LAST CANNON

On Friday last ( June .2.2006) ,and depending upon the arrangement of an official unveiling , the final or penultimate chapter in the story of Whitehaven's cannons was written when the last cannon to be restored was delivered to it's  town location. Rivalling Long Tom of the South Shore in size , it now stands  outside a prominent local building which itself has had military connections in the past. This story is one which , depending upon your point of view goes back either centuries, or decades,  for although cannons defended our port  during the Civil War of 1642  their reclamation and restoration only dates back to the 1960's when , during the course of demolition in old Marlborough Street ,a cannon was discovered attached to the corner of  a former grocers shop where it had been protecting the corner from passing horse drawn wheeled vehicles.

 

 

 

 

Mr Mossop, the contractor , offered the cannon to the Sea

    Cadets Corps and it was duly tidied up and mounted

on a simple concrete plinth  at the entrance to the quay.

 

 

 

                          

Thus began the long , but satisfying , story of retrieval and restoration of the  various cannons which dotted the harbourside acting as bollards. That story saw it's completion last Friday and we now have yet another piece of our military heritage  on view in town.

 

Much of the credit for the retrieval of these pieces of ordnance is due to the untiring efforts of David Allan  a former Whitehaven Harbour Master and active member of the Whitehaven Heritage Action Group.  John  Mossop ,a local blacksmith , who has already transformed several of the retrieved cannons  has once again completed a wonderful job of restoration which will become more evident when you see the state of the cannon when it was lifted from its ignominious grave on the harbour. Thanks to the co operation of both men I have been kept  abreast of developments and managed to record the whole affair. The story of the renaissance of "Big Bertha  " as Mr Allan has nicknamed her, began in September of 2000 when the the work to raise  the cannon which had lain there for well over 100 years was begun. By that time it was hardly recognisable for only a fraction of still protruded from the ground and very few people would have known that this was the "button" of the breech of a cannon .

 

 

       

 

 

                               For the contractors developing the Strand area at the time,  the easiest way to proceed was

to simply  cut off the obstruction   and it was only the determined and persuasive efforts of    David Allan that

 saved the day. They agreed to have a go!!!    Little did they realise what lay ahead!!!

 

When they dug down they discovered that the old cannon was dangerously close to a live  11000 volt  electric cable which, as you can imagine , brought proceedings to an immediate halt. It looked like the operation would be called off . Who could blame them!!!!!!!

 

 

 

It was only the  persuasivE  NATURE

OF MR ALLAN THAT SAVED THE DAY. THE

CANNON WAS LIFTED AND MOVED TO

JOHN MOSSOP,S YARD.

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