How did an old hefty cannon found in the Demerara River disappear from the Ministry of Public Works compound, Wight’s Lane although it was supposed to have been closely guarded?
The mystery is still unsolved. The cannon had been presented to the minister just before Christmas and was surreptitiously removed before it could be properly appraised by an expert.
Minister of Public Works Robeson Benn told this newspaper on Tuesday evening during a break in the parliamentary session that the cannon was found “about four or five years ago on the upper Demerara River by people diving in the river.” It was recovered and given to an antique collector who just before Christmas “presented me with the cannon.”
The police had reported on Monday that they had launched an investigation into the disappearance of the three-and-a-half-foot cannon from the Ministry of Public Works on January 5. The cannon is smaller than any of the cannon on display in Georgetown at the Parliament Buildings or Police Headquarters.
The police had said that a cannon and cannonball had gone missing from the Ministry of Public Works, but the minister said it was just the cannon.
“Our thinking is the cannon is 400 to 500 years old,” the minister said adding, “I did not want to have the cannon as a personal item.” Benn had therefore contacted Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr Frank Anthony and suggested to him that his Ministry take over the cannon to place it where it thought fit.
Historian Anna Benjamin said the trick to discovering the true age and origin of the cannon was figuring out exactly where it was found. Taking into consideration the cannon was found in the upper Demerara River she suggested it was probably an eighteenth century cannon since the first European settlement on the Demerara was after 1746, meaning the historic piece would be closer to 300 years old.
The cannon was placed in the garage area of the Ministry of Public Works to be retrieved by the Ministry of Culture. “It was outside by the garage. It is a heavy thing; it would have taken two or three persons to lift it,” the minister noted.
Before retrieving it, however, Anthony had suggested that an expert under his auspices would examine and pronounce on the age and other particulars of the cannon.
“Everybody around knew what it was and why it was there generally; it was also under the supervision of the police, the guards there had it in the book,” Benn said.
Unfortunately the relic was surreptitiously removed. “It was, dragged around the corner and we are extremely upset about it,” Benn said.
The minister was also of the opinion that it was not the usual scrap metal thieves who removed the cannon. “I don’t think it was the scrap metal guys. Any person would recognize it for what it was and would know it had some value. Probably several thousands… you don’t pick those things up on the road.”
