Assigning names to Ordnance Items

[joevann]

In my opinion, the most important thing is not "who holds the patent", "who first thought of it", or "who manufactured it", but simply using a common term that everyone understands what is being discussed.  While all the other things are important in a historical context and worthy of scholarly research and voluminous discussion,  it's OK to call it an 'apple of the earth' (pomme de terre) as the French do, only if everyone knows you are discussing a potato.   

[CarlS]

Good point and, more generally, a good philosophical discussion.  Are all thumb adjustable wrenches Crescent wrenches?    While it is the brand of only one manufacturer's line of wrenches it is a common name for them all.  While technically wrong it does provide for common understanding.

My stand on the shell naming is: What did the person with the patent and who sold them to the US or CS government call them?  That is the name whether it is a person's name or some obscure name such as "Flange Shot".  If the seller stole an idea then that is another issue.  In the ACW the artillery is generally known by the inventor (Brooke, Parrott, etc.) or foundry (Tredegar, Selma, etc.).

Acutally the more I respond to your thought the more complicated I see it all is with no clear answer.

[Selma Brooke Gunner]

     This is going to be one of those areas where we will never be able to get everyone to agree. For instance I can not find any mention of Brooke designing small caliber cannons, yet I have seen small bore cannon using the ratchet rifling that are called Brooke's. The same with the projectiles that are credited to him. I believe that with the number of small shops in the South that made small cannon's and projectiles they took a system that worked very well and adapted it to their needs.
     Does this make them Brooke's? Or did they name them for the type of rifling or sabot system that they used? It would take a lot of research to find out where all of the smaller cannon and projectiles were actually designed and who designed them, yet even if they discovered would that change the name? I believe that they have been called Brooke's for so long that they would remain Brooke's.

[CarlS]

Well stated and I agree. It is odd there are a good many field caliber rounds in various sizes but no mention of them by Mr. Brooke.  Jack Bell says the same thing.