Whilst on a quest for more info. on tsuwm's davit, I came across this word in Webster's 1828 Dictionary:
LAN'GREL, n.

Langrel shot or langrage, is a particular kind of shot used at sea for tearing sails and rigging, and thus disabling an enemy's ship. It consists of bolts, nails and other pieces of iron fastened together.

This def. sounds very similar to what I understand shrapnel is. Is there any relation between the two words, does anybody know?
Just thought of this--the word mongrel means mixture, doesn't it? Is it related to langrel?

Look up chain shot. Two cannonballs in one bore, connected by a length of chain. Whirling through the air, cutting down masts, rigging, seamen. War is ugly.

Dr. Bill kindly informs me that shrapnel is an eponym:

1806, from Gen. Henry Shrapnel (1761-1842), who invented a type of exploding, fragmenting shell when he was a lieutenant in the Royal Artillery during the Peninsular War. The invention consisted of a hollow cannon ball, filled with shot, which burst in mid-air; his name for it was spherical case ammunition. Sense of "shell fragments" is first recorded 1940. The surname is attested from 13c., and is believed to be a metathesized form of Charbonnel, a dim. form of O.Fr. charbon "charcoal," in ref. to complexion, hair color, or some other quality

shrapnel is an eponym

And langrage, per the AHD, is etymology unknown. Langrel is not listed.

> chain shot

I think these two were distinct and different armaments, curly. My understanding is that langrage was an informal mess of old scrap iron packaged into cannister form, spraying out in a lethal cone blast to 'clear the decks' and damage tophamper too, whereas chain-shot and bar were specifically designed for longer reach and to take down rigging and spars. As you say, an ugly job is war.

http://www.aeragon.com/o/am/a-03.html

As to the etymology, it sounds like it ought to be from French ~ l'angrage or l'engrage - but there's no obvious trace I can find.

Just thought of this--the word mongrel means mixture, doesn't it? Is it related to langrel?

The first thing that leapt to mind for me was that a langrel could be a lazy dog of mixed breed.....