office itself was created A.D. 
1456 by Henry VI. 
2 Kane's List, p. 151, is incorrect in describing Sir C. Morris as Lt.-General of the Ordnance. 
