Author Topic: Strange cannon in museum, can anyone decipher the marks?  (Read 524 times)

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Offline Victor3

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Re: Strange cannon in museum, can anyone deciper the marks?
« Reply #1 on: May 14, 2008, 03:46:57 AM »
"Sargento Mayor Joanes CU DE ROYARN FDO"

(Disclaimer - Below is only what I have learned from various Hispanic friends, so take it with a grain of salt as I don't know if it's 100% correct)

 Full Hispanic names are sometimes very descriptive, to include maiden names of Mothers, Grandmothers and first names of Fathers and Grandfathers.

 Also, long names like "Fernando" or "Francisco" are often abbreviated as FDO or FCO respectively. "CU" and "FDO" may have been shortened in order to fit into the available (and cramped) space.

 "De" in Spanish translates to either "of" or "from." In the case of family names, it indicates something to the effect of "I am of xxx lineage."

 In other words here, "De Royarn FDO" may indicate that the man in question was the Son of Royan Fernando, the "CU" being an abbreviation of the surname of Father and Son.

 However, I may just be full of "mierda" on this one...
"It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly, one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."

Sherlock Holmes

Offline cannonmn

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Re: Strange cannon in museum, can anyone decipher the marks?
« Reply #2 on: May 15, 2008, 05:50:41 AM »
Thanks.  I posted it on another board this AM and they seem to be coming up with some info now, such as tying the Coat of Arms on it to Guadalajara (sp?), Mexico:

http://www.napoleon-series.org/cgi-bin/forum/webbbs_config.pl?read=90434