Cannon from Powderham Castle, Exeter, England

[cannonmn]

Items from the castle were sold off to pay routine expenses.  In the auction catalog page on a table in the sale, you can see a bronze cannon under the table.  The cannon was not included among the items sold.  This is one of four in existance that I know of.  I have a pair, and another US collector has one.  They are dated 1775 and were cast by Thomas English & Co. of London.  They are two-pounders, tubes are about 4 feet long, and they have naturalistic dolphins.  I'll see if I can find a better photo of one or more.  Mine are not in a photogenic location at the moment.  You can enlarge the photo here by using the controls provided on the page.

http://www.sothebys.com/app/live/lot/LotDetail.jsp?lot_id=159545185

[RocklockI]

"sold to pay off routine expensies  !

Sounds like a suicide pact .

[cannonmn]

I think it is great that they are keeping the castle in the family.  Most of the castles and great old mansions in England have to be turned over to the National Trust, and the family has to git.  The death taxes are horrific there, and if you don't have a vault filled with gold when the owner dies, the taxes on the property are too much for most to pay, so the government gives them credit for turning over the property to the National Trust.  Of the two castles involved in this sale, Powderham stayed in the family, but the other one went to the Trust.

Here's an article that tells a bit about the situation with the two places:

http://elogedelart.canalblog.com/archives/2009/08/26/14851344.html

[RocklockI]

Yea , But what will they 'sell off' next ?

Selling your assets to pay ' routine exspenses' seems to me like a submarine with no roof ......?

Or a B17 on one engine coming back to England after getting whacked over Germany .

The outcome is not in doubt for the airplane , but if you can delay it long enough ,maybe you can get rescued by frendlies .   

Gary

[cannonmn]

Here's a picture of Sir William Courtenay's sloop-rigged yacht NEPTUNE, clearly showing many gunports.  My guns are numbered "VI" and "XII" so there were at least 12 of them, probably used as armament for the big yachts.  If I were a pirate I think I'd notice the gunports and guns and go bother some other ship.

The large painting of which this is a section was sold in the auction.  If I had known about the auction in advance it woudn't have done me any good, the painting sold for 91,250 pounds sterling.



Here's the actual auction catalog page showing the entire painting and describing it.

http://www.sothebys.com/app/live/lot/LotDetail.jsp?lot_id=159549615

Here are some interesting details about the painting from the auction catalog:

The ship depicted is believed to be the Neptune, the predecessor of the Dolphin, both of which were the Courtenay family's private yachts. On board Sir William can be seen presenting himself to the captain, having just come on board, whilst the crew fire a one gun salute in honour of the ship's owner.

Such vessels were obviously highly prized possessions in the early eighteenth century, as is evident from the present painting. The Courtenay's yacht was a particularly sumptuous and elegant example