Roaring Meg on display at Goodrich Castle
Roaring Meg was the name of several powerful cannons used in the 17th century. It is not to be confused with Mons Meg, a medieval cannon preserved at Edinburgh Castle.
English Civil War[]
Created by Colonel Birch for the Siege of Goodrich Castle[]
Plaque on Roaring Meg at Goodrich Castle
Roaring Meg was a mortar cast in 1646 for the siege of Goodrich Castle.[1] With a 15.5 inch barrel diameter and firing a 2cwt hollow ball filled with gunpowder, Roaring Meg was the largest mortar of the war. She was instrumental in the capture of Goodrich Castle in 1646 by Sir Thomas Fairfax.[2] During the siege the Roundhead commander, Colonel Birch, was so excited with his new weapon he personally fired the last 19 balls.[2] Roaring Meg is preserved by Herefordshire Council and has been on display at Goodrich Castle since 2004.[3]
A cannon in the Earl of Northampton's Regiment[]
Roaring Meg was also the name of a cannon used earlier in the war by the Cavalier Earl of Northampton's Regiment.[4]
Cannon on the Walls of Derry
Later cannon[]
Roaring Meg was also the name of a cannon used during the Siege of Derry in 1689.[5] This one is preserved on Derry's city walls but is currently undergoing restoration.
In popular culture[]
A rock band and a retail park in Stevenage have been named after the famous cannon.[6]
A Blonde Beer brewed by the Springhead brewery in Sutton on Trent takes its name from the cannon.[6]
References[]
External links[]
- http://www.northamptons.org.uk/arty.html
- http://nds.coi.gov.uk/Content/Detail.asp?ReleaseID=102312&NewsAreaID=2
- http://www.hereford.gov.uk/html/roaring_meg.html
- http://www.derrycity.gov.uk/Press%20Releases/060904-roaring.htm
- http://www.mainmast-conservation.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6&Itemid=7
The original article can be found at Roaring Meg (cannon) and the edit history here.