Re: Congreave Maker

In a message dated 12/12/2005 21:26:32 GMT Standard Time,

Congreve Rockets were used as weapons in the early 19th century. I'm not
sure when they were phased out.

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Congreve rockets, though erratic and inaccurate, were used by British forces
in numerous campaigns, and similar rockets were adopted by other states. In
Britain Congreve rockets were declared obsolete in 1866, but Hale rockets,
derived from them—though overtaken and marginalized by artillery development—
were used in colonial campaigns to the end of the century. Congreve had ‘
created the world's first rocket weapons system’ and ‘initiated the modern
process of research and development in rocketry.

Hans Norton...

One of William Congreve's descendants lives close by. Congereve was
himself descended from the Restoration playwright of that name.
Whatever Congreve's contribution may have been to rocketry, he wasn't
the best of inventors. He developed a lock which was supposed to use
half the water of a normal lock in passing a barge through. (Patent
1813, No.3670, as you ask). The Regent's Canal Company was fool enough
to buy the idea and it almost bankrupted them before they gave it up as
impractical and reverted to the traditional form.

Hans Norton

Regards Stan Mapstone