Same year.—On the Earl of Warwick preparing to return to England, the Duke of Burgundy equipped a fleet of vessels of war, “tous fort avaitaillez et garniz d’artillerie et gens de guerre, d’Anglois, Bourgonguons, Picards, et autres.”—Autres nouvelles Chroniques added to Monstrelet, fo. 164.
Same year.—The Earl of Warwick, on his arrival in England, went to Bristol, “et illec avoit laissé son artillerie, et de ses bagues, quand il s’en alla en Normandie.”—Same, fo. 165.
1471, 5th March.—Warrant after the restoration of Henry VI. to Thomas Mainwaring, Thomas Corwen, Thomas Aghton, &c., to provide for conveying a cannon from Bristol to Hornby Castle, and to deliver it to Sir Thomas Stanley of Stanley, for the purposes of the siege of that castle, “cum nos appunctuaverimus quendam canonem nostrum vocatum Mile End, una cum toto apparatu, et aliis necessariis eidem pertinentibus,” &c. &c.—11 Fædera, 699.
1471.—Edward IV. landed at Ravenspur, with Lord Hastings, Lord Say, “and IXC Englisch men and IIIC Fleminges, with hange gunnes.”—2 Lel. Coll. fo. 503, p. 721.
It can scarcely admit of any doubt that hand-guns must have been the weapons there meant, and that they were so called from being sufficiently light to be portable by the hand. The word “hange” seems to be merely a corruption of the word “hand,” [238] which is confirmed by the following authority:—
“And had with him IXC of Englismenne and three hundred of Flemmynges with hande-gonnes.”—MS. Chronicle, by Warkworth, p. 18, printed for the Camden Society.
1471.—On the occasion of Edward IV.th’s public entry into London, before the battle of Barnet, “the eleventh of Aprill, King Edward quietlie made his entrie into the citie with his power, having five hundred smokie gunners marching foremost, being strangers, of such as he had brought over with him.”—1 Holinshed, fo. 683.
It seems tolerably clear that the 500 men there described as smoke gunners, were armed with portable firearms, and probably carried lighted matches; and, although the numbers do not tally, we cannot well doubt that they were the same men already mentioned as armed with “hange-guns,” or “hande-gonnes.”
1471.—On the night before the battle of Barnet, between the forces of Edward IV. and the Earl of Warwick, “and shotte gunnes al night one at the other.”—1 Lel. Coll. fo. 504.
“And eche of them loosede gonnes at othere alle the nyght.”—MS. Chronicle, by Warkworth, p. 16, printed for the Camden Society.