What weapon in history is named madelon?

Not an answer, but some context that may help someone find an answer. The name appears in George R. Stewart's 1949 novel Earth Abides; a character is thinking of the names of weapons which were also symbols of power: "Madelon and Brown Bess and Killdeer and Excalibur". So the last three are a musket, a rifle and a sWord; of these, one is historical and two are from fiction.