The first recorded use of gunpowder artillery in England occurs around 1327, during the reign of Edward III. This marked the beginning of the gunpowder revolution in European warfare. The introduction of cannons and other gunpowder weapons changed the nature of siege warfare and military tactics.

The introduction of gunpowder weapons was a subject for chronicle poetry, where the new technology was often described with awe and fear. It appeared in military treatises and poems that described the effect of cannon fire on fortifications. The event is a milestone in the development of technology and warfare, and its depiction in literature reflects the changing nature of combat.