Milsurp After Hours

I've quite often seen various books around dealing with the English guntrade. Usually they deal with the more noted makers, but some deal with every maker they can get information on. In fact some make it appear that every second Brit was involved.

At its peak, just how big would the British gun trade have been ? I'm thinking in terms of employment, export markets, resources and the like.

And given the current political climate over there what remnants are left ?

I don't know if how representative, but at its peak RSAF Enfield was employing about 20,000 people. That may be hugely approximate, but when you consider that up until the 1850's Birmingham was able, at a push, to supply most of Britain's war needs, it certainly seems like a fairly large artisan industry. However, just flicking through the copy of London Gunmakers book we have at work, it appears that at least two respected gunsmiths have disappeared that I know of. I imagine the better known one is John Wilkes, who appear to have gone in the last decade from Beak Street, leaving an art gallery in their place. the other was Edward Whistler, who had a shop at 11 Charing Cross, which is now a Next. such is life.

Nick

16 Apr. 2007

5:40pm

Woftam,

I can’t answer your questions directly, but I can recommend a couple of decent books:

• The Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield and Its Workers, by David Owen Pam (self-published).

• The Birmingham Gun Trade, by David Williams. Publisher: NPI Media Group (September 2004).

All the best.

Coggansfield

Gentlemen,

thanks for taking the time to reply. I'll keep an eye out for the books.

Coggansfield, I think I've seen the Birmingham gun trade book. It may have stuck in my memory as I work for a gent by the same name (although I'm fairly certain he isn't the author). The books on the guntrade are hard to find. the David Pam book is good, and I think follows on from a short history of RSAF Enfield done for the Middlesex university.

One other thing that picks a memory, and follows on from my previous post. In a half mile radius of Charing Cross (dead centre of London) over a fifty year period, you would find EJ Churchills, Edward Whistler, Robert Adam, as well as the gunsmiths of St James. In total, probably half a dozen of some of London's top end gunmakers of the late Victorian period. Of them, only one remains.