Artilleryman
Lilburne's have a very active artillery company who add to the spectacle and sound of Sealed Knot battles. Our three cannons ensure that we play a key part in the artillery of the Parliament Army.
Artillerymen (male or female) work in small groups under the direct command of a gun captain, who in turn works under the Artillery Officer. At one time the artillery were fairly static, keeping to the edges of the battlefield, but in recent times we have been deploying the guns in a highly mobile way. This is more authentic, and provides both a better spectacle for the audience and more involvement for the cannon crews.
All cannon crew handling black powder must have a black powder licence (this is currently under review) and gun captains or keepers of cannons must have a shotgun certificate. The main roles carried out by cannon crew are as follows:
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Gun Captain - has responsibility for commanding the crew, ensuring correct placement and safety distance before firing cannon. Searcher - uses a 'worm' to check that there is no debris in the barrel. Mopper - uses a 'wet mop', followed by a dry one, to dampen any sparks remaining in the barrel and then leave it dry. Powder Monkey - guards the powder box and hands out charges as required to the person loading the cannon. Rammer - tamps down the charge, then rams wadding into the barrel. Pricker/primer - primes the touch hole and keeps it covered until ready to give fire. On the field, jobs are usually shared between three or four people. |