Rotherham Cannon Heritage Society

            An amazing piece of almost forgotten history.

We will soon be opening  the Society for membership,which is open to anybody for a reasonable fee,that is yet to be decided 

From the Battle of Trafalgar to the bridges of London, and from St Paul's Cathedral to the Great Eastern steam ship, the influence of Rotherham's great industries has been felt far beyond the boundaries of Yorkshire. The great furnaces and mills made the cannon that armed Nelson's HMS Victory at Trafalgar.

All 28 of the 32 pounders on the victory were Rotherham cannons,28 out of  30  18 pounders, and 23,  of the 36, 12 pounders.

From Anthony munfords book on Rotherhams industrial past. 

A trunnion with WC o standing for Walker and company.

All cannons made in Rotherham have this on the left trunnion.

Photo credits drewatts auctioneers

A twenty four pounder Walker cannon from the foudroyant,weighing 3.5 Tons.

The foudroyant was  built  in 1798,at Portsmouth.Soon after it became Nelsons flagship.

After its retirement the ship finally ended up as a museum and training ship around 1890,finally being wrecked off Blackpool  beach in June 1897.This cannon was recovered from the wreck.

The foudroyant in its wrecked state off Blackpool beach in 1897.The ships fate, was to be broken up and turned into souvenirs.

Below a  Walker cannon outside Rotherham town hall,recovered  from a scrapyard in kent it was very likely at the battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

This was arranged by don scott  now retired,who worked for the Rotherham museum service.

We are Slowly  putting together the picture of Rotherhams involvement in cannon making,still needing a massive amount of research and effort.

The family responsible for  cannon manufacture, the Walkers have a legacy spread all over Rotherham. The Walkers became rich,and powerfull through cannon making,building many large houses in Rotherham, place names, street names, and other significant landmarks,are scattered around the town.

Below is a wall made up of failed cannon castings,at a former  Walker house driveway.These castings were a deck mounted cannon called a  carronade,still not 100% sure.still needs researching.Much smaller than the main cannons,probably firing grape shot.

Update It now looks unlikely that these are cannons. June 2010.

Picture courtesy Don Scott

Below Don Scott, down in kent lowering the  9 pounder  Walker cannon,on to a truck, for transport back  to Rotherham.

Don was  also responsible for restoring the cannon, and  having the cannon carriage made on which it now sits outside the Town Hall.

I'am indebted to Don for the picture below, and his article that was originally printed in a pamphlet on the Walker cannons.

Click here for don scotts article on the walker cannons