The Wolverhampton Gunlock Makers

© C. V. Clark 2004

(Last Revision January 2009)

 

This site was published with the aim of detailing the author's ongoing research into the obscure history of those who carried on the trade of gunlock (or gun lock) making in Wolverhampton. Historically, this trade has to a large extent been overlooked or ambiguously recorded and there is a scarcity of documented evidence specific to the trade. However, from many sources, including church records, civil registration documents, censuses, etcetera, and in collaboration with the descendants of gunlock makers, it has been possible to establish not only the genealogy of many of the Wolverhampton gunlock-making families but also their involvement and associations with the trade.  

Although the author had originally made available online the full version under the sub-heading 'A Sketch History from Within the Trade' (February 2004), now only the abridged two-page version is accessible. However, the author can be contacted specifically about the following families' involvement with the Wolverhampton gunlock trade and their genealogy:- [St] Aubin, Bassett, Brazier, Brittain, Chilton, Dodd, Daly, Grainger, Homer, Law, Mansfield, Rigby, Stanton, Stilliard. 

The only click-linked page available is an explanation and simple animation of How Gunlocks Work 

The author can accept no responsibility for errors or omissions or for any purpose outside his control for which this work and the information it contains might be used.

Inquiries or points of interest concerning the Wolverhampton gunlock-making families can be emailed to: 
Wolverhampton-glms(at)fsmail.net
Note: Please use conventional @ symbol when typing the email address

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Gunlock-Making in Wolverhampton

Wolverhampton, now a city within the English West Midlands, has always been involved with metal-working industries. With the coming of the Industrial Revolution and the town's proximity to the extensive coal, iron ore and limestone underground deposits, Wolverhampton saw a considerable increase in artisan trades working in iron and steel. All kinds of tools, implements and fittings were produced for an ever-increasing diversity of markets. A contemporaneous expansion of nearby Birmingham and its established gun trade led to a need for gun part manufacturers, upon which the skilled metal-workers quickly seized. 

An integral part of any gun is the mechanism by which it is fired, and is referred to as the lock (as in the old saying 'Lock, stock and barrel'). Within a relatively short period and mainly through their growing reputation for quality work, the Wolverhampton gunlock makers ensured that the prestigious London gunmakers became principal patrons of their trade. By the mid-nineteenth century many London-made guns were being furnished with locks from Wolverhampton.

It is not known who the first gunlock maker was to set up in Wolverhampton, and it is unlikely that they would have been engaged solely in gunlock-making; the trade not then being as specialised as it would become. Around 1660 John Perry was known as a gunsmith in nearby Bilston, a chapelry of Wolverhampton. Of some significance are the suggested associations between the Perry family and several Wolverhampton families later involved with gunlock-making. 

Gunlocks were being produced in Wolverhampton before the beginning of the eighteenth century, although there is very little documented history of the town's small businesses prior to the last quarter of that century. The neighbouring villages of Coseley and Ettingshall had various types of lock making industry. In that area  Edward Brassman and Joseph Bullock were recorded around 1760 as carrying on their trade as gunlock filers. The parish records of both All Saints and the later Roman Catholic St George's churches of adjoining Sedgley contain the surnames of many of the families who would become known as gunlock makers of Wolverhampton: Perry, Newton, Homer, Brazier, Stanton, Law, Grainger. Of those, Thomas Newton was shown in the 1780 Birmingham Directory as carrying on his trade of gunlock maker in St John's Square, Wolverhampton.

The gunlocks produced up until the end of the first quarter of the nineteenth century were flintlocks for fowling pieces (shotguns), muskets and pistols. A lucrative source of income would have been government contract work for military weapons such as the famous 'Brown Bess' musket. A new best quality London double-barrelled flintlock shotgun would then have been priced in the region of £45, the pair of locks for which costing about £4. Flintlocks continued in production throughout the 1800s, long after the invention and adoption of the percussion cap during the 1820s.

The gunlock trade was comprised mainly of businesses having just one or two tradesmen. Eventually the larger gunlock businesses had an owner/master gunlock maker, skilled in all aspects of his trade. The employees were generally divided into specific sub-trades: forgers, filers, pin (screw) makers and spring makers. Some were engaged as outworkers in their own small workshops, and a few undertook the manufacture of a variety of gun components such as sights, trigger-guards, butt-plates etcetera. The work was labour-intensive, with the smiths working at forging hearths, benches, vices and foot-treadle lathes. The hammer, chisel and file were his principal hand-tools, with simple dies, jigs and implements made in-house specifically for particular operations. The assembling, spring making, hardening and tempering and regulating/finishing required the considerable skill acquired through an apprenticeship which would last seven or more years. The trade continued on the common practice of employing family members; usually a father apprenticing his son either to himself or a relative, with the accepted presumption that the family business would be passed down through successive generations. Occasionally, the widow of the head of the family would continue to run the business, either using the deceased's name or their own. Whether or not these widows were involved with the actual practicalities of gunlock-making is not known.

With motive power in the form of steam engines driving overhead take-off shafts and the increasing availability of machine tools, the preliminary 'roughing' procedures became more mechanised, particularly the forging of bar steel into rough components. Progress in the steel-making industry led to improved quality control of materials. Better and more closely controlled grades of steel led to greater reliability in gunlocks through the components being more durable and the tools with which they were made being more efficient. The transition from muzzle-loading to breech-loading guns after 1860 saw the gunlock industry of Wolverhampton take on the production of breech-loading actions and expand accordingly. Then the trade had become as large and specialised as it would ever be, with the companies of Joseph Brazier & Sons, John Stanton & Co and Edwin Chilton & Son recognised as the finest gunlock makers in the world.

The last decade of the nineteenth century saw the development of new metal-working and engineering industries catering for mass-markets. Bicycle manufacturing and then the automotive trade became the town's large employers. Because the wages were better with such companies as Sunbeam and Clyno, many skilled men left the gunlock trade in search of a higher standard of living. From around 1900 until WWI it became increasingly difficult to attract young men into gunlock-making apprenticeships, particularly when the trade began to be regarded as not only underpaid but declining. Although both WWI and WWII saw the remaining gunlock companies involved once again in government contract work, there was to be no long-lasting renaissance for the trade.

The quality of the best gunlocks made throughout the second half of the nineteenth century has been equalled but never surpassed. Sub-contracted production drop-forging and electric motor-driven precision machines running high-speed-steel and tungsten-carbide tooling progressively reduced the time taken for roughing out, but the hand fitting and finishing were always essential operations.  

By the late 1950s, although the three most famous Wolverhampton gunlock-making companies were still in existence in the town, the families whose names they bore played no part in them. Within twenty years the trade was reduced to two companies. Another twenty years saw just one company remaining in the Wolverhampton area which could offer a production facility for gunlocks. In 2006 that last company moved elsewhere. The long, distinguished era of gunlock-making in Wolverhampton is over.

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  A List of Names Involved with the Wolverhampton Gun Trade

© C.V. Clark 2004 

(Last Revision January 2009)

Please Note:

The following alphabetical list is only a general guide. The approximate period date only refers to that time where there is some evidence to support it. It does not imply that the individual was only working during that period. Likewise, the addresses given may not be the only ones where that person worked/lived during their working lifetime. Where a person founded a company, that company may have continued after the founder’s death, either as an ongoing family business or not. For reasons of privacy etc., the list only covers those who are deceased.

There is a source of confusion that the reader should be aware of: Some gunlock-making families had more than one relative with the same forename. In the absence of descriptive genealogies (intentionally omitted), misunderstandings and incorrect conclusions may arise where there are multiple same-named individuals in the same working period or not. A most pertinent example of this occurs several times in the Brazier family; just two illustrations of which are the three individual Benjamins being father, son and great-nephew, and the four individual James', being uncle, nephew and two great-nephews.   

The person may have had more than one trade during their lifetime; where that is known the other trade (or trades) is given. Some trades were carried on in conjunction with others, often of completely dissimilar nature.

Much of Wolverhampton has changed over the years. Therefore places that went under a particular name may now have another name or even not exist, eg: what was the location of St Paul’s church is now a car park off the St John’s ring road.

The author cannot accept any responsibility for errors or omissions.

Surname/Forename

Trade*

Approximate Period

Locations

Adey Solomon

GLM

1871

71 Zoar St

Allcock Charles

GLM

1877 - 1939

Employed by 
Edwin Chilton & Son Ltd
(Res 8 Lloyd St)

Allmark Thomas

GLM

1851

Ablow St

Aston Noah

GLS

1802

37-38 Bilston Rd

[St] Aubin Charles

GLM & LS

1838 - 1869

Pountney St & 
Guardian Wks, Gt Hampton St

[St] Aubin William Henry

GLM & GAM

1865

Wolverhampton

Barnett James

App GLF

1861

Bradmore

Barnett William J.

GLS

1861

Zoar St

Barrett James

GLS

1901

Owen Rd

Basset James

GLF

1880

Compton St

Basset John

[Gun]Screwmaker

1861

39 Peel St

Bassett Henry F.

GSM,
GL Forger & GLM

1861 - 1921

82 Ash St & 248 Gt Brickkiln St

Bassett Sidney

GLM

1901

39 Oak St

Bassett Stanley H.

GLS

1901

39 Merridale St West

Bassett Thomas

LS, GLS & GLM

1861 - 1901

39 Peel St & Oak Road & 39 Oak St

Bassett William John

GLS

1873

Pool St

Beddows Alfred

GLF

1891

2 Gough St

Beddows William

GLM

1851 - 1861

Merridale St & Gt Brickkiln St

Bellingham Richard

GLS

1871

29 Zoar St

Bennett James

GLF & GLM

1871 - 1875

3, Zoar St & Gt Brickkiln St

Blanton Charles S.

Lic Vic & GS

1881

‘Wheatsheaf Inn’, Gt Brickklin St

Blanton Henry Edward

GS, GLS & Lic Vic

1871 - 1880

37 Russell St & Lewis St & 
‘Wheatsheaf Inn’, Gt Brickkiln St

Bowen David

GLM

1840

Gough's Buildings

Bolton William

GLF

1861

Russell St

Booth John

GLM

1727

Bilston

Bradney James

GS

1861 - 1871

Bradmore

Bradney John

GLS

1854

Lewis St

Bradney Joseph

GLM

1861

15 Union Mill St

Brasier James

GLM

1815 - 1845

St John’s Square
(12 Bond St)

Brassman Edward

GLF

c1760

Bilston (Ettingshall)

Brazier Benjamin

GLM & GM

1787 - 1832

Ettingshall & 9 Gt Brickkiln St

Brazier Benjamin

Lic Vic, GLM  & GS

1861 - 1881

31 Noakes Buildings & 
‘Nag’s Head,’  Mary Ann St

Brazier Benjamin

GM

1833 - 1839

Cock St & (latterly) London

Brazier Charles

GLM

1865 - 1893

Merridale St & Victoria Rd & Bradmore

Brazier Donald B.

GLM & Cycle Maker

1861 - 1931

22 Temple St & Raglan St &
(latterly) Birmingham

Brazier Edwin

GLM

1841 - 1861

Tanhouse Lane & 
(Lodging at) Townwell Fold

Brazier Frederick

GLM

1858 - 1871

Pountney St & Pool St & 
Russell St & Drayton St & Merridale St 

Brazier George

GLS & GLM

1861 - 1921

Townwell Fold & Oak St & 
Strode Rd & Mander St & 
28 Brevitt Rd & 40 Cobden St

Brazier James

GLM & Maltster

1826 - 1864

‘King’s Head’, Bell St & 
21 Stafford St

Brazier James

GLM

1845 - 1862

Market St & Graisley Hill & 
17 Pool St & 22 Temple St

Brazier John

GLM, GAF & Lic Vic

1861 - 1884

Townwell Fold & Pool St & Paul St 
& Drayton St & Wellington (Shrop) & 
Aston, Birmingham

Brazier Joseph Sidney

GLM

1887 - 1908

Strode Rd

Brazier Joseph

GLM, GIM, GAM & GM

1811 – 1864

Gt Brickkiln St (later at ‘Ashes’)

Brazier Joseph
 

GLM

1858 - 1879

North Rd & Ash St

Brazier Joseph
 

GLM

1861 - 1901

Townwell Fold & Oak St & 
Ablow St [ Mander St] & 
Shepherd St

Brazier Mrs Eleanor
(widow of James)

GLM

1862 - 1880

22 Temple St

Brazier Mrs Elizabeth
(widow of Thomas)

Lic Vic & GLM

1857 -1872

‘Yew Tree’, Pool St

Brazier Mrs Helena
(widow of Richard)

Owner of 
'Joseph Brazier & Sons'

1866 -187?

‘Ashes’, Gt Brickkiln St

Brazier Richard

GLM, GAM
Watchmaker & (latterly)
Owner of 'Joseph Brazier & Sons'

1841 - 1864
1864-1866

‘Ivy House’, Tettenhall &
'Ashes', Gt Brickkiln St

Brazier Sarah?
 

GLS

1841

‘Ashes’, Gt Brickkiln St

Brazier Thomas

Lic Vic GLM & GM

1805 - 1857

‘Seven Houses’, Dudley Rd & Pountney St & Bloomsbury St.... 
Also (earlier) Birmingham

Brazier Thomas

GLM & GS

1838 - 1881

Gt Brickkiln St &
Baker St & Cock St & 
26 Bennett’s Fold & 
34 Stafford Rd

Brazier Thomas

GLM

1838 - 1871

Tanhouse Lane & 
Pountney Pool &
Cleveland St &
Townwell Fold

Brazier William

GLM &
Lic Vic

1851 - 1874

Graisley Hill & Pountney Pool & 
100 Gt Hampton St & 
24 Upper Vauxhall & 
'Swan Tavern', Pool St

Brewster Edwin

GLS

1871

46 Pearson St

Brewster William

GSM

1861

Oak St

Bristow Joseph

GLS

1871

72 Zoar St

Brittain Bernard

GLF

1861

Oak St

Brittain James

GLM & GLF

1859 - 1861

Graisley Row & Oak St

Brittain Samuel

GLS, GLF & GLM

1841 - 1851

‘Ashes’, Gt Brickkiln St & 
Brickkiln Lane

Brittain Thomas

GLF

1861

Zoar St

Broadbent Charles

GLS

1861

Dale St

Bullock James

GLS

1861

Gt Brickkiln St

Bullock John Thomas

GLM

? - 1925

Employed by 
J. Stanton & Co Ltd

Bullock Joseph

GLF

c1760

Bilston (Ettingshall)

Bullock Leonard

GLM

1901

166 Merridale St West

Butler George

GL Forger & GLM

1853 – 1865

Philip St? & Dale St

Cartwright Isaac

GLS & GLF

1861 - 1879

Pool St & Pearson St 
& Hallett’s Row

Challinor Thomas

GLF

1861

Townwell Fold

Chilton Edwin
(also as proprietor of Joseph Brazier & Son)

GLM
 

1872 - 1924
(1921 - 1924)

Lowe St &
41 Newhampton Rd West

Chilton William Bradshaw
(also as proprietor of Joseph Brazier & Son)

GLM
 

1901 - 1964
(1924 - 1864)

41 Newhampton Rd West &
189-190 Sweetman St

Choles James

GLS

1861

24 Waterloo St 

Churm John

GLS

1901

5 King Edward's Row
(off Little Pountney Street) 

Cliff Henry

GLF

1870 - 1879

Graisley St & Yew St

Collins Thomas

GSM

1861

Oak St

Cooper George

GLS

1861

Melbourne St

Cotterhill Joseph

GLM

1839

?

Cotterhill William

GS

1861

‘Prince of Wales’, Russell St?

Cresswell Benjamin

GLM

1793 - 1802

Wolverhampton

Daly William  
(Also as a founding partner of Law & Daly Co.)

GLF & GLM

1861 - c1900

c1900 - 1913

  68 Pountney St & 44 Pearson St & 197 Dudley Road & 2 Perry St &
244/248 Great Brickkiln St &
20 Paget St

Daly William Bernard
(Also involved with
Law & Daly Co.)

GLF & GLM

1891 - c1935

2 Perry St &
244/248 Great Brickkiln St &
20 Paget St & 
Mancroft Road, Tettenhall

Daly Frederick Raymond
(Also involved with
Law & Daly Co.)

GLF & GLM

1891 - c1935

  2 Perry St &
244/248 Great Brickkiln St &
52 Kimberly St & 20 Paget St

Daly Arthur Valentine
(Also involved with
Law & Daly Co.)

GLF & GLM

1901 - c1935

  20 Paget St &
244/248 Great Brickkiln St

Dangerfield Edward

GLM, GLS & GLF

1856 - 1881

Bradmore & Gt Brickkiln St & 
67 Ash St

Dangerfield Noah

GLS

1861

Gt Brickkiln St

Devey Thomas

Military GLM

1861

Oak St

Dodd George

GLF

1901 - 1915

30 Zoar St & 12 Bond St

Dodd Henry

GLF & GLS

1861 - 1881

Oak St & Gt Brickkiln St & 
8 Zoar St

Dodd William Henry

GLS

1884 - 1886

Zoar St

Drew Joseph

GLF

1861

Russell St

Dudley Thomas

GLF & GLM

1841 - 1864

‘Ashes’, Gt Brickkiln St & 
Merridale St

Dudwell Edward

GLS & GLM

1871 - 1882

'Fox Inn' & 28 Zoar St

Dudwell William Henry

GLM

1916 - 1962

Employed by J. Stanton & Co Ltd

Duncombe George

GL Forger

1901

86 Gt Brickkiln St

Edge John

GLS

1861

3 Compton St

Edge Thomas

LS & GLS

1861 - 1871

3 Compton St

Evans William

GLM

1855

Finchfield, Compton

Fellows Henry

GLF & GLS

1853 - 1861

Pool St & 25 Lewis St

Ferrett Francis

GLF

1861

23 Gt Brickkiln St

Fisher Benjamin

GLF

1851

Zoar St

Fisher Henry

GLS

1861

  63 Pountney St

Fletcher Joseph

GLS

1871

Upper Vauxhall

Fletcher William

GLM

1861

26 Salop St

Fossbrook Peter

GLS

1865

Dale St

German Richard

App GLF

1861

Oak St

Gibbons Edward

GLS

1861

Brazier's Buildings, Little Brickkiln St

Gill James

GLF

1861

Oak St

Golcher Emmanuel

GLS

1802

Bilston Rd

Grainger James

GLM

1841 - 1869

Pountney St & Merridale St & 
Oak St & (latterly) London

Grainger James

GS & GLM

1861 - 1874

6 Clifton St &
St Mark’s St & Upper Vauxhall

Grainger John

GLS

1841 - 1881

Brickkiln St & 57 Herbert Street 
& Molineux Fold

Grainger John Jnr

GL Forger

1861 - 1901

57 Herbert St & 63 Lord St

Grainger Joseph

GLF & GLM

1835 - 1841

Gt Brickkiln St

Grainger Thomas

GLF

1851 - 1854

Brickkiln St

Grainger Joseph

GLM?

1871

Molineux Fold

Gregory James G.

GLS

1861

Townwell Fold

Griffin Richard C.

GLF

1861

Russell St

Griffiths Giddeon

GLF

1846

Zoar St

Groom Richard

 

1849

Gt Berry St

Groves Joseph

GLM

1874

Court 7, Walsall St

Gutteridge Joseph

GLM

1841 - 1851

Merridale St

Hassett H.

GSM

1929

Gt Brickkiln St

Hawkins Henry

GLF

1841

‘Ashes’, Gt Brickkiln St

Hayes Henry?

GLM & GIM

1920 - 1922

Hayes & Co, 59 Queen St
(res) 6 Howard St

Hemmingsley [Hemingsley] George

GLF & GLM

1860 - 1861

Gt Brickkiln St

Hemmingsley [Hemingsley] John

GLF & GLM

1861

Gt Brickkiln St

Hickin Thomas

Gun Filer?

1866

Merridale St

Hill Josiah

GLF

1851 - 1861 

Merridale St & 23 Clifton St

Hipwood George

GLM

1861

Gt Brickkiln St

Hodgkins Charles

GLM

1871 - 1881

Gt Brickkiln St

Holden John

App GLF

1861

Bradmore

Holland Thomas

GLF

1861

Cannock Rd

Homer James

GLM

1851

Bloomsbury St

Homer Kemsey

GLS

1802 - 1829

64 Berry St & 30 Stafford St &
Horseley Fields

Homer Richard

GLM

1838 - 1861

Bell St & Bloomsbury St & Pool St

Hughes Edward

GLS

1861

'Pheasant', Zoar St

Hughes George

GLF

1861

27 Bloomsbury St

Hughes John

GLF

1861

Philip St

Instone [Inston] John

GLS & GLF

1861 - 1881

10 Clarendon St 
& Baker's Buildings, Red Cross St

Jackson Reuben

Gun Stocker

1863

Bilston St

James John

GLF

1901

86 Gt Brickkiln St

Jessup George

GLM

1871

Dale St

Jones Allen

GLS

1861

Dale St

Jones Alfred

GLS

1881

16 Raglan St

Jones Henry

GLS

1861 - 1881

Gt Brickkiln St & Graisley St & 
16 Raglan St

Jones John

GLS & GLM

1861 - 1865

23 Noakes Buildings 
& Little Brickkiln St

Jones Joseph

GIM, GLM & Powder Flask Maker

1839 - 1858

102 Salop St

Jones Richard

GLM & GM

1865 - 1871

66 Zoar St

Law Alfred

GIM, GBM, GAF & GM

1871 - 1881

Merridale St & Ash St & Lord St & Chapel Ash

Law John

Lic Vic & LS

1818

‘Star & Garter’, Cock St

Law John

GLM & GLF

1827 - 1861

Bell St & Temple St & 
Tettenhall Rd & 
Belle Vue Terrace, Compton Rd
& Merridale Lane

Law John ?

GIM & GLM

1861 - 1869

Oak St & 46 Snowhill

Law Joseph

GIM & GAM

1861 - 1921

Oak St & 6 Little Brickkiln St

Law Peter

GIM & GS

1851 - 1881

Merridale St & 72 Ash St

Law Richard

GIM & GS

1851 - 1861

Merridale St & Oak St

Law Stephen

GSM & GAM

1861 - 1869

Oak St & 44 Darlington St &
5 Clarence Place 
& (latterly) Birmingham

Law Thomas

GLM

1841 - 1881

Woolley's Buildings ( Darlington St) & Salop Row & Gt Brickkiln St & 
'Model Houses', Raglan St 

Law Thomas

GLM

1881

Clarence Place, Clarence St 

Lawson Richard

GLS & GLF

1880 - 1885

Court 1, Merridale St & Zoar St

Leonard Patrick

GLM

1861

Littles Lane 

Ling Richard Snr

GLS

1871

73 Zoar St

Ling Richard Jnr

GLS

1871

73 Zoar St

Littleward Robert

App GLS

1861

60 Pearson St

Lockley Edmund

App GLM

1861

65 Pearson St

Lockley Harry

GLF

1901

24 Sweetman St

Lockley William

GLS

1871

63 Zoar St

Mansfield Samuel B.

GLM & GS

1899 - 1930

44 Waterloo Rd &
63 Sherwood St, Whitmore Reans

Mansfield William
(also as proprietor of Joseph Brazier & Son)

GLM & GAM
 

1880 - 1901
(1880 - ?)

111 Lord St West & Oak St &
61 Darlington St & 21 Birch St & 
Wrottesley Rd, Tettenhall

Mantle Edward

GLF & GLS

1861 - 1877

'Spin Cottage' (St Paul's) 
& Dale St

Marrias John

GSM

1862

Merridale St

Martin Aaron

GLF

1861

Dale St

Mason John

GS

1793 - 1802

St John’s Square

Matthews Francis B.

GLF

1901

82 Rayleigh Rd

Matthews George F.

GLF

1901

82 Rayleigh Rd

Matthews William M.

GLF

1901

82 Rayleigh Rd

McLaw [M'Cleur] Charles

GLS

1861

Ash St

Miles Joshua

GLS

1861

Clifton St

Mills Herbert

GLS

1897(Death)

Herbert St

Moore John

Manager of 
Joseph Brazier 
gunlock works

1861 - 1871

'Ashes', Great Brickkiln St

Moore John Richard

GLM

1880 - 1894

Gt Brickkiln St & 
2 Victoria Terrace, Bradmore

Morris John

GLM

1851 - 1881

Graisley St & Oak St & 4 Elm St

Morris Thomas

GLM

1861

Oak St

Moseley [Mosely] Joseph

App GLS

1861

Mary Ann St

Moseley [Mosely] James

GLS

1866

Dale St

Mountford John

App GLM

1839

App to Joseph Cotterill

Munn Ernest
 

GLF

1901

Walpole St
(employed by Edwin Chilton?)

Munn George
 

GLF

1901

Walpole St
(employed by Edwin Chilton?)

Munn Joseph
 

GLM

1861

Court 3, Melbourne St

Munn William

GLM

1861 - 1901

Court 3, Melbourne St & Walpole St
(employed by Edwin Chilton?)

Newton John

GLM

1841 - 1851

Catchem's Corner, Bilston (Ettingshall)  

Newton Thomas Snr

GLM

1780 - 1841

St John’s Square & Catchem's Corner, Bilston (Ettingshall)  

Newton Thomas Jnr

GLM

1841

Catchem's Corner, Bilston (Ettingshall)  

Parker John

GLM

1871

79 Zoar St

Parker Henry

LS

1871

79 Zoar St

Parker Richard

GLM

1871

79 Zoar St

Parsons Joseph

GLS & GLM

1851 - 1861

Gt Brickkiln St & 3 St John's Square

Partridge David

App GLM

1861

Gt Brickkiln St

Perry George

GLF

1841

‘Ashes’, 
Gt Brickkiln St

Perry John

GS

c1660

Bilston

Perry Thomas

GLM

1834

Catchem's Corner, Bilston (Ettingshall)

Perry William

App GLM

1841

Pountney St

Pinckston Peter

GS

1702

Wolverhampton

Poole William

GLF

1861

North Rd

Powell? Charles

GLM

1851

Gt Brickkiln St

Povey Thomas

GLF

1871 - 1875

Merry Hill (Penn) & Brickkiln St

Radcliffe George

GLF

1861

Clarence St

Richards Meshack

GLS

1861

Old Mill St

Rigby Daniel

GLF

1867 - 1871

Bradmore & Baker St & Dale St

Rigby John

GLM

1860 - 1892

Bradmore

Rigby Thomas

GLM & AM

1860 - 1880

Bradmore 

Russell John

GBM

1805 - 1811

Horseleyfield Square

Short John

GLS

1861

65 Merridale St

Skipwood John

GLM

1871

Ash St

Smith Elijah

GLS

1863

‘Ashes’, Gt Brickkiln St

Smith Francis

GLS & GLF

1861 - 1881

18 Bloomsbury St & 32 Clifton St

Smith Frederick

GLS

1861

18 Bloomsbury St

Smith George

GS & GM

1851 - 1881

Salop St & 26 Middle Vauxhall

Smith William Thomas Charles

GLM & GS

1926 - 1978
1978-1980
1980-1985

Employed by 
Edwin Chilton & Son Ltd & 
Magnum Arms Co Ltd &
Joseph Brazier Ltd

Spinke John

GLS

1802

1 Garden Houses, Stafford St

Stanton Bernard

GLM, GAM, GIM & GM

1869 - 1930

13 and 30, Clifton St & 
17 and 41, Merridale Rd

Stanton Frederick Richard Hall

Proprietor of
John Stanton & Co

1925 - 1954

41 & 89, Merridale Rd

Stanton George

GLF

1874

15 Dudley Rd

Stanton John

GLM, GAM, GIM & GM

1841 - 1871

113 Tower St &
13 and 30, Clifton St

Stanton John Bernard

GLM

1901

17 Merridale Rd

Stanton John Charles

App Engraver

1881

13 and 30, Clifton St 

Stiles Frederick

GS & GLM

1841

‘Ashes’, Gt Brickkiln St

Stilliard Charles

GIM

1871

Gt Brickkiln St

Stilliard Cornelius

GIM

1851 - 1861

Merridale St & 37 Gt Brickkiln St

Stillyard [Steelyard] Frederick

GLS

1851 - 1861

Salop St

Stilliard George

GIM, GLF & GAF

1871 - 1881

Gt Brickkiln St & Zoar St &
61 Merridale St

Stilliard Martin

GLM & GLF

1861 - 1871

Gt Brickkiln St

Styche [Stych] John

App GLM 
(to John Newton) 
& GLM

1841 - 1891

Catchem's Corner, Bilston (Ettingshall) & 48, Franchise St & Summer Row (Ret'd Res)

Taylor Jeremiah

GLF

1861

Cobden St

Terry George

GLS

1861 - 1881

Dale St & Zoar St & 5 Elm St

Terry Samuel

GLM

1875

Wadhams Hill

Thomas John

GLF

1865

Russell St

Thomas William

GLS

1861

Russell St

Tibbetts William

GLF

1868 - 1877

Back of ‘Cross Guns’, 
Brickkiln Croft & Dale St

Tonks Eli

GLF

1861

Zoar St

Tonks Thomas

Military GLF

1861

Zoar St

Tuckley Joseph  

  App GLS & GLM

1901 - 1962

65 Zoar St & Employed by 
J. Stanton & Co Ltd 

Turner William

GLM

1874

Mill St, Ettingshall

Underhill Richard

GLM

1735

Coseley

Waddams John

GLM

1851

Gt Brickkiln St

Wadhams William

 

1851

Gt Brickkiln St

Wakeman Frederick

GLF

1901

45 Merridale St

Wakeman Joseph

GLM & GLF

1881 - 1901

45 Merridale St

Wallin A. Robert

GLM

1964 - 1976
1976 - 1998

Employed by 
Edwin Chilton & Son Ltd.
Co-founder of York & Wallin Ltd

Walls Edwin H.

GLF

1901

83 Owen Rd

Walls Edwin H.

GLF

1901

83 Owen Rd

Warren William

GLM

1871

23 Russell St

Watkin Reginald

GS

1901

17 Gibbs St

Wesley John

GLS

1871

20 Zoar St

Weston John

GLS

1861

42 [Royal Exchange] Waterloo St

Weston Joseph

GLF

1861

Dale St

Whitehouse George

GLF

1863

Wharf St

Whitehouse Jesse
 

GLM

1861

Grove St (St John's)

Whitehouse John
 

GLF

1863

Wharf St

Whitehouse Samuel

GLF

1865

Graisley Green

Whitehouse Sarah 
(Mrs. Jesse)
 

GLM

1861

Grove St (St John's)

Whittingham John

GLM

1861 - 1901

10 Paul St & 2 Russell St  
& Alexandra St

Wilkes John

GLS

1846

Merridale St

Wilkins John

GLS

1861

Commercial Rd

Wilkinson William

GLS

1861

35 Graisley St

Wilson John

GLS & GLF

1845 - 1861

Graisley St & Ashland St &
'Ashes', Gt Brickkiln St

Wilson Thomas

Powder Flask Maker

1841

‘Ashes’, Gt Brickkiln St

Wood John

GLM & GM

1840 - 1850

Darlington St

* Trade Abbreviations:

LS = Locksmith = Generally, a maker of locks other than gunlocks, e.g.: mortice locks.

GL Forger = A person who forges iron/steel bar into roughly shaped gunlock parts.

GLF = Gun Lock Filer = A person who files up forged parts of a gunlock.

GLS = Gun Lock Smith = Vaguely, a maker and repairer of gunlocks but not springs.

GLM = Gun Lock Maker = A maker of complete gunlocks, including springs.

GIM = Gun Implement Maker = A maker of screws, pins, triggers, hammers etc. for guns.

GSM = Gun Sight Maker.

GBM = Gun Barrel Maker.

GAF = Gun Action Filer = A person who files up gun actions (see GAM)

GAM = Gun Action Maker: [in a breech-loading gun] the action being the body around which the lock(s), stock and barrel(s) are integrated.

GS = Gunsmith = A repairer of guns.

GM = Gunmaker = A maker or finisher of complete guns from component parts.

Lic Vic = Licensed Victualler = A person licensed to sell intoxicating drink.

Maltster = a person who malts barley for the beer brewing trade.

Powder Flask Maker = A maker of gunpowder charging flasks for muzzle-loading guns.

App = Apprentice = Strictly, an indentured or legally bound trainee (often a loosely used term).

********

The author would like to acknowledge all the help he has received during more than thirty years of research from the staff at: 
Wolverhampton Central Library
Birmingham Central Library 
Wolverhampton Archives & Local Studies 
Wolverhampton City Council (Law & Resources Dept.) 
Lichfield Joint Records Office 
Staffordshire County Records Office 
Dti Companies Registration Office 
The William Salt Library 
The Worshipful Company of Gunmakers 
Dudley Archives & Local History Service  

and the individual contributors: 
Maj. D. H. L. Back
Hon. Richard Beaumont (at James Purdey & Sons Ltd.)
E. Dora Billingsley
Barry Brazier
David Brazier (at the Brazier surname website)
Rev. Fr. Francis Brazier
Hugh Brazier
Joseph Brazier
Lilias H. (St Aubin) Brazier
D. J. Brown
Anthony V. Bullock
J. Harlan Buzby
David Chilton (at the Chilton surname website)
Mr. & Mrs. F. R. Daly
Rev. Fr. Peter Dennison
Joanna Donohue
Charles Eaves
Peter Edridge
Christine Ellis
Cyril Gibbons
Harry W. Griffiths
Lesley B. Hampton
Chris Henry (The Museum of Naval Firepower)
Kathryn Hill
H. Hodson
June James
Clive Law
Victor Mitchell
Pauline Nicholson
Julia A. Pursehouse
Ian Rooke
Andrew Short
Anthony Smith
John Stanton & the Stanton family
Elsie Van der Star
Iris Tudor
David Wakelin
Dr. H. A. S. Walker
Mark Wallin (at York & Wallin Ltd.)
W. H. Clark (1933 - 2005) and W. T. C. Smith (1912 - 1987)  

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