Stankpotten

Our reproduction comes as a result of an excavated find at Corfe Castle by Nancy Grace, then National Trust Archeologist at Corfe. The fragments of the Corfe grenade were found back in 1986 under the western Guard Chamber window of the outer gatehouse at Corfe Castle. Having carefully put the pieces back together to reveal a pot with three handles and a narrow neck, experts declared they had never seen a pot quite like it.

For 25 years the puzzling pot baffled every archaeologist who saw it. That was until pottery specialist put the photographs on a medieval pottery research group‘s Facebook page, and an archaeologist in the Netherlands recognised it as a grenade or smoke bomb. They then put up drawings of a Dutch ‘Stankpotten’ found at Vlissingen.

A fuse would be suspended from the three handles and then the pot filled with an explosive or smoke producing mixture – there are a number of recipes for the mixture to be put inside. It is most likely to have been used as a smoke grenade rather than as a high explosive.

From: The great art of artillery of Casimir Simienowicz (c1600-51)

There are thofe who fill thefe Veffels with very violent Compofitions, and fuch as are so obftinately outrageous as not to be fuffbcated by any Means. We have already given you some Compofitions of this Nature. Thofe which we ordered for Fire Rain may ferve this Purpofe very well, but particularly fuch as we communicated for making the Grecian Fire, for that was inclofed in fuch vessels as thefe, as we have elfewhere shewn. However, notwithstanding the feveral violent Fires I formerly gave you, I shall here prefent you with some others which are particu­larly calculated for this Service, and which are in Esteem with the Py-rotechnicians of our Days.

The Firft, according to Fioravantus: Take of the Varnijh ufed in gilding of Leather 10 tb , of Sulphur Vivum 6 tb, of Oil of Rofin 2 lb; of Saltpeter 5 tbs, of Oilbanum one tb, of Cam-phire 6 th, and of the beft Brandy 14 th: Put them all into a Vessel, and mix them well together over a flow Fire, and being melted, add tome Tow to them, and let it fteep. This being put into Pots, will produce a Fire that will be inextinguishable, wherefoever it be thrown.

Illustration opposite from Nathaniel Nye