Captain H. E. Anderson posing behind the first cannon (gun) to be salvaged from the wreck of the 64-gun Third Rate HMS Anson (1781). The cannon is lying in the hold on board the salvage vessel Greencastle (1884) with the chain wrapped around the barrel. The cannon has cannon balls attached to the underside of the barrel. There is also an iron knee with bolts attached to the left of the cannon.

The 'Lincolnshire Chronicle' reported on 17 April 1903 the raising of the first gun, stating that it came up with several cannon balls attached and a piece of gun carriage. The gun measured 10ft 6 inches in length and, including concretion, was estimated to weigh up to 2.5 tons.

The 64-gun Third Rate HMS Anson (1781) was wrecked in December 1807 and subsequently rediscovered by Captain H. E. Anderson, the chief officer of the West of England Salvage Company. A negotiated deal between him and the Admiralty allowed him to buy the wreck to undertake salvage work. The first items recovered were some of the guns, the first being on 14 April 1903.