Day in the Life

Dec 12, 1840

40

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Places
1

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Journal Entry

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December 12, 1840 ~ Saturday

12^th I wrote a few lines to Phebe in Elder Kim-
ball'^s letter to his wife, & acknowledged the rece
ption of her letter of Oct 6 to 19^th. I wrote in my
Journal)

[FIGURE] We saw cannon shot chiefly
made of wrought iron, namely, spike shot
star shot, chain shot, and saw shot,
A Beheading axe of singular form. This has
long been named as the axe which took of the
head of Queen Anne Boleyn [FIGURE] It is also said
to have beheaded the earl of Essex.

In going into the grand storeho
use we pass the front of the Horse Armoury we
observed two French brass mortars which were brou-
ght from Acre in the year 1799.

The Train of Artillery

This room is nearly 350 feet in length, containi
ng a large number of chests containing arms in
readiness for use, and also a great variety or [of]
cannon

1. Is a gun made of wrought iron assigned to
the time of Henry VI AD 1422 [FIGURE]

2. A wrounght iron peterara time of Edward IV 1461

3. part of an iron gun which [w]as a chamber to a gun

4. A 36 pounder brass cannon 13 feet long time of Henry
VII AD 1456.

5. A 12 pounder brass cannon 13 feet 4 inches long
of the Emperor Charles V AD 1509

6. A 68 pounder brass cannon weighing upwards
of 5 tons said to have been used on the lower
deck of the ship of war called the Great Harra
it bears date AD 1542.

7. A 1 1/2 pounder flat gun of brass with 3 bores
time of Henry VIII having receptacles for chamb
ers from which the charge was fired.

8. An octagon shaped 4 pounder brass connon tim[e]
of Henry VIII.

9. A brass cannon having 7 bores time of Henry VIII

10. A 20 pounder brass cannon time of Edward VI 1548

11. A 2 pounder brass cannon (Dutch) time
of Elizabeth AD 1581

12. A 3 pounder brass chamber gun time of Elizabeth

13. 7 1/2 inch brass mortar time of James I 1610
Also a variety of old shot and a wrought Iron
carcase now obsolute

14. A highly ornamented English cannon made for
Henry Prince of Wales son of James I 1608

15. A handsome 22 pounder English brass cannon
made for Charles Prince of Wales 1621

16: A brass ornamented 5 pounder cannon times
of Charles II AD 1676

17. A 5 pounder brass gun, with 3 bores, taken at
~~Cherbourg AD 1758~~ the battle of Ramilies tim[e] AD [1706]

18. A 27 pounder brass cannon much ornamented
taken at Cherbourg AD 17658

19. A brass light 24 pounder gun time of George II 1748

20 A 42 pounder fine brass cannon 15 feet long
brought from Java, AD. 1811 [FIGURE]

21. An Iron 32 pounder upon its original carriage

22. [FIGURE] A Brass 24 pounder recoverd in the year 1834
from the wreck of the Royal George. [FIGURE] by
the ingenious diving apparatus employed by Mr
C. A. Deane, having lain under water 52 years.
([FIGURE] His Majesty^'s ship Royal George while lying on
the keel at spithead on the 29^th Aug 1782 and
preparing for sea heaving on board a great numb
er of visitors, as well as a full crew, was thrown

on her side and sunk by which fatal accident
900 persons, including the brave Admiral Kempenfelt
were launched into eternity)

23. A 7 pounder brass cannon from Malta 17 feet
4 inches in length

24. A Brass gun time of Charles II remarkable
on account of its extraordinary proportions

25 and 26 Two 25 pounders fine brass cannon
taken from the walls of Vigo by Lord Cobham
AD 1704 on the breech are carved the shins
of Lions the effigy of St Barbara to whom
they were dedicated also appears

27 and 28 Two 15 pounders brass Lichornes taken
out of the Tirkish frigate made at St Petersburg
Dated 1783 and 1789

29 and 30. Two beautiful one pounder brass guns
highly ornamented mounted on carriages Presen
ted by the earl of Leicester to the young Duke
of Gloucester son of the princes (afterwards Queen Anne
who Died in his youth 1700

31 & 32. Two brass Morters taken at Cherbourg
AD 1758 each weighing 2840 lbs the iron
beds are English

33. A Brass Morter that will throw nine shells
at a time out of which the balloons were
cast at the grand display of fireworks in the
year 1748

34 to 45. Ten small cannon mounted on carriages
presented to Charles II when nine years of age
by the Brass Founders of London to assist him in
learning the art of war.

On a platform is a drum Major's Chariot, with
the Kittle Drums fixed. [FIGURE] Also a grate heating
shot with its fire irons. A remarkable Chevau-
x-de-frize. And one of the woodden guns named
policy successfully employed at the Siege of Bologne
in the year 1544, by Charles Brandon. [FIGURE]

An extraordinary engine upon a carriage intended
to throw 30 small shells at the same time from
as many mortars it is fired by a train.

You now approach the flight of steps leading
to the small Arm Armoury on the sides of which
are erected two grand trophies of war, consisting of cannon
mortars &c. Eastward of the stairs is naval the
most prominant feature of which is the actual

figure head of His Majesty^s hShip Monarch of
100 guns whose keel was laid down in 1760 on
the day that King George III ascended the
throne. [FIGURE] In the centre is part of the topmast of
the Pearl frigate singularly injured having no less
than 24 shot holes in it part of the shot are still to be
seen sticking in the mast. To the left of the
mast is the steering wheel of the victory
the ship in which the gallant Nelson received his
Death wound in the moment of triumph off
Cape Trafalgar. A huge anchor taken at Camper
down, reclines against the mast, on the massive base
are laid a number of cannon, some of them of vary
large calibre most of which were taken in the great
battles of the revolutionary war.

A large brass Morter captured on board a French ship
of war in the west Indies with a variety of shot
both old & modern date

Two beautiful small field pieces were captured
at Quebec after the action in which the brave
General Wolfe fell AD 1759. A Brass Morter
weighs upwards of 6000 lbs & was employed at the
siege of Namur AD 1695 by King Williams III.
We assended the staircase leading to the small
Arm Armoury whare we beheld a splended trophy
consisting of arms & weapons ancient and modern
aranged and grouped with much taste comprising
nearly 200 varieties nearly all differing in form
or pattern. In the centre is a half column supp
orting a bust by King Williams IV by Joseph on
it are suspended suits of armour a gilt shileld
battle axe &c the mass is placed within a recess
on a platform which is supported by eight brass
~~cannon~~ 6 ponunder guns taken at Waterloo
that serve as pillars. The walls are adorned
with large stars & other figures formed of sword
brass scabbards bayonets and pistols &c.

The Small Arm Armoury

On entering this magnificent room we saw
what was formerly called a willrderness of Arms
but now so systematically aranged that in a
few minutes we beheld arms for upwards of
150000 men all new flinted and ready for
immediate service [FIGURE] This room is 345 foo[t]
in length. Round the whole of the Room is
a cornice formed of Drums pistols & other peice
of Armour. we saw many arms of all

decriptions of various dates. Some curious
carbines taken from the Highlanders in 1715
the arms taken from Sir William Perkins
charnock and others concern~~ing~~ed in the assination
plot, in 1696. At the east end is an Immence
serpant formed of pistols, and many other figures
formed of armour. Also A machless brass
gun which was taken from Malta by the French
who landed there in 1798 and together
with the eight banners suspended in different
parts of the room wer sent by General
Bonaparte to the French Directory in "La
Sensible frigate" which ship was captured by the
British Frigate Seahorse. The ornaments upon this
gun are exquisite in workmanship as weell as desigm
And is the ownly one of the kind in the world. [FIGURE]

THE CROWN JEWEL ROOM

we visited this room which was vary small
yet it contained jewels and property to the
amount of ~~fifteen million of Dollars~~, ^25 Million pounds sterling^ ^22 Mil[lio]n pnd [pounds] sterelg [sterling]^ the follow
ing articles were named

1. The golden wine fountain 3 feet high and of the
same circumference

2 The ancient Imperial Crown which was ownly
laid aside at the crowning of George IV it is
coverd with large jewels of evry colour

3. The golden Ordb six inches in diameter edged
with pearls and girded with precious stones this orb
is placed in the kings left hand at the coronation of

4. The Queens crown is composed entirly of the Diamonds
largest size. It was made for Mary
of Modena the consort of James II. [FIGURE] Its cost is
stated at one hundred and eleven thoushand pounds

5 The Prince of Wales^'s crown is of plain gold [FIGURE]

6 The Queens orb [FIGURE]

7 The Queens Diadem is composed entirely of pearls
and diamonds

8 [FIGURE] The Ampulla or Golden Eagle from which the
sovreigns are anointed with oil at their coronation

9 The golden spoon into which the oil is poured to anoint
the king. it is of equal antiquity with the eagle

10^th 11. The golden Sacrament Dishes

([FIGURE] One of the Warders remarked that all the arms
in the Tower would make about 500,000 stand)

12. The golden chalice

13-14-15. Three swords in their embroidered scabb[ard]

16-17. Two golden Tankards

18-19 Two golden salt cellars of state

20 A golden Baptismal Font wharein the issu[e]
of the royal family are christened it is upwards
of four feet in height.

21-30. Ten golden salt cellars used at the coronation
Banquit. And six golden sceptres of our King & Queens

31. Kings septre with the cross coverd with precious stones

32. The kings septre with the Dove coverd with jewels

33. An ancient septre adorned with valuable jewels

34. The Queens septre, [FIGURE] ornamented with large diamonds

35. The Queens Ivory sceptre mounted in gold

36 The staff of St Edward the King and confessor
who reigned in the year 1041. it is made of pure
gold four feet 7 inches & a half in length and
weighs 8 lbs 9 ounces. on the top is a cross and
an ord wharein a fragment of the real cross is
said to be deposited.

37-38 The Kings golden spurs And the Queens
enamelled Bracelets.

39. Moddle of the White Tower, set with jewels

40. New Imperial Crown which was made for
the coronation of her Present Majesty.
this splended and unequalled crown is of the
Imperial form with upright and almost pointed
arches bearing a diamond mound or orb of the
finest brilliants on the top cwhereof is a cross of the
same precious materials adorned with three remark
abley large pearls. In the front of the crown is a
large Jerrusalem cross entirely frosted with brillians
and in its centre a unique sapphire two inches long and
nearly as broad of the purest and deepest azure."

Thus I have written a lengthy account of ten
pages concerning the Tower of London as there
was such a variety of things to speak about and
they being so obscure in their order that I could
not give a correct Idea of the contents of the
Tower without writing leangthy.

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abt. 1500-1536

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Day in the Life

Dec 12, 1840

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Dec 12, 1840

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