Story of Admiral Duncan’s prized guns revealed

HISTORY: New research sheds light on bronze cannon which were cherished by the Dundee-born naval hero of the Battle of Camperdown

The Unicorn Preservation Society is marking the 222nd anniversary of the Battle of Camperdown by offering new insight into bronze cannon that may have been used by Dundee naval hero Admiral Adam Duncan in the clash.

The research was carried out by Juan Manuel Martinez Jordan, a Spanish Masters in underwater archaeology student.

His investigation has shown the four cannon could date as far back as the 17th Century, with one pair cast in Venice and the other in Barcelona.

From their respective homes they were transported to Amsterdam, possibly even as far as Cuba, before coming into the possession of Admiral Duncan in the 18th Century.

The decorative cannon were cherished by the naval commander and may have gone with him on the HMS Venerable, his flagship at Camperdown.

A display will be installed later this month to highlight the importance of the guns in their own right and to Dundee’s most famous naval hero.

Finlay Raffle, learning and engagement officer at HMS Unicorn, said: “It has been fascinating uncovering the unknown histories of these beautiful bronze cannons and we are incredibly excited to be able to share this with visitors.”

The Battle of Camperdown took place on this day in 1797 and saw Admiral Duncan lead a British fleet against Dutch forces. It was the most significant battle between British and Dutch forces during the French Revolutionary War.

Admiral Duncan, born and raised in Dundee, led the British fleet to victory, capturing 11 Dutch ships without losing a single British vessel.

The cannon thought to be used during the battle are now housed on the HMS Unicorn.

The Unicorn Preservation Society will be hosting a show-and-tell session on the ship on October 26 for people to see the cannon up close.

There will also be a free lunchtime talk on October 31 from the Friends of Camperdown sboard the ship on the life of Admiral Adam Duncan.

The society recently received a National Lottery Heritage Fund Grant for a project celebrating 200 years of the ship.

Digital scans were recently taken to determine the condition of the hull of HMS Unicorn as plans are made to move it into dry dock.