1483.—On the 30th of December there was a great fire at Leadenhall, in London, which, besides other damage, burnt “all the stockes for gunnes, and other like provision, belonging to the Citty.”—Stow’s Annals, fo. 466.
1485.—In the account given by Philippe de Commines, of the assistance afforded by the French King to the Earl of Richmond, for his expedition to England, it is stated that “Peu de temps apres, ou luy paya trois ou quatre mille hommes, pour le passage seulement: et fut baillee par le Roy qui est de present, à ceux qui estoyent avec luy, une bonne somme d’argent, et quelques pieces d’artillerie: et ainsi fut conduict, avec le navire de Normandie, pour descendre en Galles, dont il estoit.”—Philippe de Commines, 5me livre, fo. 151.
Same year.—In the act of attainder passed after the battle of Bosworth, it is stated that the forces and adherents of Richard III. were “with banners spred, mightyly armed and defenced with all manner armes, as gunnes, bowes, arrowes, speres, gleves, axes, and all other manner articles apt or needful to gef and cause mightie battaille agen oure said soveraigne Lord,” &c. Rot. Parl. 1 Henry VII. vol. vi. fo. 276; see Appendix No. III.
1485.—“Cannon balls, of a small size, have also been dug up in the field of the battle of Bosworth.”—Hutton’s Bosworth Field, pp. 82 and 97.
Same year.—In the 1st Henry VII., Nicholas Leventhorp held the office of “keping of the artillerie within the castell of Pountfrett, parcell of the Duchie of Lancastre, within the countie of York,” &c.—Rot. Parl. 1 Henry VII. vol. vi. fo. 341.
1487.—Documents selected from the Municipal Archives of the city of York, connected with the Earl of Lincoln’s rebellion, and the imposture of Lambert Simnel, in the reign of Henry VII., have been published: one of which is of the 23rd of April, 1487, from the mayor, aldermen, sheriffs, and common council of York, to the King, representing that the “said citie is not well furnesshed with artilment and stuff of ordnaunce,” and praying that “some of youre ordnaunce and artilment of werr might be sent hidder.”
Collection of “Original documents relating to Lambert Symnell’s rebellion, in the second year of King Henry VII.;” selected from the Municipal Archives of the city of York, by Robert Davies, Esq., F.S.A.; communicated to the meeting of the Archæological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, held at York, in 1846: published in 1847, p. 10.
A reply, of the 30th of April, written by order of the King, to the application, has been preserved, stating that William Tunstall, constable of the castle of Scarborough, was ordered, by royal letters, to deliver to them “twelve serpentynes, some more some less, of diverse sortes, garnysshed with chambre and powder thereunto according.”—Ibid., p. 15.
A further communication, of the 14th of May, was made from the mayor, aldermen, sheriffs, &c., of York, to the King, representing that he had addressed William Tunstall, the constable of the castle of Scarborough, by letter, “for 12 serpentynes, with chambre and powdre garnysshed sufficiently for the same,” to be delivered to that city; and that they had applied accordingly for them, and had been answered “by your said constable, that ther is not 4 serpentynes within your said castell;” and praying the King “to provide for ordinaunce to be sent to this your said citie, for the more defence of the same.”—Ibid., pp. 20, 21.
1487.—In the act of attainder, passed after the battle of Stoke, against the Earl of Lincoln and his adherents, it is stated that they were “with force and armes, that ys to saye, swerdys, speris, marespikes, bowes, gonnes, harneys, brigandynes, hawberkes, and many other wepyns and harneys defensible,” &c.—Rot. Parl. 3 Henry VII. vol. vi. fo. 397; see App. No. V.