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HMS Nimrod in Falmouth Harbor
Oil Painting by E.F. Lincoln
Gift of William L. Allison
The HMS Nimrod was a British man-of-war
that patrolled New England waters during the War of 1812
in an effort to limit American shipping. At the time,
Falmouth had several small cannon that it used to good
effect against the British. In January, 1814, the
commander of the Nimrod sent a message demanding the
Town surrender the cannon or risk bombardment by the
mighty ship. Local lore says that Falmouth’s response
was, "If you want our cannon, you can come and get them,
and we will give you what's in them first." Regardless
of the exact wording, it is clear that the town refused
to give up its weapons and that the British ship
retaliated. Several of Falmouth’s buildings still
proudly bear the scars of the subsequent cannonball
fire, including a building that is now a restaurant
called "The Nimrod." Its cannonball hole can be found in
what is now the men's room.
In June of 1814, the Nimrod crew heard that some
Falmouth ships were hiding in Wareham Harbor, near the
head of Buzzards Bay. The British ship attacked and
burned 17 ships. On the return down Buzzards Bay, the
Nimrod ran aground. To avoid being caught in a
vulnerable position, the captain ordered that the cannon
be jettisoned overboard to lighten its load.
Under the auspices of the Kendall Whaling Museum (now
the Kendall Collection of the New Bedford Whaling
Museum), five cannon were recovered from the waters of
Buzzards Bay several years ago. Because of the events of
January, 1814, they gave one of the cannon to Falmouth
Historical Society. We like to say that the British
never got our cannon, but we got one of theirs.
Cannon in its chemical bath
After 185 years in sea water, the cannon needs
stabilization. This is being done in a bath of fresh
water and sodium carbonate which is maintained at a pH
level of 11. The solution is checked regularly and
adjusted as needed. This procedure is expected to
reverse the ionization process over the next 10 years or
so. At that time, the cannon can be placed on its own
carriage to be displayed in all its splendor. Until then our cannon will be exhibited “wet” in the Cannon
Shed.
Changing the water in the Cannon box
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