Demi-culverin
type of cannon
The demi-culverin was a medium cannon similar to but slightly larger than a saker and smaller than a regular culverin developed in the late 16th century. Barrels of demi-culverins were typically about 11 feet (3.4 m) long, had a calibre of 4 inches (10 cm) and could weigh up to 3,400 pounds (1,500 kg). The gun required 6 pounds (2.7 kg) of black powder to fire an 8-pound (3.6 kg) round shot (though there were heavier variants firing 9-pound (4.1 kg) or 10-pound (4.5 kg) round shot). The demi-culverin had an effective range of 1,800 feet (550 m).Demi-culverins were valued by generals for their range, accuracy and effectiveness. They were often used in sieges for wall and building demolition.
“Demi-culverin” enters the record as type of cannon. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Demi-culverin, type and cannon can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Demi-culverin” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Demi-culverin, type and cannon provides the most credible route into that argument.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 13, 2024. The linked authority identifier is Q5255322. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Demi-culverin”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Demi-culverin primary sources, Demi-culverin archive and Demi-culverin research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Demi-culverin”?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Demi-culverin” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.