Cartridge Case

Description
Cartridge case. Cylindrical wooden canister – made from one piece of wood – no separate base. It has been turned with a wood ring or ledge around it 115mm from the top. This is approximately square sectioned and 20mm in depth. There are two opposing holes in rim (as with lid). The cylinder is slightly wider at the base than it is at the top (210mm top -245mm base). At the rim a trapezoid of wood has been ‘stapled’ into place using 2 metal fastenings – possibly to replace a damaged section. It is orange/brown in colour.

A lightweight cylindrical wooden case made of lathe-turned poplar fitted with an elm lid. Poplar is an absorbent wood and ideal for keeping powder dry. It was used to store and carry one of many powder cartridges on board to protect it from inadvertent explosions before or during battles. Cartridge cases were sometimes known as ‘cartridge boxes’ or ‘Salt boxes’, the latter presumably an abbreviation for the saltpeter (potassium nitrate) used to make gun powder. Once aboard ship the gunpowder was made into cartridges for the great guns. Packed into cartridges made from paper, these cartridge cases were stored in the hanging magazine on board the vessel.
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