Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Roaring Meg was the name of several powerful cannons used in the 1600s. It is not to be confused with Mons Meg, a medieval cannon preserved at Edinburgh Castle. Roaring Meg was a mortar cast in 1643 and used during the English Civil War by the Cavaliers (commanded by the Earl of Northampton) until 1644 when she was captured by the Roundheads. With a 15.5 inch barrel diameter Roaring Meg was the largest mortar of the war. She was instrumental in the capture of Goodrich Castle in 1646 by Sir Thomas Fairfax. During the siege the Roundhead commander, Colonel Birch, was so excited with his new weapon he personally fired the last 19 balls. Roaring Meg is preserved by Herefordshire Council and has been on display at Goodrich Castle since 2004.