San Josef

This simple wooden wedge is the elevating quoin from a 32-pounder gun. It was found in the Woolpack Battery, St Mary’s, Isles of Scilly, and is thought to come from the great Spanish three-decker 'San Josef' of 112 guns, brilliantly captured by Nelson at the Battle of Cape St Vincent in 1797 and subsequently taken into the British fleet. It may have arrived indirectly from the ‘Colossus’ which also took part in the action and was later wrecked on Samson, when several of her guns were salvaged and mounted in the Garrison, St Mary's. More likely, however - since the English version of the name 'San Joseph' and '32 P' are inscribed on its flat end -it might have come later from Devonport where the ship spent her last years and where she was broken up in 1849. Her bell and a table made from her timber are also in the NMM collection.

Object Details

ID: KTP1325
Collection: Weapons
Type: Quoin
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Unknown
Date made: Probably early 19th century
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Valhalla Collection