Queen Elizabeth’s Pocket PistolBuilt in Utrecht in 1544 by Jan Tolhuys, Queen Elizabeth’
Queen Elizabeth’s Pocket PistolBuilt in Utrecht in 1544 by Jan Tolhuys, Queen Elizabeth’s Pocket Pistol was a brass cannon presented as a gift to English King Henry VIII’s daughter, future Queen Elizabeth I. Measuring 24 feet in length, the cannon fired a 4.75 inch, 10 pound cannonball at a range of 2,000 yards. Legends at the time stated its range was 7 miles, some even claiming that from Dover it could fire on the shores of France if properly aimed. Of course such claims are nothing more than 16th century humbuggery. The cannon is decorated with engravings of fruit, flowers, grotesques, and figures symbolizing Liberty, Victory and Fame. There is also a Tudor coat of arms which includes a verse in Dutch, which translates in English as “Break, tear every wall and rampart, Am I called, Across mountain and valley, pierces my ball, By me stricken”. Queen Elizabeth’s Pocket Pistol was used extensiveness during the English Civil War, often trading hands between Parliamentarian and Royalist forces. Today the cannon is found on display at Dover Castle. A replica is also on display at the Museum Buren en Oranje. -- source link
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