Heritage sites of Guyana…

THE WORD cannon, by definition, means a large artillery gun that is usually mounted on wheels, and able to fire from a tank. In short, it is simply a form or type of gun that is a large, heavy-duty piece of artillery which was used particularly in the Middle Ages. Cannons and other types of guns were introduced with the arrival in the West Indies of the Europeans, who brought these devices to terrify the inhabitants into subjection and a new way of life. For the Europeans, cannons were the tools of survival; for the people of the colonies, they were symbols of oppression.

To date, there are an approximate 31 known cannons scattered throughout the country, many of which owe their origins to such places as far off England and Sevastopol in the Ukraine. Displayed for the benefit of tourists and local interest alike, many can be found in the forecourts of the nation’s public and civic buildings. These cannons are representative of an era inextricably linked to various phases of European exploration, occupation and colonization.

For example, mounted at the entrance of the Police Headquarters at Eve Leary is a pair of nine-pound Blomefields of 28 cubic weight, which were cast by Carron’s, a Scottish foundry, and issued to British Guiana with carriages in 1818.

Located at the main entrance of the Police Officer’s Mess, again at Force Headquarters, Eve Leary,  is a 4.7 inch MK II cannon which was manufactured in Britain around 1890. It is alleged that its issue to the colony of British Guiana in 1916 was for the purpose of coastal defence during World War I.

The forecourt of the Public Buildings, location of Guyana’s National Assembly, on the other hand, is home to a pair of eighteen-pound, seven-inch Russian cannons, each with a ‘Systeme Venglov’ carriage impressively mounted on the base of boulder-and-stone work. These were captured from Sevastopol in 1855 and presented to the colony of British Guiana on May 10, 1859, during a civil ceremony in recognition of the country’s  contribution of over $20,000 to the Patriotic Fund for the relief of widows and orphans of soldiers killed during the Crimean War.

Further, mounted on clay brick bases are three cannons which stand at Camp Ayanganna, headquarters of the Guyana Defence Force. The first was cast at Carron’s in 1790,  whilst the second and third were cast at Walker’s and most likely issued to British Guiana with carriages in 1818.

There is also an eighteen or twenty-four pounder French/Dutch carronade which is mounted on the lawns of the Manager’s House at Plantation Skeldon, Berbice.

Another notable example is the nine-pound Finbanker measuring 7 feet by 4 inches standing guard at Fort Zeelandia, a National Monument that  was once the administrative centre of the colony of Essequibo and Demerara. This cannon, which overlooks the Essequibo River, was most likely cast in the late 17th or early 18th Century.

“Believed to be of British origin, the newest addition to our collection is one which was discovered and excavated from Waterloo Street and subsequently mounted on the lawns of the National Trust of Guyana in November 2009.”

These cannons and other buildings and sites across Guyana are collectively our heritage and history from which we have all emerged. To this end, the National Trust of Guyana, which undertakes to promote building and sites of national, architectural, historic and artistic interest for the benefit of the present and future generations encourage you, the members of the community, to take an active role in ensuring the survival of the nation’s patrimony. (Text and photo courtesy of the National Trust of Guyana)