Captured in 1855 at the Siege of Sevastopol during the Crimean war, the cannon was gifted to Ely by Queen Victoria in 1860 to mark the formation of the Ely Rifle Volunteers
The cannon comes to Ely
26th June 1860 was quite a day!
What the cannon tells us
There’s a lot of information about the cannon on the gun itself
Charles Gascoigne
The cannon was made in Russia by an Englishman – hero or traitor?
Sevastopol
Where did the Ely cannon come from and how did it get here?
Characters
From its founding in 1802 to its arrival in Ely the cannon touched many lives
About
The Ely cannon was part of the backdrop to my childhood growing up in the city but it’s only recently that I’ve taken a good look at it. Figuring out the Cyrillic letters on the gun, I read the name Gaskoin. Researching Charles Gascoigne led to other lines of enquiry and has become an ongoing quest.
I’m Cat Perry, a librarian by profession; a trained horticulturist with a passion for wildlife; and now something of a nerd about the Ely cannon!
You are welcome to contact me about any aspect of this site – all constructive comments are very welcome!
cannononthegreen@gmail.com
cannononthegreen.uk 