Gunpowder, Government and War in the Mid-Eighteenth Century

The Seven Years War, the most severe and geographically extensive yet known, dominated the mid-eighteenth century. In the course of Britain's struggle for supremacy over France the army and navy required an unprecedented quantityof gunpowder. This book supplies the first detailed study of the gunpowder trade, which was of crucial importance to the conduct of the war. It describes how gunpowder was supplied by watermills in south-east England and the hazardous procedure by which it was shipped to the main magazine at Greenwich.
Dr West examines four main aspects of the gunpowder trade: supply, distribution, legislation and trade, and manufacture, paying particular attentionto the needs of the army and navy and the role of central government. In addition, attention is given to the demands of the regular gunpowder trade, of such importance to the nation's economy that it continued to thrive largelyat the expense of the needs of war.
JENNY WEST worked on much of the material presented in this book during the course of her research for her PhD at the Institute of Historical Research, London University.