Quote:
Originally Posted by CutlassCollector
Yes, very interesting Jim, took me on a wee google tour. Mostly ballast seemed to be rock or pig iron in those days.
It has occurred to me that perhaps the lead was cargo not ballast. Lead had a lot of valuable uses in those days - pipes for plumbing, water tanks and kitchen pots, roofing joints and not to mention ammunition.
It is probably too big to be the ship's musket ball supply!
Perhaps the marks are the maker's name and confirming the 95% lead content.
Probably too early for radiation shielding!
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I found in reading through some material there was indeed 'lead sheeting' applied to hulls to shield from shot, sounds surprising but your idea apparently not far fetched!
