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Carron: Scotland's Forge |
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The major early products at Carron were horse-drawn ploughs and cannonballs, but at first profitability proved somewhat elusive and when Carron moved into the production of artillery success again eluded them at first. Cannons supplied to the Royal Navy by Carron were regarded as liable to misfire and eventually the Navy issued instructions that no further cannons were to be bought from Carron. However this incident, although it seemed to deliver a mortal blow to the company, actually resulted in a change that was to lead to massive expansion for Carron.
The Carron company had only recently been taken over by Charles Gascoigne, an Englishman who was son-in-law to Samuel Garbet. Gascoigne instituted a review of the cannon produced at Falkirk, and soon commissioned a new piece which was to make Carron a worldwide name. Originally intended to be called the Gascoignade, the Carronade was a short cannon with a high calibre, firing a large ball slowly – ideal for naval vessels as it ripped large gashes in the wood of ships’ hulls – and quickly proved a hit with the Royal Navy. The fame created by this weapon led to such a reversal of fortunes that, during the Peninsular campaign, the Duke of Wellington insisted that his armies were only equipped with their cannon.
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