The Board of Ordnance was a British government body responsible for the supply of armaments and munitions to the Royal Navy (until 1830) and British Army. It was also responsible for providing artillery trains for armies and maintaining coastal fortresses and, later, management of the artillery and engineer corps. It also produced maps for military purposes, a function later taken over by the Ordnance Survey. The board existed under various names...
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The Board of Ordnance was a British government body responsible for the supply of armaments and munitions to the Royal Navy (until 1830) and British Army. It was also responsible for providing artillery trains for armies and maintaining coastal fortresses and, later, management of the artillery and engineer corps. It also produced maps for military purposes, a function later taken over by the Ordnance Survey. The board existed under various names from 1414 until 1855, with headquarters in the Tower of London.
The introduction of gunpowder to Europe led to innovations in offensive weapons such as cannon and defences such as fortifications. In the 1370s, to manage the new technology, the royal household appointed a courtier to administer weapons, arsenals and castles. The office and main arsenal were located in the White Tower of the Tower of London. The earliest known Master of Ordnance was Nicholas Merbury, appointed about 1415-1420 by Henry V of England. Merbury was present at the...
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