Photographs of
Chester Legion Cannons
pre-1761
Cast iron
Chester Lunenburg County Nova Scotia
Located at the intersection of Union Street and Duke Street
GPS location: 44°32’23″N 64°14’21″W
Photographed on 4 November 2002
Detail of south cannon
Manufactured for George II Rex
(King George II reigned 1727-1760. These cannons were cast in 1760 or earlier.)
Photographed on 4 November 2002
Detail of south cannon
Photographed on 4 November 2002
Photographed on 17 May 2003
The south cannon weighs 1734 kg.
The foundry marked this cannon’s weight as 34 – 0 – 15,
meaning 34 hundredweight plus zero quarters plus 15 pounds.
Onehundredweightequalled112pounds,andonequarterweight
equalled 28 pounds. Thus this cannon weighs 3823 pounds.
One kilogram equals 2.205 pounds.
This cannon’s weight works out to 1734 kilograms
(at the time of manufacture, not much changed now).
North cannon
Photographed on 17 May 2003
North cannon detail
Photographed on 17 May 2003
Photographed on 17 May 2003
The north cannon weighs 1686 kg.
The foundry marked this cannon’s weight as 33 – 0 – 21,
meaning33hundredweightpluszeroquartersplus21pounds.
Thus this cannon’s weight is 3717 pounds, or 1686 kilograms
(at the time of manufacture, not much changed now).
Photographed on 25 August 2003
Photographed on 25 August 2003
1750 CHESTER DEFENCES 1750
THESE 24 POUNDER GUNS WERE PART OF THE
BATTERY SET UP TO DEFEND CHESTER
FROM PRIVATEER RAIDS.
CAST DURING THE REIGN OF GEORGE II
THEY EACH WEIGH 3800 LBS.
PLACED IN THEIR PRESENT POSITION
AS A LEGION CENTENNIAL PROJECT
AUGUST 20, 1967
THIS PLAQUE DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF
A. GEORGE AWALT M.M.
Other Old Cannons in Nova Scotia
What’s the big deal about cannons?
Nowadays, cannon and other forms of artillery from the 1700s and 1800s are nothing more than quaint noise-makers. We see them only in the movies and onTV, or at occasional demonstrations at historic sites. Intheir day, cannons were the most powerful, far-reaching and fearsome weaponsavailable…
