Instructions for the exercise of the great guns on board H.M.S. Tonnant, 1817-1821 (approximate): Finding Aid

History of H.M.S. Tonnant

H.M.S. Tonnant was a third rate ship-of-the-line of the Royal Navy and was originally the lead ship of her class of 80 gun French warships. Laid down in November 1787 in Toulon, she was launched on October 12, 1789 as Le Tonnant. Le Tonnant was captured by the British on August 3, 1798 at Aboukir Bay during the Battle of the Nile and was subsequently commissioned into the Royal Navy in January 1799 under the command of Captain Loftus Bland. The following month, she was under the command of Captain Robert Fitzgerald.

Arriving at Plymouth in July 1799, Tonnant was placed in ordinary. After several years of repairs, she was recommissioned in March 1803 under the command of Captain Sir Edward Pellew for duty against her former home county during the Napoleonic Wars, including action at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Following a refit at Portsmouth, she recommissioned in May 1806 to serve as the flagship of Rear Admiral Eliab Harvey. The next year, she would serve as the flagship of Rear Admiral Michael de Courcy.

Recommissioned in January 1814 for duty against the United States during the later stages of the War of 1812, Tonnant, under the command of Captain Charles Kerr, served as the flagship of Vice Admiral Alexander Cochrane in the Chesapeake Bay. While stationed off Baltimore, Tonnant became notable as the ship that Francis Scott Key was aboard prior to his witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry.

After the War of 1812, Tonnant served as flagship of Rear Admiral Sir Benjamin Hallowell on the Cork Station. She was placed in ordinary in November 1818 and broken up at Plymouth in March 1821.

Description of Contents

Instructions for the exercise of the great guns on board H.M.S. Tonnant, comprising a single volume of 18 leaves of text, were likely written between 1817 and 1821. The volume consists of step by step instructions for the preparation and firing of the cannons aboard the British ship-of-the-line H.M.S. Tonnant.

The Instructions for the exercise of the great guns are first divided into sections for the Main Deck and the Lower Deck. Each section then features a list of the pieces of equipment, and their location, necessary for the keeping and firing of the guns. The section devoted to the Main Deck is further subdivided into steps entitled "Clear for Action," "Prick and Prime," "Point," "Make ready and Fire," "Stop the vent, Sponge, and Load," and "Run out the Gun." The section for the Lower Deck is subdivided into steps entitled "Clear for Action," "Cast loose and Level," "Run out the Gun," "Prick and Prime," "Point," "Make ready and Fire," "Stop the Vent, Sponge, and Load." Each step features a detailed drawing of the cannon, the duties for each member of the gun crew, and notes on how the procedures aboard H.M.S. Tonnant differ from the standard Admiralty gunnery instructions. The final page of the volume consists of instructions for when crews are ordered to man both sides of the ship.

Inside the volume, prior to the title page, is a copy of a letter dated December 4, 1930 from Naval Academy librarian Louis H. Bolander to Superintendent Samuel S. Robison establishing the approximate date of the volume.

Arrangement

The Instructions for the exercise of the great guns on board H.M.S. Tonnant comprise a single volume.

Access and Use

Access

Access is unrestricted.

Copyright and Permission

The Instructions for the exercise of the great guns on board H.M.S. Tonnant are the physical property of Nimitz Library. Copyright belongs to the authors or creators of the works, or their legal representatives. For further information, consult the Head, Special Collections & Archives.

It is the responsibility of the researcher to secure written permission to publish, reprint, or reproduce material from Special Collections & Archives. The researcher assumes responsibility for infringement of copyright or literary or publication rights. Please contact the Head, Special Collections & Archives for permission to publish and for further information.

Acquisition and Appraisal

Provenance and Acquisition

Acquired in March 1879. Accession No. 20987.

Related Materials

Related Archival Material

Additional material in this repository pertaining to British Admiralty gunnery instructions can be found in An Abstract of the Great Gun Exercise, MS 169.

Materials Cataloged Separately

No materials have been removed from this collection and cataloged separately.

Processing and Other Information

The Instructions for the exercise of the great guns on board H.M.S. Tonnant were originally cataloged under the VA458.T66A66.

Preferred Citation

Instructions for the exercise of the great guns on board H.M.S. Tonnant, MS 28

Special Collections & Archives Department

Nimitz Library

United States Naval Academy

Selected Bibliography

The following sources were consulted during preparation of the biographical note:

Winfield, Rif. British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793-1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Seaforth Publishing, 2008.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by David D'Onofrio in March 2021. Finding aid written by David D'Onofrio in March 2021.

Subject Headings

Name and Subject Terms

• Gunnery
• Naval gunnery
• Ordnance, Naval -- Great Britain
• Tonnant (Ship-of-the-line)

Genre Terms

• Handbooks
• Manuscripts