Artillery in Canada (9) Nova Scotia: Fort George, the Citadel

Artillery in Fort George, the Halifax Citadel

The aim of this website is to locate, identify and document every historical piece of artillery preserved in Canada.  Many contributors have assisted in the hunt for these guns to provide and update the data found on these web pages.  Photos are by the author unless otherwise credited.  Any errors found here are by the author, and any additions, corrections or amendments to this list of Guns and Artillery in Canada would be most welcome and may be e-mailed to the author at hskaarup@rogers.com.

For all official data concerning the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, please click on the link to their website:

Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery Website

Note: Back in the day, artillery in Canada was referred to by its radio call sign "Sheldrake".  It is now referred to by its "Golf" call sign.  (Acorn sends)

The web page for Nova Scotia has become too big for all the guns to be listed on one page, therefore the guns on display within the Army Museum inside the Halifax Citadel are listed on a separate page.

The guns preserved at Annapolis Royal including Fort Anne, the City of Halifax including York Redoubt, the Fort George Citadel, the Maritime Command Museum and Royal Artillery Park etc., are also listed on separate pages for Nova Scotia.

Fort George, the Halifax Citadel

(Author Photo)

Posting the guard at sun up.

Sign at the entrance to the Halifax Citadel National Parks site.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No.  3305614)

Early 1900s views of Halifax Citadel.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3548205)

Early 1900s view from the Halifax Citadel.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3305621)

Early 1900s view from the Halifax Citadel.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3305618)

Early 1900s view from the Halifax Citadel, with a cast iron 32-pounder smoothbore muzzleloading guns in service as gate bollards.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3350295)

Early 1900s view from the Halifax Citadel with 12-pounder smoothbore muzzleloading guns facing the water.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3519557)

Halifax Citadel, with Cast Iron (possibly 10-inch 18-cwt) Smoothbore Muzzleloading Land Service Mortar, 1926.

(Author Photo)

Two Gunners raising the flags at the Halifax Citadel early on Saturday morning.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3348971)

Halifax Citadel, aerial view, 1926.

(McCully Aerial Collection Photo)

Halifax Citadel and Harbour, by Harold Reid, 29 Aug 1931.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 172326)

The first aerial photograph shot in Canada was taken over the Halifax Citadel in 1883, when Captain Henry Elsdale of the Royal Engineers attached a camera to a small balloon and sent it upwards.  The camera was fitted with a time-sensitive automatic shutter release which enabled it to work at various heights.  One of the vertical photographs taken that day shows the Citadel from about 1450 feet.

Location diagram for the artillery inside the Halifax Citadel.

The formidable defences of Fort George and the Halifax Citadel include a considerable number of large calibre guns of various eras.  The 16 guns and two Mortars currently mounted on the ramparts of the Citadel are numbered here from one to 17 with number one located to the left of the signal mast/flag pole shown above where the two gunners are standing, on the ramparts of the Citadel.

Guns on the ramparts, numbered counterclockwise from right to left, beginning with gun No. 1, sited North of the flagpole:

Left and Right Trunnions.

(Author Photos)

No. 1.  Cast Iron 10-inch, 18-ton Mk. III Muzzleloading Rifle with Millar-pattern breeching ring, weight corroded (>18,000 lbs), (RGF No. corroded, 1869) on left trunnion, blank on right trunnion, Queen Victoria cypher.  This gun is being re-mounted, after previously resting on wood blocks on the ramparts facing North, to the left of the signal mast.

Left and Right trunnions.

King George III cypher.

Weight 33-3-24 (3,814 lbs).  (Author Photos)

No. 2.  Blomefield Cast Iron 12-pounder Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun, weight 33-3-24 (3,814 lbs) under the cascabel,  (1808) on the left trunnion, (12P) on the right trunnion, King George III cypher.  This gun is a CARRON replica, mounted on an iron garrison carriage, weight 16-1-10 (1,830 lbs).  This particular 12-pounder has gun often served as the noon day gun, which has been a feature of Halifax city life since it was first garrisoned by the British Army in 1749.  The Halifax gun was fired from the ramparts of the third Citadel.  The present Citadel was declared complete in 1856 and it was from this year that tradition holds the signal came from the Garrison artillery.

Iron garrison carriage weight 16-1-10 (1,830 lbs) for the noon day gun.

Left and Right trunnions.

Queen Victoria cypher.

Weight 7-2-1-24 (15,960 lbs).

(Author Photos)

No. 3.  Cast Iron 7-inch, 7-ton Mk. I Muzzleloading Rifle, weight 7-2-1-24 (15,960 lbs), (RGF No. 15, 1866) on the left trunnion, blank on the right trunnion, Queen Victoria cypher, mounted on an iron wheeled traversing carriage.  A bronze plaque mounted on the carriage notes this gun was "Restored by Canadian Parks Service, 1991".

Left and Right trunnions.

Queen Victoria cypher.

FIRTHS STEEL, 21 on the muzzle.

Weight 7-2-1-4 (15,936 lbs).

(Author Photos)

No. 4. Cast Iron 7-inch, 7-ton Mk. I Muzzleloading Rifle, weight 7-2-1-4 (15,936 lbs), (RGF No. 35, 1866) on the left trunnion, blank on the right trunnion, Queen Victoria cypher.  Firth Steel 21 on the face of the muzzle, mounted on an iron wheeled traversing carriage.  A bronze plaque mounted on the carriage notes this gun was "Restored by Canadian Parks Service, 1990".

Left and Right trunnions.

(Author Photos)

No. 5. Cast Iron 7-inch, 7-ton Mk. I Muzzleloading Rifle, weight corroded (>15,000 lbs), left trunnion corroded, (+) on right trunnion, Queen Victoria cypher.  This gun is unmounted, resting on wood blocks.

Left and Right trunnions.

(Author Photos)

No. 6.  Cast Iron 68-pounder 95-cwt Smoothbore Gun with Millar pattern breeching ring, weight 95-1-0 (10,668 lbs), (1858) on the left trunnion, (+) on the right trunnion, Queen Victoria cypher, mounted on a long wood traversing carriage.

Left and Right trunnions.  

(Author Photos)

No. 7. Cast Iron 32-pounder 56-cwt Muzzleloading Rifle with Millar-pattern breeching ring, weight corroded (>10.000 lbs), left trunnion corroded, (+) on the right trunnion, Queen Victoria cypher, mounted on a long wood traversing carriage.

Left and Right trunnions.  

(Author Photos)

No. 8. Cast Iron 7-inch, 7-ton Mk. I Muzzleloading Rifle, weight corroded (>15,000 lbs), left trunnion corroded, (+) on right trunnion, Queen Victoria cypher.  This gun is unmounted and is resting on wood blocks.

Left and Right trunnions.

(Author Photos)

No. 9. Cast Iron 7-inch, 7-ton Mk. I Muzzleloading Rifle, weight corroded (>15,000 lbs), left trunnion corroded, (+) on right trunnion, Queen Victoria cypher.  This gun is unmounted, resting on wood blocks.


Left and Right trunnions.

Weight 56-3-3 (6,359 lbs).  (Author Photos)

No. 10.  Blomefield Cast Iron 32-pounder 56-cwt Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun, weight 56-3-3 (6,359 lbs) under the cascabel, (71851, 1807) on the left trunnion, (32P) on the right trunnion, King George III cypher.  This gun is a CARRON replica mounted on a long wood traversing carriage.  (At least five of these guns have the same serial number and weight markings).

The Blomefield Cast Iron 32-pounder 56-cwt Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun has a length of 9 feet 6 inches.  It is the most common 32-pounder in Canada and can be recognized by a reinforcing ring that is slightly raised followed by a definite "step-down" in the barrel just forward of the trunnions heading to the muzzle.

The normal crew for a 32-pounder was 14 men and their roles were:

No. 1, Gun Captain, at the rear and facing the port.

No. 2, Second Captain, assisting and being ready to take over if needed.

No. 3, Loader, on the left side.

No. 4, Sponger, on the right side.

No. 5, Assistant Loader, left side.

No. 6, Assistant Sponger, right side.

These six men were called the “Gun Numbers” and the numbers above them were called the auxiliaries, Nos. 7, 9, 11 and 13 on the left and Nos. 8, 10, 12 and 14 on the right.  Numbers 9 and 10 were the handspike men and Nos. 11, 12, 13 and 14 hauled on the side tackles to assist them.

King George III cypher.

(Author Photos)

No. 11.  Blomefield Cast Iron 32-pounder 56-cwt Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun, weight stamped upside down on the gun, weight 56-3-0 (6,356 lbs), under the cascabel, (71851, 1807) on the left trunnion, (32P) on the right trunnion, King George III cypher.  This gun is a CARRON replica, and is unmounted, resting on wood blocks.

Left and Right trunnions.

(Author Photos)

No. 12.  Blomefield Cast Iron 32-pounder 56-cwt Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun, weight 56-3-3 (6,359 lbs) under the cascabel, trunnions corroded, King George III cypher.  This gun is a CARRON replica and is mounted on a long wood traversing carriage.  (At least five of these guns have the same serial number and weight etc.)

Left and Right trunnions.

(Author Photos)

No. 13.  Blomefield Cast Iron 32-pounder 56-cwt Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun, weight 56-3-3 (6,359 lbs) under the cascabel, (71851, 1807) on the left trunnion, (32P) on the right trunnion, King George III cypher.  This gun is a CARRON replica and is mounted on a long wood traversing carriage.  (At least five of these guns have the same serial number and weight etc.)

Left and Right trunnions.

(Author Photos)

No. 14.  Blomefield Cast Iron 32-pounder 56-cwt Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun, weight 56-3-3 (6,359 lbs) under the cascabel, (1807) on the left trunnion, (32P) on the right trunnion, King George III cypher.  This gun is a CARRON replica, and is mounted on a long wood traversing carriage.  (At least five of these guns have the same serial number and weight etc.).

Right trunnion.

(Author Photos)

No. 15.  Cast Iron 10-inch 18-cwt Smoothbore Muzzleloading Land Service Mortar, weight 18-1-1 (2,045 lbs), 1856, (WC) on left trunnion, (62) on the right trunnion.

Left and Right trunnions.

No. 16.  Cast Iron 32-pounder 56-cwt Muzzleloading Rifle with Millar-pattern breeching ring, weight corroded (>6,000 lbs), left and right trunnions corroded, Queen Victoria cypher.  This gun is unmounted, resting on wood blocks.

Left trunnion.

Right trunnion.

Weight 35-2-7 (3,983 lbs).  (Author Photos)

No. 17. Cast Iron 13-inch 36-cwt Land Service Smoothbore Muzzleloading Mortar, weight 35-2-7 (3,983 lbs), (1470) on the left trunnion, (Low Moor), Low Moor Ironworks of Bradford, England on the right trunnion.  This mortar stands to the right of the signal mast.

Artillery on display in the Citadel Parade Square.

The gun collection mounted on wood blocks on the Citadel courtyard has varied from year to year.  This photo was taken by the author ca. Dec 1973.

(Author Photos)

There are nine guns resting in a row on wood blocks in the courtyard.  They are numbered from the rear, right to left, Nos. 1 to 9.

(Author Photos)

Courtyard No. 1. Cast Iron 32-pounder 56-cwt Muzzleloading Rifle with Millar-pattern breeching ring, weight possibly 93-1-0 (10,444 lbs), left and right trunnions corroded, Queen Victoria cypher, unmounted.

(Author Photos)

Courtyard No. 2. Cast Iron 32-pounder 56-cwt Muzzleloading Rifle with Millar-pattern breeching ring, weight corroded (>6,000 lbs), left and right trunnions corroded, possibly (WCo), Queen Victoria cypher.  This gun is unmounted, resting on wood blocks.

(Author Photos)

Courtyard No. 3. Armstrong 20-pounder 16-cwt Rifled Breech-loading Gun, weight 16-1-10 (1,802 lbs), (RGF 1867), on the left trunnion. (+) on the right trunnion, Queen Victoria cypher, unmounted.

Twelve Armstrong 20-pounder 16-cwt Rifled Breech-loading Guns, were allocated to the defence of Halifax by the British War Office in January 1873.  These guns were likely intended only to be stored in the Halifax Citadel until an attack on Halifax seemed imminent.

Left and Right trunnions.

King George III cypher.

(Author Photos)

Courtyard No. 4.  Blomefield Cast Iron 12-pounder Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun, weight 33---25 (>3,727 lbs), (corroded No. CARRON 1819) on left trunnion, (corroded 12P) on right trunnion, King George III cypher, unmounted.

Left and Right trunnions.  

(Author Photos)

No. 5.  Cast Iron 12-pounder Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun, no weight visible (>3,000 lbs), (C) on the right trunnion, (16) on the left trunnion, King George III cypher, unmounted replica gun.

In the seventeenth century, Conster furnace at Beckley in Sussex, England, was owned by the Farndon family.  In the 1690s William Benge leased it to cast shells for Ireland.  Samuel Gott, Farndon's great-grandson, ran the furnace in conjunction with Gloucester furnace in the early eighteenth century.  By the 1740s it was included within the Harrison partnership.  It went out of use in the 1760-70s.  Although Conster furnace was capable of casting large guns, it was often used for the smaller and medium calibres: ½ up to 12 pounders for the government and merchant service.  The C is found on the right hand trunnion.  This is a rarer mark than those we have looked at earlier and is usually found on smaller calibre guns. Sometimes it can be hard to tell the difference between a damaged G or C.  (Ruth Rhynas Brown)

(Author Photo)

No. 6.  Cast Iron 12-pounder Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun, no weight visible (>3,000 lbs), (C) on left trunnion, (16) on right trunnion, King George III cypher, unmounted replica gun.

Left and Right trunnions.  

(Author Photos)

No. 7.  Cast Iron 12-pounder Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun, weight 16-3-26 (1,902 lbs), (SOLID) on left trunnion, (B) on right trunnion, very corroded, unmounted.  The ‘B’ stands for Bersham, near Wrexham in north Wales, showing that this gun was cast by John Wilkinson at his foundry there. The legend ‘SOLID’ on the trunnion shows that this is a gun bored out of the solid, therefore at the time, both up-to-date and expensive.  In fact this gun is a ‘B-SOLID’ product of Bersham.  These guns are based on what became known as the ‘Armstrong pattern’ which was introduced into British military service in 1729 and was current up until 1787.   The gun can be dated to ca. 1773 (when the ‘B-SOLID’ trunnion mark makes its first appearance) to 1796.  The last known reference to Wilkinson supplying guns dates to 1796, when the final guns definitely marked with ‘B-SOLID’ were proofed on 9 -10 May for Wiggins and Graham.  These were not guns for government service, as they have no royal badge or any other markings on the barrel, and also they are shorter than the normal government pattern Cast Iron 6-pounder. SBML Gun.  Information from the Ordnance Bill Books for the period 1773 - 1796 indicates that standard lengths for government service were 6, 6½ and 7ft, although a few were made in non-standard sizes of 4½ and 8½ft.  Guns of this type were cast by gunfounders for the civilian market, usually for smaller merchant ships, coastal communities or landowners who wanted some defence but also wanted something lighter and cheaper than a normal gun.  (Dr Brian G. Scott)

(Author Photos)

Courtyard No. 8.  Cast Iron 12-pounder Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun, no weight visible (>3,000 lbs), (C) on left trunnion, (16) on right trunnion, King George III cypher, unmounted replica gun.

Courtyard No. 9.  Cast Iron 12-pounder Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun, no weight visible (>3,000 lbs), (C) on left trunnion, (16) on right trunnion, King George III cypher, unmounted replica gun.

(Author Photo)

Courtyard guns.

Left and Right trunnions.

(Author Photos)

Blomefield Cast Iron 24-pounder 50-cwt Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun, weight 50-0-12 (5,612 lbs) on the barrel, (1805), on left trunnion, (24P) on the right trunnion, replica gun mounted on an iron garrison carriage, in the courtyard.

(Author Photo)

Gun Gin in the courtyard.

King George III cypher.

(Author Photos)

Blomefield Cast Iron 12-pounder 34-cwt Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun, weight 34-1-1 (3,837 lbs) below the cascabel,  (WCo), Samuel Walker & Company of Rotherham, England on left trunnion, right trunnion corroded, replica gun mounted on an iron garrison carriage, on the parade ground.

Queen Victoria cypher.  

(Author Photos)

Cast Iron 7-inch, 7-ton Mk. I Muzzleloading Rifle, weight corroded (>15,000 lbs), left trunnion corroded, (+) on right trunnion, Queen Victoria cypher.  This gun is unmounted, resting on wood blocks near the gun gin in the courtyard.

(Author Photos)

Cast Iron 32-pounder 17-cwt Smoothbore Muzzleloading Carronade with a Blomefield pattern breeching ring, weight 17-1-11 (1,943 lbs), mounted on a wood naval gun carriage near the gun gin in the courtyard.

(Author Photo)

Cast Iron 12-pounder Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun, replica gun, mounted on a wood naval gun carriage.  No. 1 of 2.

Cast Iron 12-pounder Smoothbore Muzzleloading Gun, replica gun, mounted on a wood naval gun carriage.  No. 2 of 2.

(Author Photos)

Armstrong 6-pounder 3-cwt Rifled Breech-loading Gun.  There should be one of six listed in the "Returns for Halifax" in 1879 (not shown here).  Sessional Papers (No. 5), A. 1879, Appendix No. 8.  The Return shows the Number of Guns in possession of the Militia and in Dominion Stores at the various places enumerated, exclusive, however, of Guns mounted upon the Fortifications at Halifax, the Reserves maintained by the Imperial Government at that Station and at Esquimalt, and Guns owned by the Hudson Bay Company and by private individuals.  Thomas Wily, Director of Stores and Keeper of Militia Properties, and Colonel W. Powell, Adjutant-General of Militia, Ottawa, 27 Dec 1878, p. 276-281.

Halifax Citadel, 1957.  (Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4317773)

Information placards facing the city.

Sign at the rear entrance from the parking lot at the Citadel.

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